Team USA Will Play China, Saturday at 6 p.m. local/12 p.m. ET
OSTRAVA, Czechia – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) tallied a hat trick and one assist, while EvanNichols (Haymarket, Va.) scored once and added two helpers to lead the U.S. National Sled Team to a 6-4 victory over Czechia here today in the preliminary round of the 2025 IPH Cup at Ostravar Arena. With the victory, Team USA holds a 2-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record through three games and will play China, Saturday at 6 p.m. local/12 p.m. ET, in its final preliminary-round contest. The game will stream live here. “We had a really good start tonight, I thought offensively we were playing really fast,” said DavidHoff (Bottineau, N.D.), head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. “We had a bit of a letdown in the third and it made the game closer than it needed to be, but I liked that we found a way to do the right things and pull out a win in the end.”Kayden Beasley (Coats, N.C.) opened the scoring for the U.S. 1:34 into the contest, batting home a cross-crease feed from Farmer on an odd-man rush. Farmer buried a breakaway opportunity to make it a 2-0 game at the 6:24 mark, receiving a feed from Nichols at the top of the circles, and beating Czech netminder Martin Kudela with a deke.At 7:25, Malik Jones (Aurora, Colo.) capitalized with a snipe from the left circle off a pass from Josh Misiewicz (La Grange, Ill.) to make it a 3-0 game.Just 40 seconds later, Nichols collected a feed from Liam Cunnigham (River Falls, Wis.) and cut across the top of the crease before lifting the puck over the outstretched arm of Kudela to add to the U.S. advantage. Team USA took a 5-0 lead 35 seconds into the middle stanza when Nichols sled the puck to Farmer off an offensive-zone faceoff, and Farmer rifled a shot it home from the slot. Czechia’s Pavel Kubes made it a 5-1 game at the 7:28 mark of the second, scoring a power-play goal on a shot from the point that deflected off of Jones.Less than a minute later, an acrobatic diving save from Griffin LaMarre (Haverhill, Mass.) maintained the four-goal lead for the U.S. LaMarre finished the game with eight shots to earn the win in goal.At the 3:49 mark of the third, Czechia’s Zdenek Habl capitalized on a two-on-one opportunity to make it a 5-2 game. Just 12 seconds later, Farmer intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and burst into the offensive zone with a breakaway chance, deking to beat Kudela for his third goal of the contest.Czechia added a pair of goals in the latter half of the third period. Filip Vesely scored on a wrister from the slot with 6:16 remaining in the contest, and 30 seconds later, Alex Ohar capitalized on a breakaway chance to account for the 6-4 final.NOTES: The U.S. outshot Czechia 22-12… Team USA was 0-3 on the power play, while Czechia was 1-1… Declan Farmer was named U.S. Player of the Game.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Plattsburgh takes the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 SUNYAC women’s ice hockey preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches. Cortland is No. 2 and Oswego is No. 3 in this year’s rankings.
Plattsburgh won its first SUNYAC women’s ice hockey league crown last year as the No. 2 seed. This was the SUNYAC’s second-ever women’s ice hockey championship. The Cardinals ended their season in the NCAA first round with an overall record of 20-7-1.
Cortland won the first-ever SUNYAC women’s ice hockey championship in 2024. In 2025, the Red Dragons were the No. 3 seed going into postseason play. The team ended its season in the SUNYAC semifinals with a 17-5-4 record overall.
Last season Oswego was the top seed in the conference after regular season play. The Lakers fell to No. 2 Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC final, 2-0. Oswego ended its 2024-25 season with a record of 22-3-2 overall.
The Buffalo State Women’s Ice Hockey Team is looking forward to some exciting hockey this season.
Coming off a 6-17-2 season, they have a lot of new faces and bodies on the ice but on the back end there are familiar faces that can help the rookies along.
“I look for them to play face and play hard using the same concepts just with new people,” said fifth year Head Coach Rachel Grampp.
