Game 26: Colgate at Cornell
Date: Fri., Jan. 27, 2012
Site: Lynah Rink; Ithaca, N.Y.
Score: Colgate 2 Cornell 1
Records: Colgate 13-9-3 (7-5-1 ECAC), Cornell 11-5-4 (8-2-3 ECAC)
Colgate Game Story
Cornell Game Story
Ithaca Journal Game Story
Ithaca Journal Photo Gallery
Box Score
Quick Analysis
Now, that is how you debate. That was certainly quite the response by the Raiders after what transpired last Saturday night at home against Dartmouth. Colgate played a full 60-minute game and perhaps one of their best defensive games of the season in a hostile environment.
The Good
*This was probably Colgate’s finest defensive effort of the season. And this doesn’t really just have to do with shots on goal. The Raiders frustrated the Big Red throughout the night at both ends of the ice hounding the puck carrier and keeping active sticks near the puck and in passing lanes. All six defensemen stood strong in their own zone winning board battles in the corners, especially in the third period, and not allowing Cornell easy access to the high-traffic area. The Raiders also blocked a good number of shots. The best defensive job came in the third period in the neutral zone as Cornell could not gain speed and easily enter the zone to set up offense, the Red were forced into a dump-and-chase style which Colgate easily fought off. All 18 skaters should be applauded for the team defensive effort.
*Just flat-out wanting the game more. It seemed from the get-go that Colgate came out with a fire in the belly and that fire never went out through the entire 60 minutes. The Raiders were hustling from one end to the other, constantly winning 50-50 puck battles, shooting the puck on goal from all angles in the offensive zone, being strong with the puck in the defensive end and the neutral zone and simply firing on all cylinders. Cornell never had that jump and Colgate came out and socked Cornell in the mouth figuratively. The Raiders never seemed to lose that wanton desire to win the game. The only time Cornell really threatened was in the second half of the second period.
*Strong road first and third periods. The Raiders came flying out of the locker room and it was clear from the start that this was going to be a different Colgate team than we saw last Saturday late against Dartmouth. Colgate flat-out dominated the first period and deserved everything that went with a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. And to round off the 60-minute effort, the Raiders clamped down defensively in the third while still counter-punching and trying to score. Colgate’s defensive acumen in the third helped hold Cornell to just one shot.
*Shooting the puck. Now, for those that did not see the game and just look at the box, you’ll see 18 shots and think that we’re crazy here. However keep in mind that that is shots on goal and not total shots. The Raiders fired the puck at Andy Iles from every angle possible on Friday night. Cornell blocked a good number of shots, other tries were ripped wide or high and sometimes shots went off the side of the goal; one hard shot hit the side of the net to the right of Andy Iles and knocked up the water bottle. That is what you have to do to defeat Cornell because while only a few shots do get through, the more actual shots you take, the more chance you have of scoring.
*Penalty kill. The wheels have been put back on the Colgate penalty kill which turned in another outstanding effort on Friday night holding Cornell to an 0-for-5 output. The Big Red did not record a power play shot in the second or third period. The Raiders also added their ninth short-handed goal of the season when Chris Wagner converted on a pretty 2-on-1 with Austin Smith that involved several crisp back-and-forth passes. The Raiders also switched up personnel somewhat so that the Smith-Wagner combination was not run into the ground. All of the sudden, Colgate is 9-for-9 on the PK in the last two games and the Raiders have killed off 10-straight opponent power plays going back to the Harvard tilt last Friday.
*Converting on chances. This is a little different from shooting because you can have 100+ shots on goal and still not be able to convert. The Raiders made the most of their chances and buried two of seven shots on goal in the first period to the tune of a 2-0 lead. The first came on a 2-on-1 with Wagner and Smith that nearly resulted in another overpassing situation that we’ve seen lately but Wagner pulled the trigger at the exact right time on an easy one-time shot. The same can be said on the second goal where Joe Wilson buried a perfect one-time deflection past Andy Iles at the end of a rush into the offensive zone from the bench where he took a picture-perfect pass in front of the net from Kurtis Bartliff who had won the puck in the right corner.
