BOX SCORE

HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/11/12) – The two teams combined for 13 goals from 13 different goal scorers, but it was the Colgate men's hockey team that held off Brown in the final period to earn a 7-6 win on Friday night at Starr Rink.

Colgate (17-10-3, 11-6-1 ECAC) was led by Matt Firman, Austin Mayer and Nathan Sinz, who all posted three points. Firman had a goal and two helpers, while Sinz and Mayer each added a career-high three assists. Nick Prockow, John Lidgett and Spiro Goulakos all had two-point nights with a goal and an assist apiece. Joe Wilson, Austin Smith and Corbin McPherson each got in on the scoring with a goal. Eric Mihalik made 17 saves for the win in relief of Alex Evin, who made six saves in the first period.

Brown (8-14-3, 5-12-2 ECAC) got four points from Jack Maclellan with a goal and three assists. Garnet Hathaway tallied three points on a goal and two helpers. Richie Crowley put up two points on a goal and an assist. Marco De Filippo made six stops in the first and then got replaced by Mike Clemente after giving up five goals. Clemente took the loss, but kept the Bears in the game with 16 stops.

Colgate took the lead first in an opening period that featured six goals. Firman was setup by Mayer to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead just 1:33 into the game. Brown evened it up at 1-1 less than two minutes later on a shot from neutral ice by Crowley. He put a shot on Evin from the red line that hit the goalie's chest and hit the ice. The puck then trickled between his legs and into the net. 

The Bears earned their first lead of the game at 2-1 with 10:15 left in the first as Maclellan stole the puck from the Raiders in the neutral zone while shorthanded. He broke in all alone on Evin and tucked the puck inside the far post. Colgate forced the second tie of the period as Prockow knotted the score at 2-2 with 8:57 remaining in the first frame. He was setup by Kurtis Bartliff from the opposite faceoff dot. Lidgett was given the second assist for his fifth point of the weekend.

The scoring continued as Brown got a power play goal from Lathaway with six minutes left with the assist to Massimo Lamacchia and Bobby Farnham. Farnham won the faceoff back to Lamacchia and he waited at the high slot for traffic to form infront of Evin. He blasted a slap shot from his spot in the high slot and Lathaway tipped it home. Colgate answered with 35 seconds left to tie the game again. This time it was Firman and Goulakos connecting on a give-and-go play. Goulakos gave the puck to Firman in the offensive zone and went to the net. The senior returned the favor as Goulakos tipped it in for the goal to make it 3-3.

The offensive outburst continued into the second for the Raiders with three more goals. Lidgett got it started with 14:42 remaining in the period with his third goal of the weekend. Mayer did a great job keeping the puck in at the blueline on a clear attempt by Brown. He found Lidgett streaking in to his right and hit him with a pass. The rookie then beat De Filippo for the 4-3 lead. Colgate increased its lead to 5-3 with Smith's 32nd goal of the year coming with 9:13 left in the period. Wagner moved in with Smith on a 2-on-1 and the sophomore made a great pass setting up Smith for the one-timer at the side of the net. Sinz chipped the puck to Wagner to set up the play, which was the third assist of the night for the junior defenseman.

Wilson then got his chance shorthanded. Goulakos interrupted a push into the offensive zone by the Bears and deflected the puck to Wilson, who collected the puck and beat two defenders on the rush to earn a break away. He beat Clemente five-hole for the 6-3 lead.

The third period was much like the first two frames with a lot of scoring chances and open ice. Brown led off the scoring to cut the lead down to 6-4 with Matt Harlow scoring during a scrum in front. The goal came 1:05 into the final frame. Colgate got its huge insurance goal from McPherson, who scored his second goal of the weekend. He took a shot from a sharp angle and it somehow got past Clemente for the 7-4 lead.

The Bears made a push in the final eight minutes with a pair of goals. Jeff Buvinow scored Brown's second shortie of the night during a five-minute major to slice the lead to 7-5. Dennis Robertson then got the Bears to within one at 7-6 with a 4-on-4 goal coming with 6:43 left in the game. Brown did pull the goalie with under two minutes left, but failed to score and the Raiders held on for a 7-6 win.

Colgate edged out the Bears, 30-29, in shots. Brown was 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Raiders failed on three chances.

The Raiders will go on the road for the final time in the regular season with a visit to St. Lawrence and Clarkson next weekend.

NOTES: The Raiders have now combined for 15 goals on the last two Saturday nights … third time this season Colgate has scored seven goals (3-0-0) … Smith scored his 32nd of the season and now has 75 goals and 75 assists for 150 career points … he is tied for 10th all-time in career goals … tied with a fellow No. 9 Steve Spott '90 with 150 career points … McPherson has scored 10 career goals and five have been gamewinners … Mihalik earned his 20th career win tonight … Colgate is 14-2-0 when leading after two periods … when scoring four or more goals the Raiders are 13-1-0 … Lidgett finished the weekend with six points on three goals and three assists … Colgate scored its nation's leading 11th shortie of the season … Smith now has an 11-goal lead for the nation's top goal scorer.