BOX SCORE

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (3/11/11) – The Colgate men's hockey team fell to top-seeded Union, 4-1, in the first game of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals on Friday night at Messa Rink.

The fourth-ranked Dutchmen lead the series 1-0 on the strength of two power play goals and a 42-20 shot advantage. Messa Rink was jammed packed with a sellout crowd of 2,262.

The Raiders (9-26-3) got their lone goal from rookie Chris Wagner, while Austin Mayer tallied the assist. Freshmen netminder Eric Mihalik posted 38 saves in net, including 20 in the first 20 minutes.

Union (26-7-4) saw Wayne Simpson net two power play goals, while Adam Presizniuk and Kelly Zajac recorded three assists apiece in the win. Matt Hatch and Andrew Boute also scored goals. Keith Kinkaid made 19 saves to earn his 25th win of the year.

Union got on the board first with 16:14 remaining with a goal from Boute. A Colgate stick deflected the puck on a Union pass in the defensive zone, giving it up in the slot to Boute. He charged into it and beat Mihalik between the pads to make it 1-0. Justin Pallos was awarded an assist on the play as he touched the puck prior to the Raider stick.

The Dutchmen increased the lead to 2-0 with a 5-on-3 power play goal from Simpson. They scored four seconds into the two-man advantage as Simpson fired a shot from the right circle. Presizniuk and Zajac were credited with assists.

Mihalik did what he could between the pipes with 20 stops on 22 shots, including a few late saves to keep the Raiders within two.

Wagner cut the lead down to 2-1 with 6:51 remaining on his second goal of the postseason. He skated into the Dutchmen zone untouched and blasted a slap shot from the right circle. Kinkaid flashed the glove, but couldn't catch up to the shot that found its way inside the near post. Mayer was given an assist for his third point of the playoffs.

The rookie had another great chance with 2:30 left with a rush on Kinkaid, but the Union netminder got just enough of the puck to slow it down. He failed to cover it and Robbie Bourdon jabbed at the rebound, but a back-checking Hatch pushed it out of the crease with his glove. Francois Brisebois then came in and hit the post with the third shot of the scrum. Wagner got another crack at it, following Brisebois' shot. Kinkaid was able to recover and tipped Wagner's shot over the crossbar with his glove.

Colgate generated some quality scoring chances in the second, but Union put more shots on Mihalik by a 14-8 margin. Each team went scoreless on the power play in the period with both squads earning one.

Union made it 3-1 at the 16:58 mark of the final period with a wrap around score from Hatch. Zajac put a shot wide and Hatch swooped in to collect the puck behind the net. He skated around the far post and beat Mihalik just in time to tuck it past the line.

The Dutchmen pushed the advantage to 4-1 with their second power play goal of the game and second from Simpson. He received a pass from Presizniuk and was wide open in the slot and chipped the puck over the glove of Mihalik to close the scoring.

The teams will be back at it at Messa Rink tomorrow night in game two for a 7 p.m. faceoff. The game will be shown locally in the Central New York area on Time Warner Cable Sports 2 (Channel 1026).

NOTES: This was the first ever playoff meeting between Colgate and Union in the ECAC Hockey playoffs … Union was 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Raiders went scoreless on just one chance … the Dutchmen outshot the Raiders 22-4 in the first period … the 22 shots were the most against the Raiders in a period since Nov. 20 against Yale at Starr Rink … Mihalik's 20 stops in the first was a season-high for a period … he made 30-plus stops for the seventh time in his 21 games played … Union tallied its 49th and 50th power play goals of the season in the first … Colgate gave up its seventh 5-on-3 goal of the season … Wagner has scored at least a point in six of his last eight games with four coming as goals.