Late TD Lifts Raiders, 28-24
Brian Lalli scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 31-yard pass play with 59 seconds left to lift Colgate to a 28-24 win over Holy Cross. (Photo by Bob Cornell)
Armiento Pick Sets Stage for McCarney’s Game-Winner in Final Minute
By John Painter
(Worcester, Mass. – Oct. 19, 2013) Three-fifty remaining and 80 yards to pay dirt.
That was Colgate’s predicament trailing Holy Cross 24-21 here Saturday with the season in the balance. The Raiders stood 1-5 overall and were staring at the prospect of continuing their losing ways in the Patriot League just as they had during most of the non-conference slate.
But give a late lifeline, Gavin McCarney did what he does best and helped Colgate escape with a 28-24 victory. It wasn’t quite a miracle, but it might yet be a cure for this jumble of a season.
“We had a lot of time, with close to 4 minutes left and all three timeouts,” McCarney said. “We just continued what we had been doing and started moving the ball.”
Playing in just his fourth full game of the year because of various injuries, McCarney showed once again why he was the preseason pick to repeat as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. He can beat you with his feet and his arm.
Nothing but Green Grass
Demetrius Russell plunged for a third-down conversion to get the winning drive moving, and one play later McCarney on a planned pass sprinted 28 yards into Holy Cross territory. On the very next snap, McCarney found Brian Lalli alone behind the defense for a 31-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left.
“On my run, we were going to try to take a shot there and it just opened up,” McCarney said. “John Weber did a great job just pushing his man downfield and there was nothing but green grass. I took off and secured the ball. I knew we had a lot of time.
“Then it was a great route by Brian Lalli; a little stop-and-go. They were playing Cover-2, so the middle of the field was wide open. A linebacker is not going to stay with him and he made a great catch.”
That McCarney and Co. even had a chance at the winning score came by virtue of yet another interception from super safety Mike Armiento. The Raiders junior baited Holy Cross freshman quarterback Paul Pujals into his only real mistake of the game, picking him in the end zone as the Crusaders were attempting to ice the game.
“I knew they were going to go out and up on me; that’s what they did on film,” Armiento said. “So I saw it coming and just tried to make a play.
“My teammates did an outstanding job, and I was just in the right place at the right time.”
The interception was Armiento’s fifth this season and 11th of his career. He also recovered a first-quarter fumble caused by linebacker Kris Kent at the Colgate 1-yard line, meaning Armiento had a hand in preventing 14 potential Holy Cross points.
“He’s made plays in every game and, right now, he would be our most valuable player by far,” Colgate head coach Dick Biddle said. “The key was the kids didn’t get too down and the defense for the most part kept us within one score. I didn’t want to tie the game and go to overtime, and it worked out.”
Saturday’s win improved the Raiders to 2-5 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League. It also marked Colgate’s first victory here since 2005 and improved Biddle’s record against the Crusaders to 12-6.
One Last Gasp
Holy Cross wasn’t dead after the Lalli score. Kalif Raymond returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the 42 with still 49 ticks remaining, and the Crusaders had all three timeouts.
But Raiders linebacker Vinny Russo got a hand on Pujals’ first-down pass, and then Colgate freshman tackle Nathan Obinwa chased down the Holy Cross quarterback for a 5-yard sack. Pujals found Nate Stanley for 10 yards to set up fourth-and-5, but Mike Fess couldn’t handle a wide-open reception and Colgate had the victory.
“That’s why you play college football,” Russo said. “As a defensive player and one of the captains of the team, that’s what you want. You want to be on the field with the game on the line.
“It was an all-around team effort for sure.”
Colgate began its fourth-quarter comeback right around the 15-minute mark. The Raiders drove 75 yards in 10 plays to cut the deficit to 24-21 with 10:22 showing. Ed Pavalko plunged in from the 1 for his first collegiate rushing touchdown.
“It’s always nice to get the first one of the year,” said Pavalko, who has previous receiving TDs each of the last two seasons. “It takes me back to high school a little bit. When I get the chance to carry it, I try to make the most of it.”
Holy Cross (3-5, 1-1) had snapped a 14-14 halftime deadlock with 10 third-quarter points. John Macomber kicked a 37-yard field goal on the opening drive of the half, and then the Crusaders took advantage of a Raiders turnover to make it 24-14 on Pujals’ 6-yard pass to Raymond late in the period.
