HANOVER, N.H. (2/19/2010) – Wade Poplawski (Winnipeg, Man.) posted a career-high three-point evening and Brian Day (Danvers, Mass.) scored the game-tying goal with 5:08 left in the third period as visiting Colgate battled Dartmouth to a 6-6 overtime draw in a men's ECAC Hockey clash at Thompson Arena, Friday evening.

Colgate, which moved to 12-13-6 overall and 9-8-2 in league play, rallied from a three-goal first period deficit to gain an important point in the league standings.  The tie coupled with a St. Lawrence 7-5 loss to Yale moves the Raiders into a tie for fifth with the Saints heading into Saturday's action.  Rensselaer moved two points ahead by of St. Lawrence and Colgate for fourth by defeating Quinnipiac.

With 1:13 left in overtime, Colgate had one more hurdle to overcome to cement the tie.  David McIntyre (Pefferlaw, Ont.) was sent to the penalty box for slashing.  The Raiders' penalty kill stiffened and didn't allow Dartmouth to get a shot on net in the final 73 seconds.

The first period was one furious pace from opening face-off to the final horn.  After spotting Dartmouth, which now stands 7-17-2 overall and 5-12-2 in league play, a pair of goals in the first 4:10, Colgate got on the board as Ethan Cox (Richmond, B.C.) deflected in a screen shot by Poplawski for his fourth goal of the season.  However, Big Green answered with back to back goals by Doug Jones at 8:16 and Scott Fleming, a power play goal at 11:11 to gain a 4-1 lead.

Following Fleming's second goal of the evening, Colgate made a goalie change as Bryan Bessette (Melrose, N.Y.) entered the game for his first action since December 20 at Canisius.  That served as a wake-up call for the Raiders, who dominated the game from that point on. Colgate once again closed to within one score at 13:46 as Francois Brisebois (Montreal, Que.) fired in a one-timer in front of the cage from McIntyre and Robbie Bourdon (Ile Bizard, Que.).  Right off the face-off, Bessette came up with an important save in stopping Matt Reber on a breakaway.

 Not too long after the save, Colgate climbed back within one as Poplawski sent a backhander from the right wing circle into the cage for his second of the year from Austin Smith (Dallas, Texas) and Nick Prockow (Montreal, Que.) with 3:04 left in the period.  Dartmouth took a 4-3 advantage into the first intermission.

After Alex Goodship posted his first career goal for Big Green at 2:35 of the second, Colgate answered less than two minutes later.  Eleven seconds into a power play, Smith deflected in a shot by McIntyre from the right point for his 12th of the year at 4:32.  Poplawski fed the puck to McIntyre and got an assist for starting the offensive set.  Big Green took a 5-4 lead into the third.

For the third consecutive period, Dartmouth lit the lamp first.  Kevin McCarthy's first goal of the year at 5:36 gave Big Green another two-goal lead.  Down two, Colgate put pressure on Dartmouth and once again climbed to within one as Day won an offensive-zone face-off and got the puck back to Jeremy Price (Milton, Ont.).  The freshman fired on net and beat Jody O'Neill for his fourth goal at 11:20. His goal tied him for fifth on the single-season goal list by a rookie defenseman with David Sloane, Mike Campaner, and Mike Dosdall.

In the course of the evening, Colgate had many chances to get the equalizer.  Finally, at 14:42 of the third, it did in the form of Day.  The junior fired in his 19th of the year from right in front of the cage to knot the game.  Bourdon and Thomas Larkin (Cocquio Trevisago, Italy) received assists on the game tying score.

Bessette faced 17 shots in 53:49 of action, stopping 15.  It was his most action between the pipes since his 3-2 overtime victory over Quinnipiac last season at Starr Rink.  Before being pulled, Alex Evin (Castlegar, B.C.) made eight saves in 11:11.  Jody O'Neill stopped 35 shots including two in overtime for Dartmouth.  Colgate outshot Big Green 41-29.

The Raider power play converted one of two opportunities, while Dartmouth scored once in five tries.

Colgate plays its final regular-season road game Saturday evening at Harvard.  Opening face-off is set for a bit after 7 p.m. due to Senior Night in Cambridge.