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OMAHA, Neb. (10/8/11) – In an exciting game that saw three lead changes and three ties, the Colgate men's hockey team skated off with a 4-3 win over No. 14 Nebraska-Omaha to take home the Mutual of Omaha Stampede title.
Colgate (2-0-0) got 33 stops from
Eric Mihalik and he was named to the all-tournament team.
Austin Smith,
Nick Prockow,
Kurtis Bartliff and
Joe Wilson were the goal scorers for the Raiders. Wilson had the gamewinner in the second period.
Chris Wagner was awarded with two assists in the win as he and Smith scored two points apiece. Bartliff and tri-captain
Corbin McPherson were given all-tournament team recognition and McPherson took home the MVP.
The Mavericks (1-1-0) saw Terry Broadhurst score two goals, while Josh Archibald also added a tally. John Faulkner made 19 saves in the loss for Nebraska-Omaha.
The Raiders went up 1-0 at 1:46 into the first period with a shorthanded goal from Smith. He one-timed a pass from Wagner on a breakout after Colgate took a penalty 36 seconds into the game. The lead didn't last long as the Mavericks scored two goals in a span of 31 seconds to take their first lead at 2-1. Terry Broadhurst got things started with 15:26 left in the period with assists to Matt White and Brock Montpetit. Then Josh Archibald scored unassisted with 14:55 remaining to give Nebraska-Omaha a 2-1 lead.
Colgate was able to fight back to tie the game at 2-2 before the end of the period and Prockow answered the call with 29 seconds left for his first of the year.
Austin Mayer and
Matt Firman were credited with the helpers for their first points of the early season.
Just like the first period, Colgate was sent to the box on a cross check call early on in the second, but this time Nebraska-Omaha made the Raiders pay with Broadhurst scoring his second of the game. Assists went to Bryce Aneloski and Montpetit. Once again, the Raiders fought back to tie the game and this time it was Bartliff with his second goal of the weekend. The junior forward stuck with the play as his initial shot was saved, but he jammed away at the fluttering puck and scored.
John Lidgett was given an assist on the play for the third of his season.
The Raiders earned their first lead since 1-0 as Wilson scored his second of the year with two minutes left in the third, after a nice passing display between him and Smith. The senior, just like last night against Robert Morris, found Wilson for a one-timer and he connected to give Colgate the lead going into the third. Wagner was given an assist on the play as well for his second of the night and
Jeremy Price was added to the scoresheet with his first assist of the season.
Colgate will be back in Hamilton next weekend for a huge two-game set with #1 Miami, who split with Bemidji State this weekend. The games are set for 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday at Starr Rink.
NOTES: Raiders win first tournament since the 2006 UConn Classic … first win over a WCHA school since 1998 against Minnesota-Duluth in a two-game sweep on the road … Colgate got its first shorthanded goal of the season in the second game after it took the Raiders 37 games to get a shorthander last year … Smith scored his fourth career shortie … Mihalik made 30-plus saves for the 12th time in his career … Raiders start 2-0-0 for the first time since 2008-09 … Wilson has two goals in his first two games with the Raiders … Wagner earned his second career two-point game and it was Smith's 27th … rookies Lidgett and Wilson have five points combined in the first two games.