OPENING FACE-OFF: After posting a 1-0-1 record on the road in the opening weekend, Colgate returns home to the friendly confines of Starr Rink as it hosts nationally-ranked Nebraska-Omaha (2-0) for a pair of games beginning Friday evening at 7 p.m. Both teams enter the weekend undefeated. With their performance last weekend, the Raiders collected five votes in the most recent USCHO/CBS College Sports Poll.
MEET THE HEAD COACH: Don Vaughan is in his 17th year at the helm of the Colgate Raiders. The 1984 graduate of St. Lawrence enters the campaign as the program's all-time winningest coach with a 270-253-60 mark. On February 16, 2008, he became the all-time winningest coach with his 252nd victory as Colgate blanked Union 8-0. On November 11, 2007, the President of Colgate, Rebecca S. Chopp, announced the creation of the Donald F. Vaughan Endowed Coaching Chair for Men's Hockey.
SERIES RECORD: Colgate and Nebraska-Omaha have played three previous games with the Mavericks holding a 2-0-1 lead in the series. UNO came to Starr Rink in 2001 and swept a pair of games from the Raiders 5-4, 5-3. Colgate and the Mavericks battled to a 5-5 tie in an opening round match-up at the Maverick Stampede in 2002. UNO won the shootout to advance to the title game.
THE OPPOSITION IN BRIEF: Nebraska-Omaha comes to Starr Rink ranked 15th in the most recent USA Hockey/Hockey Magazine Poll. The Mavericks posted a pair of victories at the UNO IceBreaker to open the season against two future Colgate opponents – Army (6-4) and then 10th-ranked UMass-Lowell (4-3). Rich Pursow, the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week, leads the team offensively at this juncture (2-2-4), while Nick Fanto (2-1-3) and Terry Broadhurst (2-0-2) are the other multi-goal scorers at this time. Both of Broadhurst's goals are game winners. Fifteen Mavericks have at least a point on the season. John Faulkner (2-0, 0.91 gaa, .947 save%) has come off the bench in relief and posted both victories. UNO is coached by Dean Blais. Prior to taking over the program, he posted a 262-115-33 record in nine seasons at North Dakota and led the Fighting Sioux to national titles in 1997 and 2000. He was 32-23-5 with the Fargo Force of the USHL last year.
ON THIS DATE: Colgate is a combined 5-0 in games played on October 16 (2-0) and 17 (3-0).
October 16, 2004 – Adam Mitchell scores the game winning goal 33 seconds into overtime as Colgate beat Lake Superior State. Steve Silverthorn saved 22 in the victory. Colgate's other victory on October 16 was a 3-2 win over UMass back in 1999.
October 17, 1997 – Colgate improved to 3-0 on the season as Andy McDonald netted the game winner at 18:45 of the second as the Raiders beat Michigan 2-1 in Ann Arbor. Dan Brenzavich outdueled current Dallas Stars' net minder Marty Turco in the victory. Breznavich posted 23 saves. Colgate's other two victories on October 17 came against Ferris State (5-3) in 2004 and Bentley (4-1) to open the 2008-09 season.
RECENT SUCCESS IN HOME OPENERS: Colgate is undefeated in its last six home openers. The streak began with a 5-3 win over Ferris State to kick off the 2003-04 home schedule. Since that victory over the Bulldogs, the Raiders have downed Lake Superior State (3-2), UMass-Lowell (6-2), Bentley (5-1), Sacred Heart (6-2) and UMass-Lowell (2-1) in succession. Colgate's last home opening loss was a 5-4 overtime setback to UConn back on October 19, 2002.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP: Colgate opened the season with a 4-4 tie at Niagara. The Raiders rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second period and eventually tied the game up with less than two minutes left on Wade Poplawski's fourth career goal. It was Colgate's eighth consecutive overtime appearance dating back to the 2008-09 campaign. Brian Day netted two goals in the draw against the Purple Eagles while Charles Long made 25 stops in net for Colgate. The following evening, the Raiders got their second two-goal performance in as many nights – this time from Austin Smith. Colgate rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the second period; tied the game up before second intermission and then won it on Smith's third shorthanded and career game winner with 7:02 left. Day opened scoring just 22 seconds into the contest – his third of the weekend. Colgate needed to kill off penalties late in the game, including a pair in the final minute. RIT pulled its goalie and had a six on three for the final 17.2 seconds. Alex Evin collected his second collegiate victory in net, the first since his collegiate debut versus Bentley the second game of last year. The sophomore saved 29 of 31 shots in the win.
