Colgate Loses 4-3 to Miami; Rematch Tonight

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, Colgate Hockey

Sat, Oct 15, 2011

The Raiders lost 4-3 at home Friday, but get a shot at revenge tonight

Colgate Loses 4-3 to Miami; Rematch Tonight

The Colgate men's hockey team held No. 4/5 Miami to just 15 total shots, but the Raiders could not overcome a two-goal deficit in the third period and fell to the Redhawks by a 4-3 score.

Colgate (2-1-0) got two assists apiece from Jeremy Price and Spiro Goulakos. Austin Smith and Chris Wagner scored power play goals, while Mike McCann added an extra-attacker strike in the final minutes. Eric Mihalik took the loss, making 11 saves.

These two teams will be back at it tonight at 7 at Starr Rink.

Miami (2-1-0) saw Reilly Smith return to the ice for the first time this year and he posted four points on a hat trick and an assist. He scored one of the Redhawks' two power play goals, while Austin Czarnik tallied the other. Czarnik also posted an assist for two points on the night. Chris Wideman added two points in the win with a pair of helpers. Cody Reichard earned his first win of the year with 20 stops.

The first period was very exciting if you enjoy power play hockey. All three goals scored in the frame were on a man advantage. Miami struck first at the 10:34 mark with Reilly Smith scoring the first of his three on the day. Wideman and Tyler Biggs were awarded assists on the play. The Raiders fired back as Austin Smith spun in the slot and beat Reichard on a rebound. Price got the puck to the net after receiving a pass from Goulakos and both were given helpers.

With the game tied at 1-1, Wagner had a great tip in at the front of the net for his first goal of the season, which came on the power play with 4:58 left in the opening frame. Once again, it was Goulakos and Price on the blueline, passing the puck and Goulakos put a wrister toward the net that Wagner tipped home. Colgate came out and outhot the Redhawks 12-3 and the defense was stellar for the Raiders as a lot of shots were blocked.

The Raiders played with the lead for most of the second period, until Colgate was called for an interference penalty with 1:58 left. Czarnik made the Raiders pay for the mistake and put home his first of the season just 18 seconds after Miami went on the man advantage.

The third period didn't start off great for Colgate as Reilly Smith scored his second goal of the night after a turnover by the Raiders in their own zone. Colgate mishandled the puck as the Raiders tried to clear it and Reilly Smith jumped on the turnover. He beat Mihalik to the glove side with a wrist shot to give Miami its first lead since 1-0 as the goal made it 3-2 Redhawks. He then struck again with 16:08 remaining in the game to add an insurance goal at 4-2 and to earn the hat trick and the eventual game winner.

The Raiders made a valiant effort to tie the game as McCann scored his first of the season with 32 seconds remaining and with the extra skater. John Lidgett and Matt Firman did a great job fighting for the puck behind the net and Firman was able to clear it to McCann at the face off circle. The sophomore then blasted it by Reichard to cut the lead to 4-3. The Raiders controlled the puck in the offensive zone for the final 30 seconds, but could not put it past Reichard as the time ran out and Miami scored the 4-3 win.

Colgate outshot the Redhawks 23-15 and went 2-for-9 on the power play. Miami took advantage of its limited time on the power play with two goals on four chances.

Source: Colgate