While their number one goalie Jessica Auge graduated she has Sophomore Casey Horrigan (left), who played one game last season against Hilbert and won in a 15-0 shutout. Adding to that are three new goaltenders. Alexa Todd (right) of Owen Sound, Ontario played for the Saugeen Maitland Lightning and Amelia Knott (below) from Croyden, Australia played at Lovell Academy. Kylie Paige, Buffalo, is the fourth goalie. Paige played for the Buffalo Regals and Clarence/SweetHome/Amherst of the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation.
“I am excited to see what they can bring to the table,” said Grampp.
The one thing that stands out to Coach this season is how quickly the team has come together and she credits the team leadership, in addition to herself and her assistant coach, Christian Foerstner, with that.
“The leadership has gotten everyone on board quickly,” said Grampp. “They talk about being all in and getting better one percent more every day.
“It’s nice that it comes from the leadership group.”
Her leaders include players such as Sage Running Rabbit, who is in her fifth season as a forward.
Others are Emma Ramseier left), Grace Zwolak (right) and Quinn Murray who have stepped up and found a role as leaders. In addition she credits all the sophomores who have found a voice and are doing what they can to make sure the program moves in the right direction.
SUNYAC has several teams that will give the Bengals a run and that includes Plattsburgh, Cortland and Oswego who have all been ranked in the top 15 nationally.
“That doesn’t make is any easier, but it will be lots of fun,” said Grampp.
The games will be competitive and the goal is always the championship.
For those who follow the Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation, you will see some familiar faces including Vanessa Willick, Madison Mallone, Maddie Braun, Sydney Radecki and Kylie Paige.
Hilbert Opens Season with Exhibition Game at Buffalo State University (Janet Schultz Photo/NYHOL)
Head Coach Brian Becker‘s squad features an even blend of new and returning talent, as eleven newcomers join eleven returning players in Hilbert’s first season of United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action.
Seniors Tia Card, Jacqueline Alaburda, and Caitlin Conrad will be relied upon to lead the Hawks in their fourth season with the program. The trio all enters their senior campaigns at Hilbert already holding program records
Card, who has backstopped the Hawks since she arrived in Hamburg, is the program career leader in goalie games played and started (30-25), saves (1195), and save percentage (.875). The senior goalie from Burlington, ON also recorded the first win in team history with a 26-save effort against King’s College on 10/28/23.
Alaburda is the current program leader in blocked shots (108) and shots on goal (101), while she also ranks second in program history with five goals and nine points. The San Jose, CA native finished third on last year’s squad with four points in eight games played.
Conrad, who has spent time playing both forward and defense, is the program leader in games played (47), while she currently sits second in program history in blocked shots (92) and seventh in points (six). Her four career goals are the most all-time by a Hilbert defenseman. Conrad led last year’s team with 49 blocked shots and a .200 shooting percentage.
Wagner led the team with four assists and six points in her rookie campaign. The Miles City, MT native fired 21 shots on goal with a .095 shooting percentage.
Fuller tallied two goals and an assist in her first year of collegiate hockey, while also leading the team with 55 shots.
Kwiecien’s four points a year ago matched her freshman point total, as she enters her junior year with eight career points, good enough for fifth all-time in program history.
Wilkes transfer Amelia Murphy will look to produce right away on the Hawks’ blueline, while incoming freshman Victoria Battaglia will aim to make an immediate impact offensively for Hilbert.
The 27-game campaign kicked off on the road with an exhibition contest against Buff State (October 22nd), before the Hawks return to Hamburg to take on Keene State (October 31st and November 1st) and Niagara University Club (Exhibition on November 6th) ahead of the team’s first two UCHC weekend series’.
The first conference games in program history are set for November 14th and 15th on the road against Utica, with the following weekend marking the first home league games for the Hawks against Albertus Magnus at the Nike Base.
Hilbert will follow these first four UCHC matchups with nine consecutive nonconference contests, bookended by home doubleheaders against Buff State (December 5th and 6th) and Hood College (January 16th and 17th). The team will make trips to take on MCLA (December 12th and 13th), Neumann University (January 2nd and 3rd), and Buff State (January 9th) in this span to prepare for five-straight weekends of UCHC action to end the regular season.