History Maker?
Colgate’s first-half scores came on McCarney’s 5-yard run in the first quarter and his 10-yard pass to John Maddaluna III in the second. The latter play capped a 99-yard drive – tying for longest in football history, right? – after Armiento’s fumble recovery inside the 1.
The TDs by Maddaluna and Lalli were career firsts as the two wideouts continue making hay while the starters are away. Maddaluna had a catch against Cornell two weeks ago and posted two more Saturday for 19 yards, while all four of Lalli’s for 49 yards were the first on his ledger.
“We’ve got a great group of guys on this team,” Lalli said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had some injuries. Some guys have been held down and it’s forced some of the younger guys to step up. But no matter who we put it, no one skips a beat and I’m happy with how we played today.”
Lalli was especially thrilled to be on the receiving end of Colgate’s biggest play of 2013.
“We ran it a few plays earlier and knew the middle of the field would be open,” he said of the TD catch. “I just did what I had to do. I ran my route, was fortunate enough to get the ball thrown to me and happy to make a play for my team.”
Holy Cross tallied its first two touchdowns on 1-yard runs by Pujals to open the scoring and Gabe Guild near the final minute before halftime.
Pujals has won Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors each of the last four Saturdays. His case is strong again this week after completing 25-of-40 for 232 yards, although he would like to have at least one throw back.
“A true freshman, that’s very impressive to come out and put up a game like that,” Armiento said. “He’s an unbelievable player and he’ll get better, but today wasn’t quite his day.”
Armiento and Kent led the way for Colgate defensively by combining for 18 tackles. Armiento finished with 10 for his fourth double-digit total, while Kent had two for lost yardage among his eight stops.
23 More Plays
Bobby Stup added six tackles, including a TFL, while Russo, Jake Kern, Adam Bridgeforth, Cameron Buttermore and Austin Dier all posted five tackles against a Holy Cross offense that ran 78 plays to Colgate’s 55. Oddly enough, the Raiders ended up with more yards, 418-405, while time of possession favored the home side by about 4 minutes.
“They were converting third downs and had us in the red zone a few times,” Russo said. “But we just stuck to the plan and Mike Armiento made another play for us. Then we gave it to the best quarterback in the country, and you know what’s going to happen.”
McCarney was an efficient 18-of-23 passing for 241 yards, with two touchdowns against one interception. He added 71 yards on the ground to total 312 for the game, extending to 11 his school record of career 300-yard games.
“He makes plays,” Biddle said. “Some of those when you’re trying to win the game, some quarterbacks overthrow the receiver. But he hit Lalli right on the numbers. Holy Cross had some receivers open and they couldn’t connect.
“Gavin does the little things that keep you in the game and make you win. His just being out there makes us a better football team.”
Dan Cason caught six passes for 123 yards, moving his career totals to 121 for 1,650. The senior wideout is tied for sixth in catches on the Colgate chart and seven yards shy of 10th in receiving yards. Russell and Jimmy DeCicco combined for 20 rushing attempts and 99 yards.
Now the rest of the Patriot League schedule awaits, continuing next week at Georgetown. Kickoff is 1 p.m.
“Coming in here 1-5 was a terrible taste in our mouths, but we have everything in front of us,” McCarney said. “We’re just taking them one at a time, like a championship game every week. We’re excited for the win.”
Biddle is happy his Raiders are 1-0 in what he calls the second season.
“If we get some more guys healthy and our kids play hard, we’ve got a legitimate shot,” he said. “We’ve played a very tough schedule and played some good people, and sometimes that makes you resilient and your kids hang in there.”
Raiders Draw With Bucknell, 1-1
Brawner Nets Fifth of Year, Second in as Many Games
By Kat Castner
(Lewisburg, Pa. – Oct. 19, 2013) Colgate ran into a tough Bucknell team on Saturday afternoon as the Raiders and Bison drew at 1-all in a women’s soccer contest. The tie was Colgate’s first of the year.
“Despite creating some great chances, the finishes just weren’t there for us today,” Colgate head coach Kathy Brawn said. “Bucknell played a terrific second half and took advantage of a slip by one of our backs to find the equalizer. We will redouble our efforts in preparation for Wednesday’s home game vs. Boston University.”
