HANOVER, N.H. – The Colgate men’s hockey team scored two power play goals for the third-straight game and downed Dartmouth, 4-1, on Friday night.

Colgate (10-9-3, 6-3-1 ECAC) got goals from four different players in the win with Mike Borkowski and Spiro Goulakos scoring both power play tallies. Ryan Johnston and Andrew Black were the other two goal scorers for the Raiders. Tyson Spink, Tylor Spink and Joe Wilson all collected two points on the night with a pair of assists each.

Charlie Finn was once again solid in net and is now unbeaten in his last four starts. He was tested in the second period with 12 saves. The Raider netminder and the defense has not allowed more than two goals in six of their last seven games.

“We are playing well in front of Charlie,” said head coach Don Vaughan. “We are not giving up a lot of second and third chances and I think the guys are doing a good job around the net. We have had great puck support.”

The Raiders came to play on the power play for the third-straight game and it was a big part of the win. Vaughan has been very pleased with the power play units recently.

“We have had good possession and great entries into the zone,” Vaughan said. “We are finally getting pucks to the goaltender. The power play always seems to be, what have you done for me lately and I am really pleased with how our guys have stuck with it after a bit of a drought.”

Colgate is 6-for-15 on the power play in the last three contests and came into the new year with 10 goals on the man advantage in the first 18 games of the year.

The Big Green (3-13-2, 2-9-0 ECAC) got its lone goal from Brandon McNally with assists to Troy Crema and Geoff Ferguson. Charles Grant earned the start in net and made 20 saves.

Dartmouth got the scoring started with 11:51 left in the first period with McNally putting home a rebound on a 2-on-1 rush up ice. Ferguson found Crema streaking up ice and he was able to get behind the Colgate defense. He put a shot on net that Finn kicked away, but McNally finished off the rebound for the 1-0 lead.

Colgate answered quickly with Black scoring his fifth of the season and probably his most unlikely goal this season. Wilson created a turnover in the neutral zone and charged into the offensive zone. He put on a shot on Grant and the Big Green netminder pushed it to the boards. Black picked up the loose puck and fired a sharp-angle shot from the corner that somehow got past Grant to tie the game at 1-1. The goal came 27 seconds after Dartmouth took the first lead.

The Cornwall power play unit got its first chance of the game late in the first period and didn’t disappoint. Tyson Spink shifted the puck behind the net and found Borkowski all alone at the right face-off dot. Colgate’s leading point scorer then connected on a one-timer that went top shelf on Grant to give the Raiders their first lead of the game with 2:29 left in the opening frame.

The second period was scoreless, but the Raiders killed off a minute of 5-on-3 power play time thanks to three stops from Finn and a nice diving play from Jake Kulevich to clear the puck in the final second of the advantage. Finn was called upon a lot in the middle frame with 12 of his 24 stops.

The Raiders opened up the lead to two goals with Johnston scoring his second of the season with a wrister from the right side that made it through traffic to give Colgate a 3-1 lead.

The game was put out of reach by Goulakos with his third of the season and second on the power play for the Raiders. Tylor Spink slid the puck back to Goulakos at the point and he ripped a shot from the left side that made it through traffic. It beat Grant high and to the glove side for the final goal of the night.

Coach Vaughan was happy to see his team come out in the third period and extend the lead.

“Dartmouth did a really good job in the second period when it was 2-1,” Vaughan said. “They started to take it away on us, but I was really pleased with our response.”

The Raiders were outshot by a 25-24 margin, but went 2-for-4 on the man advantage and Johnston’s tally was a 4-on-4 goal.

“We had a great effort up and down our lineup tonight,” Vaughan said. “We were able to roll our lines well and Derek Freeman, John Lidgett and Mike McCann played well on the fourth line. So an all around good effort.”

It is a quick turnaround for Colgate as the Raiders travel to Harvard for a 7 p.m. facecoff tomorrow night at the Bright Hockey Center.

