Box Score
HAMILTON, N.Y. (3/11/06) - Colgate head coach Don Vaughan and sophomore center Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.) celebrated their birthdays with a 5-3 win against Quinnipiac (20-17-1) in the second game of their best-of-three ECACHL quarterfinal series on Saturday, Mar. 11. The No. 17 Raiders (19-11-6) will try to complete their comeback in the deciding game on Sunday at 7:00 p.m., at Starr Rink.
Colgate has fallen behind 1-0 in a home playoff series three times during Vaughan’s tenure, and each time it has come back to win the series. The Raiders achieved this feat in back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2004, beating St. Lawrence at Starr Rink each time.
The Bobcats scored all three of their goals on the power play as the teams combined for 34 penalty minutes. QU was 3-for-10 with the extra man, and Colgate was 1-for-3.
Quinnipiac opened the scoring 5:10 into the first period. The teams were skating 4-on-4 when the Bobcat penalty expired, giving them a power-play opportunity. QU set up in their offensive zone, and Reid Cashman fired the puck from the point across the slot. The puck was knocked down by Colgate senior Kyle Wilson (London, Ont.), but he was unable to gain control. Brian Leitch wristed a quick shot over the glove of Raider sophomore goalie Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) from the bottom of the crease.
Just 20 seconds later, Colgate evened the score. Quinnipiac turned the puck over to sophomore Ben Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) just inside the zone. Camper passed to freshman Peter Bogdanich (Burnaby, B.C.) who turned and fired a shot toward the net. The puck deflected off a stick in front and behind QU freshman goalie Bud Fisher.
The Bobcats went ahead again at the 9:16 mark. Cashman sent a cross-ice pass from the point down low to Ben Nelson. As a Colgate defenseman rushed to block the shot, Nelson slid the puck to Jamie Bates who was all alone at the top of the crease, and Bates slipped the puck into the open goal.
CU used a 4-on-4 opportunity to even the score at 2-2. Breaking out of his own zone, freshman Mark Anderson (Hastings, Neb.) sent a perfect pass between the Quinnipiac defenders and onto the stick of Burton. Burton broke in on net with two defensemen on his back and a delayed penalty on the way. He gave himself a 21st birthday present with his 21st goal of the season, beating Fisher low just as he was being dragged to the ice.
Colgate took its first lead of the night with 5:06 left in the opening period and just four seconds into its second power-play opportunity of the night. Burton won the draw in the right circle cleanly to senior captain Jon Smyth (Markham, Ont.) along the boards. Smyth sent a quick pass to Anderson, who took a hard shot that found the twine for his first career goal.
The Bobcats evened things at three apiece 3:07 into the middle frame. After the two teams battled for the puck behind the net, it came loose to Cashman along the left boards near the hash marks. He took a seemingly harmless shot, but the puck slid along the ice between Dekanich’s legs.
The Raiders went ahead for good at the 8:02 mark of the second session. Wilson worked the puck out to senior linemate Ryan Smyth (Clarence Creek, Ont.) for a clean breakout. Smyth feathered a backhand pass to junior Marc Fulton (Vancouver, B.C.) who was cutting across behind the defenseman. Fulton skated in on his off wing and fired a shot far side under Fisher’s arm.
Colgate added an insurance goal 8:46 into the third period. After withstanding sustained pressure by the Bobcat offense, Anderson made a heads-up breakout pass to spring Jon Smyth toward the other end. After briefly losing control of the puck, Smyth faked a slapshot dump-in and instead found Burton at the QU blueline, creating a 2-on-1 opportunity. Burton waited until the defender sprawled in front of him, then passed the puck across the slot to classmate Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.). Winchester buried the puck gloveside on a forehand redirect from the top of the crease.
Dekanich finished the game with 30 saves, including 13 in each of the first two periods. Fisher posted 24 stops on the night, and made double-digit saves in each of the last two periods. The Raiders dominated the Bobcats in the faceoff circle, winning 46 of their 79 draws.
The teams will battle for a berth in the ECACHL Championship in the decisive third game on Sunday, Mar. 12, at 7:00 p.m. The winner will advance to the league semifinals, which will be held Friday, Mar. 17, at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y.