January sees the Hawks host Elmira College (23rd and 24th) and travel to Rye, NY for the first two meetings with Manhattanville (30th and 31st) in program history, before Hilbert finishes its campaign with February series’ against Chatham (away on the 6th, home on the 7th), Nazareth (home on 13th and 14th), and St. John Fisher (away on 20th and 21st).
Hilbert will be working to earn a spot in the UCHC postseason which begins on Wednesday February 25th, with the first round winners moving on to play in the semifinals on Saturday February 28th, for the right to play in the Saturday March 7th UCHC Final.
COACHING / SUPPORT STAFF After joining the staff last season as an assistant, Brian Becker takes over as the team’s Head Coach this season. Becker previously served as the St. Francis High School Prep Hockey head coach from 2021-2024 following stints with Frontier High School, the Lockport Express (NAHL), Hamburg Hawks 18u AAA, and the Buffalo Stars (Empire Junior Hockey League).
Stephen Hurtubise will join Becker behind the bench for his second season with the Hawks, while Matt Krug rounds out the coaching staff.
Prior to his first year with Hilbert, Hurtubise served as the commissioner for the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League Division I since 2022 after guiding the Canisius University Men’s Ice Hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey League Division I from 2010 through to 2022. Since 2022, the Williamsville native has served as the director of hockey development with the Golden Griffins in the ACHL.
Krug brings experience and a winning pedigree to the program, as the Buffalo, NY native was a member of the 2013-14 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship-winning Union Garnet Chargers.
Richard Luczak will serve as the program’s Director of Hockey Operations where he will oversee all organizational aspects of the program, including budget management, travel coordination, and logistical planning.
Laura Dannebohm, J.D., M.A. will support the hockey program by serving as the team’s Faculty Team Advisor. She is an additional source of academic support and serves as a resource regarding academic issues for the hockey student-athletes and coaches. Dannebohm’s association with the department also creates a communication link between faculty, student-athletes, and coaches.
HAMILTON – Jack Brandt tallied three points including two in the third period to help propel the Raiders to their first win of the season by a score of 5-3 over Canisius.
HOW IT HAPPENED The first period started with Canisius taking an early lead against Colgate. The Raiders had a power play opportunity after Brice Cooke was penalized for hooking at 9:19, but they were unable to capitalize. Both teams had opportunities, but strong defensive efforts and blocked shots, notably by Colgate’s Brett Merner and Simone Dadiè, kept the game close. The period ended with the Golden Griffins holding a 1-0 advantage.
Colgate tied the game at one in the second frame with Tyson Doucette scoring at 1:42, assisted by Daniel Panetta. The Golden Griffins quickly responded with a power-play goal from Grant Porter at 3:20, to regain the lead. As the period progressed, Colgate capitalized on a late power play, with Jack Brandt finding the back of the net at 19:18, assisted by Isaiah Norlin and Ryan Sullivan, tying the game again at 2-2. However, Canisius regained the edge in the final seconds, with Zacher scoring at the buzzer, assisted by FJ Buteau, securing a 3-2 lead by the end of the frame.
Jake Schneider opened the scoring for Colgate in the third period with a goal at 1:27, assisted by Panetta, to tie the game at three apiece. Midway through the period, Brandt extended the lead to 4-3, scoring the eventual game-winning goal with an assist from Michael Neumeier at 9:09. Max Nagel solidified Colgate’s advantage by netting an insurance goal at 11:52, assisted by Brandt and Sullivan. The Golden Griffins pushed to close the gap, pulling their goaltender for an extra skater with 2:22 remaining, but Reid Dyck made several key saves to secure the victory.
GAME NOTES
Brandt posted the three points including his first two goals of the season.
Reid Dyck earned his first career win with 17 saves.
Colgate scored five goals for the first time since March 1, 2025 against Union.
The Raiders have scored two or more goals in 70 out of 76 games under head coach Mike Harder.
