Senior Peter Baum scored a season-high six goals to lead Colgate to a 12-5 win over Binghamton Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Bob Cornell)
By John Painter
(Hamilton, NY – March 12, 2013) Colgate’s first homestand of the season couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Raiders routed Binghamton 12-5 here Tuesday afternoon with the help of six Peter Baum goals to complete a two-game Spring Break sweep at Andy Kerr Stadium. Combined with Saturday’s 14-6 pasting of Holy Cross, Colgate improved to 5-2 this season.
Just maybe, the lamb-like start to the month is turning into more of the Colgate lion everyone expected.
“We were really disappointed following that week with Cornell and Hobart; we certainly didn’t play the way we wanted to play,” Baum said. “But we went back to work and tightened the screws, found some things we could improve upon.
“These last two games have been a much better direction for the team.”
Colgate’s senior captain made things easier for his squad Tuesday by finding the net six times for the fifth time in his collegiate career. In the process, Baum broke Colgate’s all-time scoring record of 200 points set by Derek Laub from 1990-93.
Baum is up to 205 points and counting.
Earlier this season, the defending Tewaaraton and Lt. Raymond J. Enners award winner set the career goal-scoring records both for Colgate and the Patriot League. Tuesday’s final goal was his 150th.
McCann Clicking with Baum
Baum scored Colgate’s first two goals midway in the first quarter, added three more in the third and then capped his afternoon with a final tally in the fourth. Brendon McCann assisted on three of the goals, and the other three were solo efforts.
“Some days you’re feeling it shooting it,” Baum said. “I felt good despite the weather, so it was good to be able to find some corners and find some space. Brendon did a really good job getting me the ball.
“We were clicking today, and I was just shooting the ball well.”
Colgate combined to outscore their two home opponents 26-11. The Holy Cross win began the Patriot League season with a blast, and then Tuesday’s handling of Binghamton cooled off a hot club. The Bearcats were riding wins over Hobart and at Delaware after a five-goal loss at Cornell.
All three of those decisions certainly had Colgate’s attention.
“I really challenged them because of the way Binghamton had come in – the way they played Cornell and then the Hobart and Delaware wins,” Raiders head coach Mike Murphy said. “And our guys today did a very good job of matching that intensity, and even bringing it up a level.
“It was a good team win, and I was very impressed with our guys there.”
Balanced on Both Ends
The Raiders were balanced throughout, scoring at least two goals in every quarter while limiting the Bearcats to single tallies each of the first three periods. Scores for the quarter breaks were 3-1, 6-2 and 10-3.
Ryan Walsh added four goals to keep his terrific season on track. The sophomore attacker scored in each quarter Tuesday and now has 17 for the season, just three behind Baum’s team-leading 20. Walsh is the only Raiders player with goals in all seven games this year.
Baum matched his best scoring game of the season, which was a four-goal, two-assist afternoon at Dartmouth back on Feb. 23. Previous games of six goals for the senior captain were at Dartmouth on Feb. 26, 2011; at Army on March 31, 2012; and against Hobart on March 6, 2012.
Baum’s career high of eight goals took place at Robert Morris on March 3, 2012.
“We had a good game plan and I was able to slide around into some different spots above the goal, behind the goal, and find some seams,” he said. “It just worked out.”
Murphy noticed his squad’s improvement on both sides of the midfield stripe. Colgate outshot Binghamton 42-20, won the ground balls category 30-19 and controlled face-offs 13-8. No extra-man goals were scored in the game – Colgate 0-of-3; Binghamton 0-of-4 – and the Bearcats committed 13 turnovers to Colgate’s season-low of seven.
“I was happy with the way we played offensively Saturday, really happy with the way we played offensively today,” Murphy said. “And our defense is getting better. You look at that Binghamton team – their midfield is fantastic. We were really nervous going into the game.
“Conor Murphy played much better today than he did Saturday. That was good, because they are a dangerous shooting team. They don’t take a lot of shots, but they are relentless in the way they play.”
James Queeney and Kevin Boyle picked up four ground balls apiece for the Raiders, while Matt Yeager had three. Face-off specialist Robert Grabher won 13 of his 21 attempts at the X.
Binghamton, now 2-3, was led by two goals from Kelly Donigan, a junior from nearby Skaneateles.
Big-League Showcases
Two big-league venues are next on the Colgate docket. The Raiders travel this Sunday to the New York Mets’ Citi Field for a date with Michigan as part of the Metropolitan Lacrosse Classic. Start time is 3 p.m. after Navy meets Holy Cross in the first game of that noon doubleheader.
Then on March 23, it’s the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and a Patriot League matchup against Navy at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Super Bowl-champion Ravens. Colgate and the Mids play the 2 p.m. opener ahead of a Johns Hopkins-Virginia nightcap.
“We’re really excited,” Baum said. “I’ve played in a couple of big venues – last year in the quarterfinals, for instance. But Citi Field certainly will be something else and then going down to M&T in Baltimore. We’re definitely excited.”
Murphy’s job is to keep the focus on the field and not on the surrounding superstructure.
“We’re doing a good job of continuing to get better every day, and we’re looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready for Michigan,” he said. “Our guys will be excited to play down at Citi Field, but we’ve got to remember that it’s a business trip. We’re going down there to finish off our out-of-conference schedule with Michigan.”
Colgate 12, Binghamton 5
Binghamton (2-3): Kelly Donigan 2-0, Shane Warner 1-0, Matt Springer 1-0, Michael Antinozzi 1-0, Tucker Nelson 0-1. Totals: 5-1.
Colgate (5-2): Peter Baum 6-0, Ryan Walsh 4-0, Jimmy Ryan 1-0, Geoffrey Sullivan 1-0, Brendon McCann 0-3, Connor Brown 0-1. Totals: 12-4.
Saves: Binghamton 11 (Max Schefler); Colgate 7 (Conor Murphy).
Halftime: Colgate 6-2.