HAMILTON, N.Y. (12/3/05) - In a game that was filled with highlight-reel goals, hits and late-game saves, No. 13/13 Colgate found a way to pull out a 3-2 win against Princeton. With the victory, the Raiders improve to 10-2-3 overall and 6-1-1 in ECACHL play. Through 15 games, Colgate is off to its best start since the team posted a 14-1-0 record to start the 1962-63 campaign.

After falling behind by two, the Raiders pulled it together and scored three unanswered goals for the win. Colgate's top line of senior captain Jon Smyth (Markham, Ont.), sophomore Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.), and sophomore Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.) combined for seven points to lead the Raiders to a exciting come-from-behind win. Sophomore goalie Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) came up with a seemingly-impossible save with less than 20 seconds left in the game to hold on to the one-goal lead, which earned him one of the game's three stars.

Princeton opened the scoring at 19:08 of the first period, only eight seconds into their fourth power play of the frame. Strong performances in the faceoff circle by the Princeton centers throughout the period became evident on the man advantage. The Tigers won the draw back to the point where Princeton defenseman Daryl Marcoux fired a hard slapshot toward the net. A deflection in front of the crease caused problems for Dekanich, and the puck trickled across the top of the crease. With no Raider defenders there to clear it, Princeton forward Patrick Neundorfer caught up to his own deflection and with a diving play swatted the puck into the wide-open goal. For the third consecutive game, Colgate trailed by a goal at the end of the first.

Princeton struck again at 5:43 of the second. What appeared to be a harmless play developed as a turnover at the Princeton blue line sent the Tigers on the attack. A dish from Brett Wesgarth sent Kyle Hagel in with some room along the right-wing boards just inside the Colgate line. At the top of the circles and with his back against the wall, Hagel ripped a low slap shot toward the net. The shot buried itselt in the twine as Hagel beat Dekanich low on the glove side.

Colgate pulled to within one at 12:40 of the second. Winchester out-muscled two men in the corner to spring Burton out of the corner and toward the net. Burton had some room to maneuver and he found senior defenseman Eric Main (Atikokan, Ont.) sneaking in from the point. With a quick pass and an even faster release on a one-timer from his wrong side, Main put the puck in the back of the net with three Princeton players standing in close proximity.

The Raiders pulled even at 2:54 of the third on Smyth's sixth goal of the season. Strong play in the corners by Burton and Winchester led to them feeding off each other on a cycle that left the Princeton defenders all tangled up. Winchester eventually came up with the puck, and on a heads-up play fed Smyth along the bottom of the face off circle. Smyth gathered the puck and made a strong move to the net. After drawing Princeton goaltender Eric Leroux across the crease, Smyth sent a hard backhand along the ice against the grain and under the pad of Leroux.

Colgate completed the comeback with a goal at 6:09 of the final frame. Winchester cinched his third point of the evening by keeping the puck in at the Princeton blue line, and once again springing Burton toward the goal. Burton found himself unhindered as he walked down the left side on Leroux, and with a quick release mid-stride, sent a high shot short-side and just under the bar.

Dekanich finished the game with 27 saves as he extended his unbeaten streak to 10 games. Leroux made 31 stops in the losing effort, including 16 in the third period. The Raiders failed to score on the power-play for the second straight game, going 0-for-5 on the night, while Princeton was 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

The Raiders completed their six-game homestand with an unblemished 4-0-2 record. Colgate now heads into a two-week hiatus for final exams. The break comes at a timely juncture as the team will use the rest to heal a few minor bumps and bruises before the holiday tournament at Providence, Dec. 21-22, which also features Sacred Heart and Brown.