HAMILTON, N.Y. (11/25/05) - Senior Kyle Wilson (London, Ont.) scored the game-tying goal midway through the third period to help the No. 15 Colgate hockey team to a 2-2 tie against Western Michigan on Friday, Nov. 25, at Starr Rink.
Both goaltenders battled to make the deadlock stick. In the last 25 minutes of the game, WMU’s Daniel Bellissimo made 15 of his 31 saves, and Colgate’s Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) recorded 14 of his 26 stops. The Raiders outshot the Broncos 33-28.
Wilson’s game-tying goal brought the crowd of 1,537 to its feet. Senior Ryan Smyth (Clarence Creek, Ont.) sent a heads-up pass to Wilson, who was streaking up the right wing. Wilson dropped the puck off for junior Marc Fulton (Vancouver, B.C.) just inside the blue line. The 2-on-2 opportunity quickly changed as a WMU defenseman fell, allowing Fulton to return the puck to Wilson. Wilson danced in on the net and put the puck top-shelf on Bellissimo.
Colgate’s first goal came on its first man-advantage opportunity of the evening. Fourteen seconds into the power play, following a scramble in front of the net, the puck was kicked out to the point by Raider sophomore Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.) to classmate Ben Camper (Rocky River, Ohio). Camper let loose a hard slap-shot pass to senior Jon Smyth (Markham, Ont.), who found himself all alone on the far side of the net for an easy redirection into a wide-open goal.
Western Michigan tied it up at one-all 5:55 into the second period. A bad bounce over freshman defenseman David Sloane’s (Ambler, Pa.) stick led to a 2-on-1 opportunity. Brian Bicek carried the puck down the left wing side and passed it to Brent Walton just inside the blue line. Walton shot the puck over a sprawling Colgate defenseman and just under the crossbar past Dekanich.
The Broncos took a 2-1 lead 41 seconds into the third period following a scrum just inside the zone. The puck sprang loose and was corralled by Paul Szczechura, who walked in on Dekanich untouched and fired a shot over his blocker.
Colgate continued to excel in the faceoff circle, winning 55 of 89 draws. Sophomore Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.) led the way, earning the puck on 28 of his 37 attempts. The Raiders’ special teams also continued to shine, as the team finished 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.
The rematch between Colgate and Western Michigan takes place on Saturday, Nov. 26, at Starr Rink. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Tickets are still available through the Colgate ticket office at (315) 228-7600.