Holy Cross Doubles Up Niagara, 4-2

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Despite holding a 43-27 advantage in shots on goal, the Niagara hockey team failed to capitalize on its chances in a 4-2 loss to the Holy Cross Crusaders on Friday evening at Dwyer Arena.

The Purple Eagles ran into the solid goaltending of Holy Cross netminder, Matt Ginn who snuffed 41 Niagara shots, including 19 in the final frame.  Jackson Teichroeb started between the pipes for the Purple Eagles, stopping 17 shots, before Adrian Igangni took over goaltending duties at the start of the third period with six stops.

“Ginn is the first start of the hockey game.  Their guy stole two points for Holy Cross.  We threw 20 shots on him in the third period with nothing to show for it,” head coach Dave Burkholder said.  “If we’re going to win tomorrow we’re going to have to jump on the rebounds and be more opportunistic around the cage when those second chances come around.”

Chris Lochner and TJ Sarcona scored the pair of Niagara goals.  The loss drops the Purple and White to 5-13-3 on the season and 5-6-3 in Atlantic Hockey play, while Holy Cross see its record move to 5-15-2 overall, and 4-9-2 in league action.

The Crusaders took a 2-0 lead into the second period off a pair of power play goals.  Mike Barrett started the scoring at 11:05 with his sixth of the season.  With two seconds remaining on the man-advantage, Brett McKinnon slipped a feed across the crease to Barrett who pushed the puck under Teichroeb to make it 1-0.

About five minutes later Holy Cross doubled its lead when Jake Bolton’s wrist shot from the top of the slot beat Teichroeb low, glove-side.

The Purple Eagles came out firing in the second frame, finally able to slice its AHA opponent’s lead in half three minutes into the period.  Dan Kolenda found Vince Muto just inside the blue line, and his slap shot was tipped in by Lochner for his fourth of year.

The Crusaders were tally the next pair of goals to dig Niagara into a three-goal hole.  Midway through the second Sean Gustin jumped on a loose puck caused by a Tommy Dwyer takeaway on the far boards.   Gustin raced in on Teichroeb and backhanded a floater towards Teichroeb that managed to trickle behind the red line to make it 3-1 heading into the final period of play.

Nick Finn would add Holy Cross’s final of goal of the game with 3:21 remaining in the contest to solidify the victory.  Niagara’s Sarcona would grab his fifth goal of the year with just over a minute remaining in regulation via assists by Kevin Albers and Patrick Divjak, but it was too late to stage a comeback.

The Purple Eagles will look to bounce back against the Crusaders tomorrow at 7 p.m.  Tickets are still available so call the Niagara Ticket Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or by emailing [email protected] to reserve your seats today!

The Hobart College hockey team wrapped up its seven-game road trip, picking up its fifth straight victory, topping Cortland 7-4 in Cortland, N.Y., tonight. Five different Statesmen scored in the win.

Sophomore Ben Gamache (Longlac, Ontario) led Hobart (7-4-4) with a goal and two assists. First-year Mitch Beyer (Clifton Park, N.Y.) produced two goals, while sophomore Bo Webster (Aurora, Ontario) and junior Ryan Michel (Camillus, N.Y.) were both credited with two assists. Sophomore Lino Chimienti (Montreal, Quebec) played all 60 minutes and finished with 25 saves.

A.J. Moyer posted a goal and two assists for Cortland (4-10-2). Nick Zappia chipped in two assists. Lyle Rocker played 59:53 in goal for the Red Dragons and made 39 saves.

The Statesmen struck first 3:30 into the game. Senior Tommy Fiorentino (New Hartford, N.Y.) chipped in his fourth goal this season. Junior Mike Malady (Media, Pa.) logged his first point of the year on the assist. Just 48 seconds later, Cortland tied up the game. A.J. Meyer capitalized on a feed from Kyle Herring. The Red Dragons closed out the opening period with Ryan Wagner and Mike Davie each scoring on a power-play to give Cortland a 3-1 advantage.

