HAMILTON - Colgate dropped its season opener to Canisius, 4-2, at Class of 1965 Arena on Friday night.
COACH HARDER'S COMMENTS
"I'm not sure what went wrong. Not one guy was good today. I've never really seen it where everybody's kind of bad at the same time. Usually it's a team game. It's such a great team sport. Other guys pick each other up, but it was disappointing, to say the least. We'll just leave it at that."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate started the first period strong, quickly taking control of the game. Just 17 seconds in, Max Nagel scored the opening goal with assists from Ryan Sullivan and Jack Brandt, giving Colgate an early lead. This marked Nagel's first goal of the season.Â
Throughout the period, Colgate's defense, anchored by Andrew Takacs in goal, successfully fended off multiple shots from the Golden Griffins, maintaining the lead. Despite the Golden Griffins going on multiple power plays, Colgate's penalty kill unit held firm, preventing any scoring opportunities.
As the period drew to a close, Colgate continued to press offensively, ending the first 20 minutes with a 1-0 lead.
The second period saw Colgate continue to press forward with several offensive attempts, highlighted by early shots from Tyson Doucette and Antonio Fernandez. Despite these efforts, they were unable to convert on their power play opportunity, as the Golden Griffins returned to full strength shortly after the start of the period.
Colgate's defense worked hard to counter the Golden Griffins' attacks, with Takacs making critical saves and Josh Niedermayer blocking a shot from Trey Funk. However, Walter Zacher of the Golden Griffins netted the tying goal.
As the period progressed, Colgate's attempts to equalize were thwarted by the Golden Griffins' defense, with multiple shots being saved or blocked. The period closed with the score tied 1-1.
Colgate capitalized on a power-play opportunity when Isaiah Norlin scored at 11:27, assisted by Sullivan and Brandt, giving Colgate a 2-1 lead. However, the Golden Griffins answered back with goals from Rhys Chiddenton and Carter Anderson, bringing the game to a 3-2 deficit for Colgate.Â
The Golden Griffins sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Oliver Tarr, making it 4-2.
GAME NOTES
- Isaiah Norlin scored his second goal of the season and leads the team.
- Andrew Takacs made 32 saves in net for the Raiders.
- Max Nagel scored his first goal of the season and the fastest goal for Colgate at Class of 195 Arena. Nagel netted the opener just 17 seconds into the game.
UP NEXT
The Raiders (0-2-1) will battle with Canisius at Class of 1965 Arena, Saturday at 7 p.m.