*Winning the wall battles. This just wasn’t happening earlier in the month and the opposition was coming away with pucks at a high frequency when a tie-up ensued along the wall or in the corners. Particularly the Colgate defensemen did a strong job in their own end of pinning up the bigger Cornell forwards and taking the puck away. Most noticeable were Spiro Goulakos, Corbin McPherson and Thomas Larkin though all six defensemen, Brendan Corcoran included, did their share of winning pucks below the goal line and outmaneuvering of Cornell in the corners. Special mention should also be made of Colgate’s power forwards – Matt Firman and Nick Prockow who showed up in a big way with offensive zone puck possession and not allowing themselves to be easily taken off the puck. Prockow’s tenacity late in the first led directly to Colgate’s second goal.
*Fighting fire with fire. And in this case, that means being physical right along with Cornell. The Raiders never turned away from taking the body and this was a more physical Colgate team than we’ve seen in some time. Obviously playing against Cornell might have something to do with that but the Raiders looked for body checks all over the ice. Mark Nasca and Billy Rivellini each did a superb job generating energy with finishing their checks and Spiro Goulakos threw several strong hits.
*Eric Mihalik did not have to be spectacular on Friday night. He just had to stop the shots that were coming at him and the sophomore did just that. After being nearly run out of the building at Quinnipiac several weeks ago, Mihalik has picked up his game and allowed a combined three goals in his last two appearances against Harvard and Cornell. When the Raiders are good defensively, Mihalik just needs to be strong in goal and that is exactly what he did.
The Bad
*Really there isn’t much to talk about here. The power play though continues to be a sore spot. It’s now 0-for-13 dating back to the Quinnipiac game. Colgate had just two power plays on Friday night and both came out of 4-on-4 situations so there was no one full two-minute chance. But each power play ran at least a minute and the Raiders were unsuccessful. Obviously with a win the struggle on the power play can be forgotten but eventually the Raiders will need to churn the power play wheels into goals.
*Couple untimely penalties. And these came in a game where for the most part the officials let the two teams play and there weren’t a lot of infractions called. Untimely penalties being two whistles in the opening three minutes of a period, one in the first and then one again in the second period and then two in the final five minutes of regulation. As in the past, those types of things have led to disaster at Cornell however this time it did not.
This and That…
*Various streaks were broken on Friday night – first win on CBS Sports Network, first win over Cornell since Jan. 25, 2007, first win at Lynah Rink since Jan. 30, 2004, first win in a one-game goal since October, Cornell’s first Friday night loss this season and Colgate’s first win in the 2012 calendar year breaking an 0-5-1 slump.
*Colgate’s nine short-handed goals rank first in the nation ahead of Boston College, Providence and Boston University, all of which have eight short-handed goals.
*As per usual at Lynah Rink, the game was played in front of a sell-out crowd. There was a moderate-sized Colgate contingent sitting across from the student section. The Colgate pep band was in attendance.
*The Raiders nearly scored three goals on Friday night. A potential goal in the third period on a Chris Wagner stuff attempt by disallowed by the officials on the ice and waved off by the referee below the goal line. Wagner attempted to jam the puck past Cornell’s Andy Iles who in the attempt was pushed back into the goal. Colgate’s Austin Smith, skating behind the goal at the time raised his hands in the air believing the puck to have gone over the goal line however there was no goal light or ruling of goal on the ice. After some discussion play resumed and there was no review. No argument came from the Colgate bench.
*The last time Colgate won at Lynah Rink in Jan. 2004, the Raiders followed up with a win over the Big Red the following night at Starr Rink in Hamilton.
*With a goal on Friday night, Chris Wagner reached the 50-point mark for his career. Wagner has hit the half-century mark on 19 goals and 31 assists through 65 games. His 50 career points are the third-highest of any Raider behind Austin Smith (142) and Robbie Bourdon (64).
*Austin Smith’s primary assist on Chris Wagner’s goal moved him into sole possession of 22nd place on Colgate’s all-time points list with 142 career points. The assist, Smith’s 75th in four seasons, inched him just past Ron Fogarty who now occupies 23rd place. The senior from Dallas is six points behind Shawn Lillie ‘89, Colgate’s top American-born scorer.
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