Colgate (8-4-1, 4-1-1 PL) saw captain Caroline Brawner tally her fifth goal of the season in the first half. Catherine Williams also recorded five shots in the match. Rookie Brenna Mason was outstanding in net again for the Raiders making six great stops including two breakaway opportunities.
“Brenna Mason’s stellar play in goal kept us in the game,” Brawn added of the freshman.
Bucknell (5-8-1, 2-3-1 PL) was led by Evelyn Nicinski, who notched its lone goal in the 52nd minute. Jessie Ashworth and Jessica Ratner split time in net with Ratner handling the majority of work for 65 minutes, making four saves.
The Raiders controlled the ball right from the opening whistle and it paid off when they tallied the game’s first goal just six minutes in. Taryn Tomczyk sent a cross into the box, where Brawner collected it with a great first touch and finished past Ashworth from eight yards out.
Midway through the first 45 minutes, Williams had a good look on net but as the ball left her foot a Bucknell defender threw her body in front of the shot to block it away from goal.
In the closing minutes before halftime, Colgate continued with its high-pressure mentality with back-to-back corner kick chances. Jenna Panepinto had the best look throughout the series but her driven shot ricocheted off the crossbar.
Early in the second half, Bucknell knotted the score at 1-1 following Nicinski’s marker. Chelsey Garkowski played the ball over to Nicinski, who was able to get past the Colgate defense and Mason from eight yards out for the equalizer.
In the 65th minute the Raiders tried to regain their lead when Williams found herself with the ball in the box. She fired a shot but again the Bison came up with a huge block stopping a potential scoring chance.
With five minutes remaining in regulation, Mason made a brilliant save following a Garkowski shot from point blank range.
Despite two hard shots in the closing minutes, Colgate could not find the back of the net sending the game into overtime.
A minute into extra time, rookie Sarah Coy had a solid chance on net but Ratner came up with a diving stop to push it out for a corner.
On the next play Emily Manoogian sent the corner kick into the box where it found the foot of Coy yet again. The freshman fired a shot but Bucknell was there to block the ball away.
Mason made another goal saving stop in the 94th minute after a breakaway opportunity by Alexis Gannon to keep the game tied at 1-1.
The contest was forced to a second overtime but neither team was able to notch the game-winner as the contest ended in a draw.
Bucknell slightly outshot the Raiders 21-18 but Colgate held the advantage on corner kicks 7-to-3.
The Raiders are back on Van Doren Field on Wednesday for a mid-week game with Boston U. at 7 p.m.
Men’s Hockey Falls at Bowling Green
Rookie Finn makes 42 Stops in Net
By Matt Faulkner
(Bowling Green, Ohio – Oct. 19, 2013) BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Colgate men’s hockey team finished its two-game set with Bowling Green on Saturday and the Raiders dropped a 7-0 decision.
Colgate (2-2-1) got a season-high 42 stops from rookie Charlie Finn, including 24 in the first period.
Bowling Green (2-1-2) had two players score a pair of goals each as Brent Tate and Ben Murphy tallied a pair. Bryce Williamson tallied three points with a goal and two assists and Dan DeSalvo added four helpers. Tomas Sholl earned the shutout with 20 stops in net.
“I thought the game got away from us in the second period,” head coach Don Vaughan said. “We took a couple of untimely penalties and its tough enough on the road and you can’t be playing that undisciplined at times.”
The first period was controlled by the Falcons, but the home squad only managed one goal as Finn stood tall in net for the Raiders. He made a total of 24 saves, including a huge stop on the penalty kill, robbing Camden Wojtala with the glove.
The lone goal of the stanza was scored by Bowling Green and it was a breakaway score with 55 seconds left in the period. Willamson was able to absorb a hit at the blueline by one of the Raiders and got the puck to Mark Cooper, who got behind the defense. He made a couple of moves and tucked a backhander inside the post and by the outstretched pad of Finn for the 1-0 advantage.
Colgate had its best chance of the period with the puck squirting through traffic and onto the stick of Mike McCann. The senior tried to jam it past Sholl, but the BGSU netminder fell on his backside to cover up the shot and keep it a scoreless game at that point.