Hobart took control of the game in the second period scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead. The Statesmen out-shot the Red Dragons 25-7 in the middle stanza. Beyer started the scoring at the 12 minute mark. Michel and Webster set up the play. With4:18 left in the middle period and the Statesmen on a power play, Kovacs blasted a slap shot from the blue line to tie the game up at 3-3. Michel and Gamache earned the assists. Kovacs has tallied four goals this year. With 2:03 left in the second, Beyer struck again, this time after a pass from Gamache. It was Beyer’s third goal this season.

Gamache gave Hobart a two-goal lead when he sent home a short-handed tally after a pass from Webster 6:45 into the third period. The Red Dragons were able to take advantage of a power play at 11:53. Chris Marinakos was credited with the goal and Zappia and Moyer notched the assists, putting Cortland within one. However, the Statesmen capped the victory with two more goals in the final five minutes. Junior Peter Quigley (Monroe, Conn.) registered his first goal of the season after a pass from first-year Connor Simon (Manchester, N.H.) and junior Brad McBride (Lone Tree, Colo.) knocked in an empty net goal.

The Statesmen finished with a 46-29 lead in shots. Hobart went 1-for-5 on the power play. The Red Dragons scored on three of their five power-play attempts.

Hobart College first-year defenseman Carl Belizario (Dorval, Quebec) was named the ECAC West Rookie of the Week by the conference office late yesterday. Sophomore forward Ben Gamache (Longlac, Ontario) garnered a spot on the league’s weekly honor roll.

Belizario shared a team-high with four points, notching a goal and three assists in the Hobart hockey team’s road wins over Nichols and Salve Regina. On Friday in a 4-1 victory at Nichols, Belizario sent home the game-winning goal just 1:47 into the game. On Saturday in a 5-2 win at Salve Regina, he notched three assists. Belizario leads the Statesmen with seven assists this year. He has also added three goals for 10 points. Belizario is tied for second in the ECAC West in defensemen scoring and is tied for third in first-year scoring. He is tied for 15th in the conference in assists and tied for 18th in points.

Gamache also produced four points last weekend. Against the Bison, Gamache chipped in the Statesmen’s third goal and added an assist. On Saturday, he capitalized on a power play to give Hobart a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game. Gamache also chipped in an assist against the Seahawks. He has produced four goals and six assists for 10 points this season. Gamache is tied for sixth in the ECAC West with three power-play goals, tied for 16th with five power-play points, and tied for 18th in both goals and points.

With the two road wins, the Statesmen improve to 6-4-4 overall. Saturday’s victory over Salve Regina marked the 200th career win for Head Coach Mark Taylor. His record now stands at 200-125-36.

Hobart will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 17, when its travels to take on Cortland at 7 p.m. The Statesmen will return home onSaturday, Jan. 18, when they host Potsdam at The Cooler at 7 p.m.

League Play Resumes For Raiders
Men’s Hockey Travels to Dartmouth and Harvard

HAMILTON – The Colgate men’s hockey team has enjoyed success in 2014 and will look to carry it into ECAC Hockey play this weekend with visits to Dartmouth and Harvard.

The Raiders take on the Big Green on Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday matchup at 7 p.m. in Cambridge against the Crimson. Live video, audio and stats will be available at game time.

COLGATE HOCKEY ON TWITTER
Colgate men’s hockey is on Twitter. Fans can follow along for behind the scenes photos and facts, while also getting game day updates and alumni stories. Search for the Twitter handle @Colgate_Hockey and follow the Raiders today.

THIS WEEK: 2014 LEAGUE SLATE STARTS
Colgate heads out on the road this weekend with league competition resuming at Dartmouth and Harvard. The Raiders enter the second half with a 5-3-1 mark in conference and sit in fourth place. The Crimson and Big Green sit at the low end of the standings with only four wins between them, but playing Ivies is always a tough task.

NEXT UP: CLARKSON & ST. LAWRENCE AT HOME
The Raiders are back on home ice next weekend with a visit from No. 14 Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Golden Knights have struggled as of late with only one win in their last six games and is 1-4-1 in those games. They were shutout by Merrimack on Jan. 11 after beating the Warriors the night before. The Saints are not much better with five-straight losses, but have only played one game since Dec. 14.

