HIGH POINT, N.C. – Asher Nolting scored his fourth goal of the game just a minute into overtime to give High Point University a 11-10 victory over Colgate in the Raiders' season opener. Following a Panther time out, Nolting took the ball behind the goal on the right side, circled behind the net and drilled a shot to the upper right-hand corner of the net for the game winner. 
 

Despite having the ball for just over a minute in the first seven minutes of the game Colgate emerged from the quarter with a 5-3 lead. Brian Minicus opened the scoring a minute into the game off a turnover on a clear by High Point. Holding the ball for most of the next six minutes High Point surged to a 2-1 lead on goals by Colby Russell and Nolting. The Raiders answered on Rory Connor's first collegiate goal and after a Colin Ruppenstein marker, Connor notched the second goal of his career on a feed from Thomas Colucci. Shortly thereafter Minicus scored off an assist by Collucci giving Colgate goals on five of its first six shots of the game. Brendan Mayea finished the first quarter for the Panthers with a highlight reel over the shoulder behind the back goal. 
 

The Raiders' Brendan Jordan opened the second quarter scoring on a goal from the right side for a 6-3 lead, but the Panthers scored the next five goals with two from Nolting and single tallies from Jaxson Lamb, Michael Ippolito, and Hunter Vines. 
 

Colgate's defense came up strong in the third period holding the Panthers scoreless while the Raiders deposited goals from Adam Salvaggio and MInicus to tie the game at 8-8 entering the four quarter. Minicus notched the hat trick with his third goal with only 43 seconds remaining in the period. 
 

The back and forth continued in the four quarter with High Point taking a 9-8 lead with 11 minutes remaining on a Jack Vanoverbeke goal. The Raiders answered with the next two goals Michael Minicus found the net on a feed from Connor with 10:04 left and Jordan drilled an underhand shot from Jacob Sposita at 6:19. Lamb connected with the equalizer with only 19 seconds remaining to force overtime.
 

Game statistics were as close as the score. Colgate took 42 shots to 43 for High Point. Colgate's 22 ground balls were three more than the Panthers. High Point edged the Raiders on the face off "X" 12-11. Colgate was 17-22 on clears including 11-12 in the second half. High Point had 19 clears in 21 attempts and were perfect on a dozen clear attempts in the second half and overtime.

Colgate freshman goalie Matt Lacombe made 10 saves in his first collegiate start, several of the spectacular variety. Parker Green had 13 stops for the Panthers.

Head Coach Matt Karweck on the game:
"We played pretty well for the first game of the year. We had to work some kinks out for sure. My guys played hard, they played tough. I have to give credit where credit is due. (High Point) Coach Torpey runs a good team.

"Our job right now is to go back and recoup and recover and learn our lessons and continue to compete. That's something that's been a theme of ours for the entire year. Competitors know how to win. Competitors learn how to win. That to me is where we're going to grow and develop as a team.

"We've got to get home, we have to recover and get some rest. Then we get up in the morning and get right back at it. That's the name of the game here. The season isn't determined by your first game. The season is determined by how you grow and develop. We continue to keep that mindset and that's what we'll do going forward." 

UP NEXT: 

Colgate travels to fourth-ranked University of North Carolina for a contest on Sunday, February 13, at 11:00AM.