Plattsburgh State Athletics News: Cardinals Dominate Rivier 13–0 in Exhibition to Open 2025–26 Season
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team opened its 2025–26 campaign in commanding fashion Saturday evening, cruising to a 13–0 exhibition victory over Rivier University at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
The Cardinals, who reached their third straight SUNYAC Championship Game last season, wasted no time reminding fans of their offensive depth and balanced attack. Thirteen different players recorded at least one point, while Plattsburgh outshot Rivier by a staggering 59–21 margin in front of over 1,200 spectators.
Sophomore Quinn Tavares (Mississauga, Ontario) led the offensive outburst with six points on two goals and four assists, earning a hand in four of the team’s first five tallies. First-year Gabriel Filion (Montreal, Quebec) added five points (one goal, four assists), while senior Colin Callanan (Stony Point, N.Y.) and first-year defenseman Kyle James (Almonte, Ontario) each posted three-point nights.
Plattsburgh scored five times in the opening period to set the tone. James opened the scoring just 2:05 in, before Tavares, Callanan, sophomore Shane Bondy (Sharon, Ontario), and first-year Mike English (Hague, N.Y.) all found the back of the net in a relentless first frame that included two power-play goals.
The Cardinals added four more goals in the second period, highlighted by tallies from Filion, junior Sam D’Amico (St. Catharines, Ontario), and first-year Thierry Lizotte (Saint-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec), while Tavares capped the frame with his second goal of the night. Plattsburgh then closed out the third with another four-goal surge from Callanan, Bondy, senior captain Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio), and senior Riley Sutherland (Burlington, Ontario) to seal the shutout victory.
On the back end, the Cardinals were equally dominant defensively, holding Rivier scoreless on three power-play opportunities while converting three of their own. Three goaltenders split time to preserve the shutout. Junior Dominik Bovan (Bratislava, Slovakia) stopped all five shots he faced in the first period, first-year Beau Lane (Pembroke, Mass.) turned aside eight more in the second, and classmate Bradon Spry (Belleville, Ontario) closed the door with eight saves in the third.
NEWARK, Del. – Syracuse University women’s ice hockey rallied late when sophomore Rylee McLeod found a way to score to give the Orange the win 1-0 against Delaware Saturday afternoon at the Fred Rust Ice Arena.
Syracuse (4-4-0, 2-0-0) was in a lock down battle with the Blue Hens, until McLeod found the net to put the Orange up late in the third period. Freshman Ava Drabyk earns her first shutout of her career and had 22 saves on the day.
Delaware (1-6-0, 0-3-0) was unable to find a way offensively to get on the board. The defense for the Blue Hens tallied 30 blocks on the afternoon. Mattie Robitzer took the loss in goal with 30 saves.
How it Happened
Both sides traded shots. Delaware outshot Syracuse 11-8 in the first period, but neither team lit the lamp.
The offense for Syracuse ramped up in the second with 18 shots but none found their way to the back of the net.
Late in the third period with 11:12 on the clock, McLeod took the puck down the ice and scored the lone goal of the day giving ‘Cuse the win.
Behind the Numbers
Delaware had 30 blocks total on defense.
Syracuse did not give up a power-play goal against Delaware in the series, holding the Blue Hens to 0-14 on power play attempts this weekend.
Emma Gnade had six shots on the day and went six for nine in faceoffs.
ORONO, Maine – Alexis Petford scored the lone goal as the Raiders dropped a 2-1 decision to Maine on Saturday (Oct. 18) at Alfond Arena.
COACH DECOSSE’S COMMENTS “Credit to our opponent for a well played game. They have an identity and played to it.There were long stretches of time throughout the weekend where we were able to effectively assert our gameplay. We are still building towards putting together a complete 60 minutes. Eyes forward as we begin preparation leading into conference play this Friday at Dartmouth.”