FIRST REGULATION VICTORY IN A WHILE: When the final horn sounded at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, Colgate had won its first game in regulation since its 1-0 victory on Valentines Day (February 14, 2009) at Dartmouth's Thompson Arena.
A RECAP OF THE STREAK: Colgate entered the 2009-2010 campaign having played seven consecutive overtime games which dates back to the end of 2008-09 season. The Raiders went 3-2-2 down the stretch in these games – the two losses coming to Quinnipiac in a best of three series in a first round ECAC Hockey Tournament clash in Hamden, Conn. The streak began at home with a 2-2 tie versus Union on February 20. Colgate would go on to beat Rensselaer (2-1); tie Brown 3-3 in Providence and then upset #11 Yale (3-2) in front of a national TV audience in New Haven all before the meetings with the Bobcats. Quinnipiac won the opener 3-2; then Colgate rallied from a two-goal deficit late in the game for a 5-4 victory to force a third game. The Bobcats prevailed 4-3 in the final game of the series. The Raiders stretched the streak to eight with a 4-4 tie at Niagara last Friday evening.
TALK ABOUT CLOSE SHAVES: Dating back to last year's 3-2 loss to Princeton in overtime at Starr Rink on February 6 and including the first two games of the 2009-2010 season, the last 13 games the Raiders have played have been determined by one goal or less. With last weekend's results added, Colgate is 6-4-3 during this stretch. Twenty five of Colgate's games in 2008-09 were determined by one or fewer goals – Colgate went 9-9-7 overall in those types of games.
NIAGARA CLOSE SHAVES: With the tie versus the Purple Eagles, it marked the eighth time in 10 games versus Niagara that the result has been determined by one or less goals. The all-time series is still deadlocked at 4-4-2. Colgate and Niagara meet at least once more this year at Starr Rink and could meet an additional time in Chicago.
SHOULD OVERTIME HAPPEN: If it happens, eyes need to focus on two of Colgate's best ever goal scorers in overtime in David McIntyre and Austin Smith. McIntyre is tied for second all-time with three over-time game winners. He needs one more to tie Jon Smyth for first. One of McIntyre's goals lifted Colgate by Clarkson in the third and final game of an ECAC Hockey quarterfinal as the Raiders advanced to the Final Four as the seventh seed. Smith is tied for sixth having scored two overtime winners as a freshman last season versus Lake Superior State and Quinnipiac. McIntyre has six overtime points (3 goals, 3 assist) and five of them came last season. The only game he didn't record a point in a game winner was Colgate's 5-4 victory over Quinnipiac in the second game of the three-game series.
David McIntyre (6 points on 3 goals, 3 assists)
Ethan Cox (3 points on 3 assists)
Austin Smith (2 points on 2 goals)
Brian Day (2 points on 2 assists)
Francois Brisebois (1 point on 1 assist)
Kevin McNamara (1 point on 1 assist)
BACK TO BACK MULTI GOAL GAMES: Colgate got a pair of two goal games at Niagara and RIT in the form of Brian Day and Austin Smith respectively. Last year, the Raiders received multi-goal games in back to back outings twice. Day scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Bentley (10/17) and then posted his first hat trick versus Robert Morris (10/24). David McIntyre and Jason Fredricks duplicated the feat in early January as McIntyre netted two against Vermont (1/3) and Fredricks lit the lamp twice versus Lake Superior State (1/8).
A NICE WELCOME BACK FROM WADO AND KMAC: Both Kevin McNamara and Wade Poplawski returned to the Colgate's lineup after sustaining season ending injuries last year. The duo combined for the Raiders' fourth goal to force overtime at Niagara as Poplawski netted his fourth career goal – first since the season opener to the 2008-09 season versus UMass Lowell. It was McNamara's first point since assisting on David McIntyre's game winner in double overtime as Colgate upset Clarkson in a three-game series to advance to the ECAC Hockey semifinals.