The second period was a tough one for the Raiders as the Falcons built a 4-0 advantage with three goals in the middle frame.
Murphy increased the Bowling Green lead to 2-0, seven minutes into the second period with a wrister from the right circle after a cross-ice feed from Williamson, who recorded his second assist of the night. The Falcons made it a three-goal deficit for the Raiders with Tate scoring1:24 after Murphy’s. Tate was out in front of Finn and deflected a Rusty Hafner shot from the point.
The fourth goal of the game for the Falcons came from Williamson to give him three points in the first two periods. With already matching minors in the box, Colgate was called for a five-minute major for boarding and Williamson made the Raiders pay. Dan DeSalvo took a shot from the top of the slot that Finn stopped, but the rebound came right out to Williamson out front and he put it home off the post for the 4-0 advantage.
Bowling Green added three more in the third period and earned the 3-0 win. Tate and Murphy each posted their second goals of the night. Murphy’s came on the power play and Pierre-Luc Mercier tallied the final goal of the night to close out the scoring at 7-0.
“I thought the shot totals were a little deceiving,” Vaughan said. “ We had some scoring chances tonight, but the game just got away from us in the second period.”
The Raiders are back on the ice at Starr Rink next weekend for a two-game set against 11th-ranked St. Cloud State.
Colgate Earns 3-2 Win on Senior Day
Raiders Down Lehigh Thanks to Goals by Nabhan, Kafaf, and Biggar
By Matt Faulkner
(Hamilton, NY – Oct. 19, 2013) HAMILTON – On a day that commemorated five field hockey seniors, Colgate wanted to make their day was something to remember, and that’s exactly what the team did as the Raiders defeated Lehigh 3-2 on Tyler’s Field for their first conference win of the year.
“I can’t tell you how great it feels,” Colgate head coach Cathy Foto said. “The kids have been working so hard all season long. To come up short in so many games by one goal and overtime goals, it’s been hard, but they stayed focused. They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them and they were hungry for it today.
“Overall, we were just happy with the effort.”
Colgate (3-11, 1-3 PL) received two of its three goals from seniors Olivia Nabhan and Halle Biggar. Giuliana Kafaf also converted on a penalty stroke for the Raiders middle marker. Amanda DiDomizio was stellar in goal, notching six saves.
Lehigh falls to 0-4 in league play and 3-12 overall. The Mountain Hawks saw Marissa Glatt and Taylor Mygatt tally goals in the loss. Julia Ward recorded eight saves in the loss.
Eliana Brown got the Raiders off to a good start firing a shot just one minute into the contest, but it sailed just wide.
Colgate was on the attack again when Meredith Gibson tried her luck on goal, but the Mountain Hawks came up with a block to push it away from danger.
The Raiders continued with their high pressure notching 15 shots to Lehigh’s four in the opening 35 minutes.
At the 23-minute mark, Colgate took a 1-0 advantage after Nabhan connected on a shot that took a deflection off a Mountain Hawks player and got past Ward.
Lehigh equalized early in the second half after Caitlyn Mitchell fired a shot from the outside of the arc. Her shot was helped by Mygatt, who redirected it past DiDomizio’s left shoulder for the tying goal.
The Raiders was very determined, however, and turned up the pressure by notching shot after shot, trying to break through the Lehigh defense. Their strong attack awarded them a stroke as Ward was given a yellow card on a scrum in front. The Raiders converted and took a 2-1 lead as Kafaf placed it past Sydney Maltinsky, who had come in to take over at goal. The marker was Kafaf’s second of the year and she came of the bench to take the stroke.
A minute and four seconds later, Colgate increased its advantage to 3-1 when senior Biggar netted her ninth of the year and the eventual gamewinner. Biggar made a nice move at the top of the circle on a rush up field and found herself alone and blasted a shot under a diving Maltinsky.
Lehigh would grab one back in the 66th minute on a penalty corner, but the Raiders would finish out the remaining time strong and was on the winning end of the one-goal game.
Colgate dominated on the shot chart at 28-10 and also held the advantage on penalty corners 17-6.
The Raiders are back in action on Sunday against Harvard at 12 p.m. for their last regular-season home game this year at Tyler Field.
