PROVIDENCE, R.I. (12/21/05) - The No. 11/11 Colgate hockey team was unable to shake off the rust from a two-and-a-half week break as the Raiders (10-3-3) lost to No. 17 Providence (10-6-1), 7-1, on the first day of the Providence College Hockey Holiday Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Schneider Arena.
Colgate avoided being shut out for the first time this season when sophomore Ben Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) received a pass from senior Zac Tataryn (Ottawa, Ont.) on an odd-man rush and buried the puck in the back of the net 8:10 into the third period, but that was the only offense the Raiders could generate.
Colgate controlled the tempo very early in the game, but everything changed midway through the first period. Providence got on the scoreboard at the 11:35 mark when Tony Zancanaro won a faceoff to Raider goalie Mark Dekanich’s (North Vancouver, B.C.) right back to the point and tipped in a shot by Trevor Ludwig.
Two minutes later, things went from bad to worse for the Raiders as the Friars scored twice in 25 seconds to open a 3-0 lead. PC’s second goal came after Bryan Horan split the Colgate defense to the right of the net, shot on goal, and Cody Wild buried the rebound on the left side of the crease.
Dekanich was at an extreme disadvantage when it came to Providence’s third goal. Seconds before the Friars scored, Dekanich went behind the net to play the puck, and the paddle of his stick got stuck in a crack in the boards under a door. The defenseman’s stick Dekanich was provided with, as well as the fact that he was screened in front, allowed Torry Gajda to tip a shot by Marc Bastarache into the goal.
Providence built up its lead to four with 1:34 left in the opening stanza. Gajda sent a cross-ice pass to Dinos Stamoulis, who was open at the left point. His shot slipped under Dekanich’s right arm and over the goal line.
The Friars got their fifth goal 4:48 into the second period. Dekanich ended up sprawled on his stomach in front of his net, reaching to cover the puck after stopping a shot by Wild, when Nick Mazzolini picked it up and put it into the open net. That proved to be Dekanich’s limit, and he was replaced by classmate Justin Kowalkoski (Young America, Minn.). Kowalkoski proved up to the task, stopping all 12 shots he faced.
Colgate started the third period killing a 5-on-3 PC power-play opportunity. Before junior Mike Campaner (Thunder Bay, Ont.) was released from the box, Kowalkoski lost his stick. The Raider defense managed to keep the Friars away from the net until after Campaner joined the play, but a shot by Colin McDonald got through, and Jon Rheault scored on the rebound to put Providence up 6-0 early in the final frame.
The Friars finished off the Raiders with their second power-play goal of the game 17:47 into the third. Gajda’s shot was blocked in front, and the puck came to Zancanaro who put it five-hole on Kowalkoski.
Dekanich took the loss after making 11 saves, ending his streak of undefeated decisions at a career-best 10. Kowalkoski finished with 18 saves, while Tyler Sims earned the victory for the Friars with 22 stops.
Colgate plays Brown in the tournament’s consolation game Thursday, Dec. 22 at 4:00 p.m., at Schneider Arena. Sacred Heart defeated Brown, 5-1, in the first semifinal on Wednesday.
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