MORE ON POPLAWSKI AND SEASON OPENERS: When Wade Poplawski netted his fourth career goal to tie the game with Niagara, it marked the second consecutive season opener the junior has posted a goal. He scored Colgate's first goal of the 2008-09 season on a blast from out top as the Raiders downed UMass-Lowell 2-1.
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Two Colgate freshmen posted their first collegiate points over the weekend – both assists versus RIT. Kurtis Bartliff assisted on Brian Day's third goal of the year 22 seconds into the clash with the Tigers, while Thomas Larkin was credited with an assist on Austin Smith's shorthanded game winner with about seven minutes left.
HAVE A NICE DAY: For the third consecutive season, Brian Day is off to another strong start. The junior posted his 15th-multi point game and sixth-career multi-goal game in the season opener with a two-goal performance versus Niagara and then followed it up with a goal in the first 22 seconds in the win at RIT. As a freshman, he opened the season with five goals in five games and then had five goals in the first three games last year.
AUSTIN TEXAS RANGER: Austin Smith posted his first two points of the year, both on goals in the victory at RIT. It was his eighth multi-point and fourth multi-goal game of his career. The short handed goal with close to seven minutes remaining was his third of his career. It also was his third game winning goal in two years.
PK OFF TO STRONG START: Colgate's penalty kill surrendered one goal in 22 attempts in the first four games last year. The Raiders are starting strong once again in killing off penalties by not allowing a power play goal in 10 tries.
CLOSING IN ON 100: With two assists in his first two games of the 2009-2010 season, David McIntyre is within six points of reaching the century milestone at Colgate. When he reaches that plateau, he would become the 48th player in the program's history to reach that barrier.
PRESEASON HONORS: David McIntyre has been named a pre-season first team all-ECAC Hockey honoree by the coaches and media. In addition, the senior has been named as a preseason first team all-American by Inside College Hockey and once again named to the all-College Hockey News first team. In 2008-09, McIntyre finished with 21 goals and 43 points, both ranked among the leaders nationally. His point total was the highest for a single season since Andy McDonald's 58 in 1999-2000. He was a first team all-league honoree; a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, a first team AHCA/Reebok Eastern All-American, a first team all-American by Inside College Hockey and was a selection to the all-College Hockey News team. In addition, McIntyre is one of 20 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for men's ice hockey.
GETTING DRAFTY: Colgate has six NHL draft picks on its 2009-2010 roster. David McIntyre was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 Draft by the Dallas Stars. Last year, his rights were traded twice in two months and now stands property of the New Jersey Devils. Corbin McPherson (New Jersey, 3rd, 2007), Brian Day (New York Islanders, 6th, 2006), Austin Smith (Dallas Stars, 5th, 2007), Jeremy Price (Vancouver Canucks, 4th, 2009), and Thomas Larkin (Columbus Blue Jackets, 5th, 2009) round out the Raiders' draft picks.
BLUELINE SHUFFLE: Colgate will have a revamped defense for the 2009-2010 season. Don Vaughan's squad lost five defensemen to graduation that combined to play close to 600 collegiate games. With the return of Corbin McPherson, Wade Poplawski and Kevin McNamara, the Raiders have 132 games of collegiate experience. Newcomers will need to make an impact on the blueline this season.
OH BROTHER: Charles and Christian Long are the first set of brothers to play for Don Vaughan at the same time. They hail from Cleveland Heights, Ohio and played junior hockey for the Brockville Braves of the CJHL. Charles and Christian have played three years together at different levels including helping St. Edwards High School to an Ohio State High School title.
MORE ON OVERTIME: Colgate took the University of Minnesota out of the record books in one category – overtime appearances in a single season. During the 2007-08 season, the Gophers broke a then national record with 16 overtimes in 45 games. Fast forward a season later, Colgate bested U of M's mark by three. The Raiders tied the record on March 1, 2009 with a 3-2 overtime victory at 11th-ranked Yale. In the first game of the opening round of ECAC Hockey Tournament, Colgate eclipsed the record in a 3-2 loss at Quinnipiac. All three games versus the Bobcats went longer than the prescribed amount. The previous single-season overtime record at CU was 10 set twice, most recently in the 2007-08 season. The Raiders had six overtime victories, which tied the NCAA Division I record for a single season.