Colgate Drops Heartbreaker in Overtime
Raiders Outshoot Holy Cross But Fall Short, 3-2
By Kat Castner
(Hamilton, NY – Oct. 20, 2013) Colgate dropped a heartbreaker on Saturday night after Holy Cross netted a late goal in regulation before adding the game-winner in overtime to hand the Raiders a 3-2 loss.
“We felt if we scored a couple goals it would put us in a good situation to get a good result and to get a win but we were a little unfortunate at the end of the game,” Colgate head coach Erik Ronning said. “It’s a tough one to swallow but we are going to have to move forward and get ready for the next one. We still are very much alive in the Patriot League hunt and we just need to keep moving forward.”
Colgate (2-10-2, 1-3-1 PL) received goals from Evan Heroux and Tyler Forbes in the contest. The Raiders also saw Ethan Kutler notch five shots and four others with four in Tanner Schilling, Nick Arpey, and Zach Pagani. Junior Liam Stapleton recorded four save throughout the game.
Holy Cross (6-5-1, 4-1 PL) was led by Josh Cintas, who posted the game-winner in the 89th minute. Monty Sanders and Joey DeVivo also netted goals in the victory. The Crusaders goalie, Kevin Wright pushed aside eight Raider shots.
The Raiders tallied the first real scoring chance for either team in the sixth minute. Deep on the Holy Cross side of the field, senior captain Barrett Metzger took a long throw, finding the head of Geinda Smith. The rookie flicked it on but Wright came jumping up to make the save out of the air.
Holy Cross answered with a chance of its own with 27 minutes to play in the half. The Crusaders crossed the ball into the box, where DeVivo redirected it on net, but his attempt on frame was pulled in by Stapleton before any damage could be done.
Stapleton came up big for Colgate again a few minutes later following a free kick 25 yards out. Cintas played the ball to the head of Dane Kenny, who flicked it towards goal but Stapleton made the diving save.
With 20 minutes remaining in the half Colgate found itself on a fast break. Schilling was streaking down the sideline with the ball, looking for an open Raider at the top of the box. He found Arpey, who one-timed it on net but his shot sailed just wide of the frame.
Holy Cross tallied the game’s first goal five minutes later after Sanders put one past Stapleton. After intercepting the ball at the top of the 18-yard box, he hit a low hard driven ball past the outstretched arms of Stapleton.
Colgate would not give up, however, notching two more good scoring chances on net before the half. The first opportunity came after Schilling collected a loose ball at midfield. He beat two defenders before finding an opening and trying his luck on net. His shot looked as though it was heading into the back of the net, but Wright made a driving save to keep his shutout alive.
Nick Rizzo tallied the Raiders’ second chance with one minute left to play in the opening 45 minutes. After the ball was played into Rizzo, he made a brilliant turn to beat his defender before striking one on goal. The initial shot was saved but Scott Brown finished off the rebound, for what they thought was the equalizer but the referee called an offside and waved off the goal.
Early in the second half Holy Cross earned another chance on goal following a free kick. Tommy Uttaro played the ball into the box where it got bounced around before finding the foot of Sanders. The senior captain volleyed it off the bounce but the Raiders came up with the block to keep it away from the net.
Colgate tried to answer after a Stapleton free kick. Smith flicked the cross into Arpey, who one-timed it on net. The goalie made a kick save, however, to push it out for a corner.
The Raiders finally broke through in the 67th minute when Heroux converted on a rebounded shot by Pagani. Colgate played a short corner kick finding the foot of Pagani. The rookie found an opening and fired a shot on the net. Wright came up with the initial save but couldn’t fall on the rebound before Heroux blasted it home for the equalizer
Colgate was on the attack again when Chris Campbell made a great run from defense down the sideline. He beat two defenders before playing the ball over to Schilling. The junior completed a wall pass by giving bit back to Campbell for the shot. His strike took a deflection but gave the Raiders a corner kick opportunity.
With 12:30 remaining in the game, Holy Cross played a dangerous ball into the box past Stapleton, who had come out to make a save. Schilling was able to clear it out before any damage could be done.
Four minutes later Kutler shook his defender with a cheeky move and hit a well-paced ball on net. His shot skimmed the crossbar but gave the Raiders another great chance on goal.