HOW IT HAPPENED Colgate took control early in the first period, with Alexis Petford scoring just 27 seconds after the opening faceoff, assisted by Emma Pais. This quick goal set the tone for the period, with Colgate maintaining pressure on the Black Bears’ defense.Brooke Davis, in goal for Colgate, was instrumental in keeping the Black Bears scoreless, making several key saves throughout the period. Colgate successfully killed two penalties, effectively neutralizing the Black Bears’ power play opportunities. The first period concluded with Colgate leading 1-0.Midway through the period, the Black Bears shifted the momentum with an unassisted goal by Raegan Wurm. Shortly thereafter, Lily Fetch gave the Black Bears the lead, with an assist from Isabelle Michaud, making it 2-1. Colgate continued to apply pressure, including another power play opportunity late in the period, but could not find the back of the net. The period closed with Colgate trailing 2-1.Colgate began the third period with a series of faceoff wins, including two by Alexia Aubin, setting an aggressive tone early. Despite entering a power play at 18:17 after a penalty on the Black Bears’ Frederikke Foss, Colgate was unable to capitalize, with shots from Avery Pickering and Elyssa Biederman saved by the Black Bears’ goaltender, Kiia Lahtinen.A second power play opportunity arose at 14:35 following a hooking penalty on Jaidyn Britt, but Colgate’s efforts were repeatedly thwarted. Shots from Madison Cronan and Sara Stewart were saved, and the power play concluded without a change in the scoreboard.Colgate continued to apply pressure throughout the period, with multiple attempts by Alexis Petford and Emma Pais either saved or blocked. Despite pulling their goalie for an extra skater at 2:17, Colgate was unable to alter the score. The period ended with Colgate trailing the Black Bears 2-1, as neither team managed to score.GAME NOTESPetford scored just 27 seconds into the game, her fourth of the season.Brooke Davis made 32 saves in net for the Raiders.Emma Pais extended her point streak to six games.UP NEXT The Raiders (3-3) open up ECAC action on the road next weekend as they take on Dartmouth on Friday, Oct. 24 and Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 25. Puck drop for both games are set for 3 p.m.
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. – Jack Brandt earned ECAC Forward of the Week, presented by Bluebird Hotels, the conference announced on Monday.
Brandt scored two goals and added three assists over the weekend against Canisius. The sophomore buried the go-ahead goal halfway through the final period before providing the assist for the insurance goal three minutes later.
Brandt has logged a point in all four games this year and has already matched his point total from last season as he leads the Raiders with seven points.
Colgate (1-2-1) is back on the road this weekend as they take on Maine. Puck drop for Friday is set for 7 p.m.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the 30-players – including 17 forwards, 10 defenders and three goaltenders — who will represent the U.S. at the 2025 Rivalry Series, presented by Discover. The four-game Rivalry Series – a high stakes competition between the best women’s ice hockey players from the U.S. and Canada — begins with two games in the U.S. On Nov. 6, the teams faceoff in a showdown at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a rematch on Nov. 8 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Two games will also be staged in Canada – on Dec. 10 and 13 — with both taking place at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Headlining the group of players named today is four-time Olympian Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho/PWHL Seattle) and three-time Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield (Palos Heights, Ill./Minnesota Frost). In addition, 11 other players in the group have Olympic experience, including Cayla Barnes (Eastvale, Calif./PWHL Seattle), Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass./PWHL Seattle), Jesse Compher (Northbrook, Ill./Toronto Sceptres), Savannah Harmon (Downers Grove, Ill./Toronto Sceptres), Caroline Harvey (Salem, N.H./University of Wisconsin), Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston Fleet), Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, Ill./University of Minnesota), Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn./Minnesota Frost), Hayley Scamurra (Buffalo, N.Y./Montreal Victoire), Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn./Minnesota Frost) and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn./Minnesota Frost).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, Oct. 20, 2025 U.S. National Sled Team Defeats Canada 2-1, in Overtime, In Season OpenerTeam USA Will Play Italy in Preliminary-Round Contest Tomorrow (Oct. 21)OSTRAVA, Czechia – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) scored an overtime game-winning goal to lift the U.S. National Sled team to a 2-1 victory over Canada here today (Oct. 20) in the opening preliminary-round contest of the 2025 IPH Cup at Ostravar Arena.“We did a lot of good things with puck,” said David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.), head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. “We had a tough time scoring but we made the play at the end. I’d like to see us have a little more intensity when we finish and hopefully we can build on that throughout the week.”Despite a power-play opportunity for each squad, the game remained scoreless after the opening frame. Noah Grove (Frederick, Md.) nearly capitalized on a breakaway chance in the closing minutes of the first but was denied by Canadian goaltender Corbin Watson.The U.S. had a pair of power-play opportunities in the second stanza but was unable to capitalize, and the two sides entered the third period knotted at 0-0.At the 7:54 mark of the third, Canada’s Tyler McGregor broke the tie with a power-play tally. Less than two minutes later, Jack Wallace (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) leveled the score, capitalizing with a wrister from the right circle off a cross-ice feed from Farmer. The remainder of the final stanza was scoreless, sending the contest into overtime. Just 1:54 into overtime, Farmer wrapped around the Canadian goal and rifled a shot top-shelf past Watson to lift the U.S. to a 2-1 victory. Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.) stopped 12 shots to earn the win in goal for Team USA. The U.S. will face off against Italy in its second preliminary-round contest of the 2025 IPH Cup tomorrow (Oct. 21) at 3 p.m. local time/9 a.m. ET. The game will stream live here. NOTES: Team USA outshot Canada 18-13… The U.S. was 1-5 on the power play, while Canada was 1-2… Jack Wallace was named U.S. Player of the Game.
