HAMILTON - A goal from
Emma Pais was not enough for the Raiders to erase an early 2-0 deficit, as Colgate fell 6-1 against No. 11 Princeton on Friday night at the Class of 1965 Arena.
COACH DECOSSE'S COMMENTS
"A disappointing game tonight. We lacked focus and a willingness to play the right way consistently over the course of 60 minutes. The ECAC is a great league, Princeton is a good program and it's an honest game and we paid for that tonight. We have an opportunity to bounce back tomorrow against another challenging opponent."
HOW IT HAPPENED
After just 1:31 had passed in the first period, Princeton jumped out in front when Emerson O'Leary, assisted by Issy Wunder and Mackenzie Alexander, stuffed a shot past Brooke Davis in net. The Tigers didn't let up there, doubling their lead at 16:26 when Alexander scored, with O'Leary repaying the favor with an assist.
From there, Colgate was able to battle their way back into the game, but without a goal to reward their improved play. Both defenses remained resilient in the final minutes of the first period, and the score stayed 2-0 in favor of Princeton going into the intermission.Â
Princeton erased the Colgate momentum with a flurry of shots on goal early in the second period, but Davis remained strong for the Raiders, keeping the deficit at two. The Raiders rode Davis's saves to some attacking pressure of their own, but weren't able to cash in as the period passed the halfway mark. Â
Colgate finally got on the board when Pais scored at 12:31, assisted by Alexis Petford and Sara Stewart, to make it 2-1 and put the Raiders back in the game.Â
However, Princeton responded with a goal at 17:53, as Alexander's second goal of the game, assisted by Angelina DiGirolamo, gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead late in the period. The teams would go to intermission with Colgate needing to make up a two-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes.
The Raiders struggled early in the third period, and the Tigers scored a fourth at 2:04, as Jane Kuehl netted a power-play goal off of an assist from Katherine Khramtsov. Princeton immediately made it 5-1, as Sawyer Fleming scored at 2:36, assisted by Hannah Fetterolf and DiGirolamo.
After Princeton's fifth goal, Sophomore Farah Walker replaced Davis in net for the Raiders.Â
Princeton extended the lead again with 11.8 seconds remaining in the game, when Alexander scored to complete her hat-trick, assisted by Wunder and O'Leary, and make it 6-1, a lead that Princeton maintained in the final seconds to take home the win.
GAME NOTES
- Emma Pais extended her team lead with her 14th goal this season. She now sits at 95 career points.
- Alexis Petford logged an assist on Pais's goal.
- Brooke Davis made 14 saves for the Raiders.
- Colgate outshot Princeton 36-27 in the loss.
UP NEXT
The Raiders (8-10-1, 4-4-1 ECAC) look to rebound tomorrow when they host No. 9 Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. at the Class of 1965 Arena. The game will air on ESPN+.