In the 84th minute Forbes gave the Raiders the go-ahead goal when he hit a brilliant strike to the upper right-hand corner. Following a Colgate free kick, Schilling collected the ball and fired a shot on net. His shot on net got blocked but only to find the foot of Forbes, who volleyed it off the bounce into the upper 90.
Schilling continued to look for a tally of his own when he tried to chip Wright after he flubbed a kick just outside the box. Schilling’s shot hit the crossbar, however and bounced back into play.
The Crusaders would not let up as they notched the equalizer as the closing seconds ticked off the clock. The ball was bounced around in the box and the Raiders were unable to clear it out before DeVivo found the ball, shooting it past Stapleton from eight-yards out sending the game into overtime.
Just one minute into extra time, Kutler fired a hard driven ball on frame but Wright came up with the diving save to keep the game going.
Holy Cross then retaliated by hitting the crossbar twice before netting the game-winner in the 98th minute. Uttaro played the ball off the endline to Cintas, who was eight-yards out, where the senior placed it past Stapleton for the game’s last marker.
Colgate outshot Holy Cross 29-18 and held the advantage on corner kicks 6-2.
The Raiders are back on Van Doren Field on Tuesday for a midweek matchup with Dartmouth at 7 p.m.
Trautz Nets Game-Winner in Overtime
Raiders Split Two-Game Set With RIT After 2-1 Victory
By Kat Castner
(Rochester, NY – Oct. 20, 2013)ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Rookie Liz Trautz’s second marker of the year was a big one as it lifted the Colgate women’s hockey team 2-1 over RIT on Saturday night in overtime.
“Tonight was a really strong effort against a tough team from RIT,” Colgate head coach Greg Fargo said. “Our team got better tonight, we played a better team game overall. Our special teams played a big part of the game, our penalty kill came up big in the third period and it was great to have our power play get back on track.”
Colgate (2-4-0) saw Trautz score 2:12 into overtime on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. Miriam Drubel also scored the first Raider goal on a power play in the middle frame. Sophomore Ashlynne Rando made a career-high 40 saves in her first victory of the year.
RIT (3-4-0) received its lone goal from Kourtney Kunichika, who tallied the equalizer in the second period. Jetta Rackleff pushed aside 27 shots in the loss.
After a scoreless opening frame that saw both teams’ notch 13 shots, play was even with both squads garnering good chances on net.
The Raiders had their best opportunity of the period following a scramble in front of the night.Kayla Haus shot from the left side but Rackleff came up with the save. Katelyn Parker collected the rebound and tried her luck on goal but again Rackleff was there to make the save
Also in the opening period Rando made two great stops on shots by Marissa Maugeri to keep the game goalless.
In the second period, Rackleff again came up big for the Tigers when she made a goal saving stop on Stephanie Giannopoulos from point-blank range.
The Raiders wouldn’t be denied any longer, however, as they tallied the game’s first goal at the7:37 mark. After a roughing penalty on RIT, Colgate converted on the man-up opportunity when Drubel scored her third of the season on the power play.
RIT would answer just 1:15 later following Kunichika’s marker. Maugeri earned the initial shot that took a tip from the stick of Kunichika past the shoulder of Rando for the equalizer.
In the final frame the Tigers had three straight power plays but the Raiders held strong killing off the extra man opportunities and sending the game into overtime.
RIT headed into extra time on the power play after Colgate was called for hooking late in the third period. The Tigers almost notched the game-winner when Kolbee McCrea had a great chance in front of the net. She wasn’t able to corral the puck as it took a bad deflection off her stick and away from goal.
The Tigers were called for back-to-back penalties handing the Raiders a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. After Megan Wickens and Nicole Gass worked the puck around the blue line, Gass saw an opening and fired a shot on net. Trautz redirected the sophomore’s shot to lift the Raiders to victory.
RIT outshot the Raiders 41-29 but Colgate was able to convert on two of its eight man-up chances compared to the Tigers 0-for-7.
The Raiders are back on home ice Friday and Saturday when they welcome ECAC Hockey opponents, St. Lawrence and No. 3 Clarkson in their league-opening weekend. Colgate faces the Saints on Friday at 4 p.m. followed by a matchup with the Golden Knights on Saturday at 3 p.m.