SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Colgate head coach
Matt Karweck called it a step in the right direction.
Colgate completed its opening two-game series against ACC top-10 opponents with a 21-14 defeat to No. 5 Syracuse on a snowy Friday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. But unlike last week's loss at No. 10 North Carolina, the Raiders in Game 2 were within striking distance well into the fourth quarter.
Trailing 17-10 early in the final stanza,
Mike Hawkins and
Brian Minicus combined for a 3-1 Colgate run that drew the Raiders within 18-13 with still 8:13 showing on the clock.
That's as close as Colgate could get, but it showed vast improvement in the six-day window as the Raiders look forward to their next two games – Feb. 18 at Princeton and Feb. 22 at Hobart.
Hawkins matched his career high with five goals and added one assist, while
Griffin Brown posted his second hat trick in as many games with a four-goal effort. Minicus scored one goal to go with three assists to just miss his career high in the latter category.
Hawkins scored the game's first goal for a 1-0 Raiders lead, added one in the second and then put together a fourth-quarter hat trick.
Brown scored his opening goal late in the first quarter and then turned in a natural hat trick – two to end the first half and then the opener of the third quarter – to draw the Raiders within 9-7.
Minicus did all of his scoring damage in the second half. The sophomore scored his goal unassisted midway in the third quarter to make it a 12-8 score, and then assisted three times over a 10-minute stretch. The last two found Hawkins for easy put-aways as the Raiders hung tough.
The 35 combined goals marked Colgate's highest scoring game since the Raiders throttled Robert Morris 24-14 back in March 2012.
Bottom Line
• No. 5 Syracuse 21, Colgate 14
From the Source
• Colgate head coach
Matt Karweck: (Opening comment) "I have unbelievable respect for Coach Desko and his staff. He does such a fantastic job. We're honored and humbled to be up here and to see those guys the first couple years of my career. What a fantastic job he's done to prepare his team to start.
"I'm really proud of my guys. Most of you watched the game last week and we were significantly better, which is exactly what you want as you develop your team early in the season. I'm proud of them and the way they worked hard."
Listen to the rest of Coach Karweck's press conference
HERE.
Raider Facts & Figures
•
Cooper Belanger scored his second career goal with a tally in the closing seconds of the first quarter that pulled the Raiders within 4-3.
• Colgate trailed 7-0 after one quarter last week at North Carolina.
• Connor Brook scored the first goal of his collegiate career late in the third quarter.
• Syracuse was a perfect 22-of-22 on clears compared to Colgate's 15-of-23.
• The Raiders were 3-of-6 on extra-man opportunities, including goals in their first two chances.
• Colgate goalie
Sean Collins faced 65 Syracuse shots, with 36 on target. The sophomore posted a career-high 15 saves.
•
Parker Baddley caused two turnovers and tied for honors among position players with three ground balls.
Aidan Toomey also had three.
• Hawkins scored his five goals on just seven shots. He had a pair of five-goal games against first Binghamton and then Bucknell during his debut season of 2018.
• Syracuse attackman Chase Scanlan, a transfer from Loyola, scored seven goals in his Orange debut.
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at the Carrier Dome was 2,140.
Up Next
• Colgate is off until a Feb. 18 visit to Princeton.
• That is a 6 p.m. start from Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium.
