Box Score

POTSDAM, N.Y. (3/15/08) – Colgate’s second line combined to score three goals, including the game-winner 1:58 into the third period, as the Raider men’s hockey team defeated No. 7 Clarkson, 4-3, in the second game of their best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series on Saturday, Mar. 15, at Cheel Arena. Colgate improves to 17-16-6 overall, while the Golden Knights drop to 21-11-4 heading into the winner-take-all game, which will be played on Sunday, Mar. 16, starting at 7:00 p.m.

The game-winner came after freshman Brian Day (Danvers, Mass.) used a heads-up pass to break sophomore David McIntyre (Pefferlaw, Ont.) and junior Tom Riley (Ottawa, Ont.) toward the other end on a 2-on-1, with McIntyre carrying the puck on the left side. McIntyre skated hard toward the net, beat his defender, and put a low shot on Clarkson goalie David Leggio. Leggio appeared to have made the save, but the puck trickled between his legs and over the goal line. Although the red light did not go on, a linesman signaled for the goal, and after a video review, referee Joe Ross concurred to make the score 4-3 in Colgate’s favor 1:58 into the third period. The Raiders played hard-nosed defense the rest of the way, including withstanding more than a minute of 6-on-5 hockey as Clarkson’s net stood empty at the end of the game, to earn the win.

The teams combined for four goals in the first period, after combining for just three goals in their previous three meetings this season. Colgate scored its first goal of the year against Clarkson 4:18 into the game. Day skated into the zone on a 2-on-1 with Riley, and carried the puck down the left side. As he neared the net, Day crossed the puck to Riley at the base of the right circle, and Riley scored into the open net on the back-door play.

The Raiders’ lead was short-lived, however, as Clarkson tied things up just as its first power play of the night expired, 8:25 into the period. The Golden Knights were cycling the puck deep in their offensive zone, and senior Steve Zalewski put a shot on net from the base of the right circle. He missed the net wide, but sophomore Matt Beca recovered the puck. He attempted another shot, which Colgate senior goaltender Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) stopped, but the rebound came to senior Nick Dodge on the left side. Dodge forced the puck through a seam to knot the score at 1-1.

Colgate regained the lead at the 14:12 mark thanks to some tenacious forechecking. Clarkson held the puck deep in its own end, and went to skate it out along the far boards. However, Raider senior Dustin Gillanders (Kyle, Sask.) laid a monster hit on the puck-carrier, and the rubber came out to sophomore Ethan Cox (Richmond, B.C.). Cox skated in on net down the middle, untouched, and wristed a shot over Leggio’s blocker. With the assist, Colgate remains unbeaten in his career when Gillanders records a point (15-0-2).

But two minutes later, the Golden Knights re-established the tie on an odd-man rush. Freshman Brandon DeFazio broke Dodge and senior David Cayer out on a 2-on-1, with Dodge carrying the puck in on the right side. Dodge shot on net, and Dekanich made the save, but couldn’t control the rebound. Cayer picked up the loose puck, skated around behind the net, and scored on the wrap-around to make it a 2-2 game.

A fracas broke out deep in the Clarkson attacking zone after a Golden Knight took out Dekanich near the midpoint of the second period. When the dust settled, three players from each team were sent to their respective sin bins. While both benches were short, the Raiders capitalized to take their third lead of the night, 3-2. Day received a breakout pass just before he hit the blueline to earn a breakaway. However, his shot glanced off of Leggio’s blocker and into the left corner. Clarkson picked it up, but Day wrested it back along the left boards. He skated with the puck toward the middle, where he found McIntyre streaking in on the right side, and McIntyre roofed it for his first goal of the playoffs.

But once again, Clarkson answered quickly, scoring its third goal at the 12:06 mark of the middle frame. The Golden Knights skated into the zone on a 3-on-2, with junior Tyrell Mason carrying the puck. He worked it over to sophomore Matt Beca on the right wing, and he gave it to Zalewski behind the net. Zalewski skated around and scored on the wrap-around for his 21^st goal of the season.

Dekanich earned the win after making 21 saves, while Leggio posted 23 stops in the loss. Dekanich enters Sunday’s game needing just 34 stops to break Colgate’s single-season saves record for the third straight year, and just 36 saves to break the Raider career saves record, which has stood at 3,023 saves by Jeff Cooper for 23 years.

Colgate earned the advantage on faceoffs, 38-31, as they outshot Clarkson 27-24. The Raiders went 0-for-2 on the power play, and shut down the only Golden Knight extra-man attempt of the evening.

The deciding game of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series will take place on Sunday, Mar. 16, at 7:00 p.m., at Cheel Arena. Fans who can’t make it to Potsdam can listen to John McGraw call the action on WKXZ 93.9 FM, or watch a live video feed courtesy of B2 Networks. Tickets may be purchased at the Cheel Arena box office.