POTSDAM, N.Y. – No. 17 Colgate scored twice in a 43-second span midway through the second period to erase a one-goal deficit and edge Clarkson, 2-1, in ECAC men’s ice hockey action Friday at Cheel Arena.
Trailing 1-0 after a first-period goal from Golden Knight defensemen James de Haas, senior John Lidgett and junior Tylor Spink scored just seconds apart halfway through the second period to put the Raiders in front.
Sophomore Charlie Finn made the one-goal cushion stand, recording 11 of his 27 saves in the third period to lead the Raiders to their third straight victory.
Sophomore Steve Perry got the start in goal for Clarkson and seven in the first period before being replaced by Ville Runola at the start of the second period. Runola was credited with six stops over the final 40 minutes.
Bottom Line
No. 17 Colgate 2, Clarkson 1
Won-Lost Records
– Colgate improved to 12-6-1 overall and 4-2-1 in ECAC play as they won their third straight contest.
– Clarkson slipped to 7-9-4 on the season and 4-2-2 in league play with the one-goal setback.
How It Happened
– Clarkson took a 1-0 lead late in the first period as James de Haas wired a wrist shot from the right face off circle into the top left-hand corner of the net during a Golden Knight power play opportunity at the 18:18 mark of the frame. Junior Jeff DiNallo and junior Kevin Tansey were credited with assists on the man-advantage tally.
– Lidgett drew the Raiders even at 1-1 right at the midway point of the second period on his second goal of the season. Sophomore Jake Kulevich started the sequence by pinching down the left sidewall and gaining possession of the puck before sliding a pass to Lidgett, who slid the puck between the legs of Runola from the middle of the slot for the equalizer.
– Tylor Spink put the Raiders in front just 43 seconds after Lidgett’s strike when he finished off a 2-on-0 break with his twin brother Tyson for his second goal in as many contests. Junior Kevin Lough earned a secondary assist on the go-ahead tally as his pass sprung the Spink brothers behind the Clarkson defense.
– Finn would preserve the Raiders’ one-goal advantage in the third, stopping all 11 shots faced during the final frame, highlighted by a pair of saves on a 3-on-1 break by the Golden Knights with five minutes remaining in regulation.
Inside The Box Score
– Clarkson held a 28-15 shot advantage in the contest. The Golden Knights out-shot the Raiders in all three periods, highlighted by an 11-3 margin in the third.
– Junior Ryan Johnston led the Raiders with three shots in the contest, while three players (de Haas, Kevin Tansey and Brett Gervais) tallied a team-best three shots each for Clarkson.
– Clarkson was 1-for-1 on the man advantage while Colgate was 0-for-2 on the power play.
– Clarkson held a 31-27 advantage in the faceoff circle. Tylor Spink led Colgate with 10 wins at the dot.
Key Raider Info
– Tyson Spink tallied his 17th point (9 G/8 A) of the season with an assist on brother Tylor’s game-winning goal. The helper moved Tyson into a tie with linemate Kyle Baun (8 G/9 A) for the team scoring lead.
– Finn improved to 8-0-0 this season when allowing one goal or fewer in a game this season. Finn has allowed just one goal in each of the last three contests.
– Tylor Spink became the seventh different Raider to score a game-winning goal this season.
‘gate One Timers
– Colgate improved to 2-5-1 this season when its opponent scores first. Both such victories for Don Vaughan’s squad in 2014-15 have come in its last two contests.
– The Raiders picked up their first win of the season when trailing after one period as they moved to 1-5-1 when falling behind after the opening 20 minutes.
– Colgate improved to 10-1-0 this season and 30-1-5 since the start of the 2012-13 campaign when leading after two periods.
– The Raiders improved to 5-4 this season when being out-shot by their opponent.
– Colgate improved to 2-5-1 on the year when scoring two goals or fewer in a game.
– The Raiders moved to 8-0-0 this season when holding an opponent to one goal or fewer in a contest this season.
– Colgate moved to 9-3-1 this season when holding an opponent to 30 shots or fewer in a game this season.
From The Source
Colgate Head Coach Don Vaughan
(on game)
“It was pretty physical. We knew that was going to happen. They played physical against us at home as well. They’re a big, strong team and Casey (Jones) has got them playing hard. I thought they played really hard tonight. We hung on at the end. They were coming hard to tie it up.”
(On goalie change for Clarkson)
“We didn’t talk much about it. We tried to get some shots on him, because we knew he would be cold coming off the bench. It didn’t really affect us.”
(On game-winning goal)
“Tyson (Spink), Tylor (Spink) and Kyle Baun, they’re a great puck possession line. Obviously it was a quick turnover and they’re going to find a way to get it into the back of the net.”
(On top line of Tyson Spink, Tylor Spink and Kyle Baun)
“It’s incredible. I’ve never coached identical twins before. It’s so much fun to watch them and see how they find each other, especially in traffic.
“Kyle Baun separates guys from pucks so well. It’s a fun line to coach.”
Junior Tylor Spink
(On second period goals)
“It was a good momentum shift. They had us on our heels. They came out hard and then we battled back.
“(John) Lidgett had a nice goal to get us going and then (Kevin) Lough made a tremendous play to get me the puck and I saw that Tyson and I were on a 2-on-0. I gave it to him (Tyson) and I thought he was going to shoot it, but he gave it back to me and I put it in.”
(On chemistry with twin brother Tyson)
“We’ve been playing together for quite awhile now. I was hurt to start the season, so every game back here we’re starting to get our rhythm again.
“Kyle (Baun), our linemate, had another great effort tonight and he helps out tremendously. He works hard and has great skill. As a line, were getting back into it, and we should be good going forward.”
Up Next
– Colgate returns to action Saturday when it completes its North Country road trip with a 7 p.m. contest against St. Lawrence at Appleton Arena.
