Boxscore
ERIE, Pa. (2/4/06) - The Colgate defense proved to be the difference, as the Raiders skated to a 1-1 tie with the No. 6 Lakers of Mercyhurst on Saturday, Feb. 4. Elayna Hamashuk (Nepean, Ont.), making her first start since Jan. 7, stacked the pads on 43 shots for a new career-high. The defense in front of Hamashuk was unyielding as the Lakers attempted a total of 73 shots.
Mercyhurst took immediate control of the contest peppering the net with shots in the opening few minutes. Colgate soon settled down and the teams resumed to the intense play that was witnessed last night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
The Raiders lit up their side of the score board first as senior Allison Paiano (Orleans, Ont.) netted a short-handed goal at 6:46 of the opening frame. Teammate Tara French (Truro, N.S.) cleared the puck out of the zone and down around the left side of the boards. Paiano was able to get to the puck first, unimpeded by any defenders, and came around the right side of the net. She shifted to the left side with crafty foot work and sent a shot that went behind the blocker of Laura Hosier to the right corner pocket. It was Paiano’s first short-handed tally since her rookie campaign.
The second stanza saw quality chances for both squads but the defense was able to keep the lamps dim.
The light went on for Mercyhurst midway through the period, but the official standing behind the net immediately signaled no goal, as the net was clearly off its moorings and was the puck was said to be kicked in.
Minutes later, the Lakers nicked the cross bar seconds after their defense squashed a Raider 2-on-1 breakaway.
Paiano gave Colgate another scoring opportunity when her shot from the blue line hit the right post and slide across the goal mouth but no one was there to put it home.
Mercyhurst’s Julia Colizza tallied the equalizer at 12:59 of the third period. Colizza sent a shot at the net that rebounded back out to her stick and she was able to send it to the back of the netting. Stephanie Jones and Ashley Pendleton were credited with the assists on the play.
Colgate was forced to play two of the final 2:12 remaining in regulation down a man as French got called for an infraction. The Raider defense held on to force the game into overtime.
Both teams had multiple chances to break the deadlock but neither team could capitalize. Hosier lost the puck in the middle of a scramble but was able to cover as the whistle blew. Seconds later, Mercyhurst got a 1-on-1 breakaway but the shot went right to the bread basket. Mercyhurst got another chance when Valerie Chouinard sent a shot that went just wide, before Colgate's Sam Hunt (Calgary, Alta.) took a shot that bounced off Hosier and then she made a glove save.
Hosier made 21 saves for the Lakers, who are now 17-7-4. The Raiders are now 9-10-7.
The Raiders return home to the confines of Starr Rink next weekend, for the first time since Jan. 14. Colgate will take on No. 3 St. Lawrence on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 11 against No. 9 Clarkson. The Raiders shutout the Saints 3-0, just two weeks ago, and fell to the Golden Knights, 3-1.