ORONO, Maine – Emma Pais scored her first career hat trick and logged a four-point night to help the Raiders defeat Maine, 5-2, on the road at Harold Alfond Sports Arena on Friday night.HOW IT HAPPENED The opening period between Colgate and Maine began with Colgate taking control of the early faceoffs, as Sara Stewart won the initial draws. Colgate maintained offensive pressure with several shots on goal, including attempts by Sarah Roger and Elyssa Biederman, though they were either saved or went wide.As the period continued, Colgate’s defense remained resilient, with Jaimee Spring blocking a key shot from the Black Bears. Despite being on the penalty kill twice, Colgate’s penalty kill unit, backstopped by Farah Walker, successfully halted the Black Bears’ power play efforts.The period concluded with both teams unable to find the back of the net, leaving the score tied at 0-0 heading into the intermission.Colgate opened the second period by winning the initial faceoff and quickly capitalized on an opportunity, with Ava Wood scoring the first goal of the game at 2:54, assisted by Avery Pickering. This goal came shortly after Colgate successfully killed a Maine power play.Midway through the period, Emma Pais increased Colgate’s lead to 2-0 with an unassisted goal at 13:43. The Black Bears responded at 15:30 with a goal from Sade Sandilands, making it 2-1. However, Colgate quickly regained momentum as Pais scored again at 15:54, assisted by Alexis Petford and Alexia Aubin, to restore a two-goal advantage. The period concluded with Colgate leading 3-1.Colgate began the third period with a narrow lead but faced immediate pressure from Maine’s offensive efforts. Following an early penalty on Chloe Goofers, Colgate successfully killed the power play, maintaining their lead. Maine managed to get a goal back with 11 minutes left in the game.Colgate responded decisively. Pais secured her hat-trick with a power-play goal, assisted by Casey Borgiel and Pickering, regaining the lead for Colgate. Shortly after, Madeline Palumbo capitalized on an empty-net opportunity, extending the lead further. The period closed with Colgate leading 5-2, securing a victory.GAME NOTESEmma Pais extended her point streak to five games with her first career hat trick. The captain has netted seven goals in the last three games.Farah Walker made 21 saves in between the pipes.The Raiders extended their win streak over Maine to five games and earned their first win in Maine in program history.Pais is the first player to log four points or more since Kalty Kaltounkova posted a four-point night on Jan. 18, 2025 vs. Princeton.Avery Pickering logged three assists in the win which is the second time this season a player has logged three assists in a game (Alexia Aubin, Oct. 10, 2025 vs. Boston University).First-year Ava Wood netted her third goal of the season and joins just 12 other first years in all on NCAA Division I with three or more goals.UP NEXT The Raiders (3-2) take on Maine for game two of the series on Saturday. Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m.
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.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.The Golden Griffins sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Oliver Tarr, making it 4-2.GAME NOTESIsaiah 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.