NO MORE NON-CONFERENCE
The Raiders are done with their non-conference portion of their schedule after the win over Vermont. Colgate finished the slate with a 4-6-2 record and earned wins in the last three non-league games. Colgate played the most games against the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and went 2-2-1 in seven games with two wins over Ferris State and a tie at Bowling Green.

ROAD WARRIORS

Vote for Isaac Kohls in Hobey Baker Fan Balloting

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara hockey fans can cast their vote for junior Isaac Kohls in the 2014 Hobey Baker Award fan balloting, given annually to the best player in NCAA Division I men’s college hockey.

Fans of the collegiate game can now help determine the winner of the 2014 Hobey Baker Award by submitting one vote every 24 hours by visiting www.hobeybaker.com.  This first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 9, 2014 with phase two of fan balloting beginning onMarch 20 from the list of Top 10 Hobey Baker finalists. The fans’ vote accounts for 1 percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year’s award recipient.  Last season, Purple Eagles fans helped Niagara goaltender Carsen Chubak towards being named one of ten national finalists for the most prestigious award in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.

Kohls, who is one of 68 initial candidates on the fan ballot, currently leading the Purple Eagle squad with 16 points.  He is tied for the top spot in goals with seven, one shy of tying his career-high, while leading all skaters in assists (9).  The Forest Lake, Minn. native is currently on a three-game point streak, racking up seven points in that span, including a three-point contest against AIC.

Award criteria include candidates emulating the exceptional character traits exhibited by the award’s namesake, Hobey Baker. A legendary American hero, Baker was a World War I fighter pilot and was known as America’s greatest amateur athlete in his day, excelling at hockey and football at Princeton University. Award candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.

The 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on Friday, April 11, 2014 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. The 34th annual award announcement honoring college hockey’s top player will be televised live.

Niagara Continues Five-Game Home Stand vs. Holy Cross

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. –         The Niagara hockey team will host Atlantic Hockey foe Holy Cross for a two-game series on Jan. 17-18, with both games set for a 7:05 p.m. start, at Dwyer Arena.

Niagara are 5-12-3 overall and 5-5-3 in the AHA, putting them in sixth place, 10 points behind league-leading Mercyhurst.  The Purple Eagles split games against AIC on Jan. 10 and 11, losing the opener, 6-2, before rebounding for a 5-0 win the following night.  Niagara leads the all-time series with Holy Cross 7-3-0, and leads at Dwyer, 3-1-0.  Last year, the two teams split the season series at Holy Cross with the Crusaders taking game one by a 5-3 score before NU picked up a 4-1 win at the Hart Center.  Niagara is 4-3-0 on home ice this season.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE ACTION!
•   Tickets are still available for both games so please call the Niagara Tickets Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or by emailing [email protected] to reserve your seats today!

BUT IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT
•   Both games versus Holy Cross will be available via the American One Network, and will be broadcasted live on WLVL, with Paul Hamilton on the call for Friday’s game and Steve Warzala calling Saturday’s contest.
•   Friday’s game will also be available on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel with Nate Lull and Chris Panek on the call, while Saturday’s game will be available on LCTV.

THE LEADERS

•   Isaac Kohls leads the Purple Eagles in scoring with 16 points.  Kohls, along with Ryan Rashid and Hugo Turcotte have a team-leading seven goals, while Kohls has pocketed nine helpers.

•   Kevin Ryan is first with a +9 plus/minus rating.

•   Patrick Divjak leads the squad with 69 shots on goal. Hugo Turcotte is close behind with 64 looks on net.

LAST TIMEOUT

•  Niagara lost the first game of the season series vs AIC, dropping a 6-2 decision on Jan. 10.  Isaac Kohls had a goal and an assist while Hugo Turcotte also scored for the Purple and White.  They couldn’t offset a four-goal night from AIC’s John Puskar and a three-assist game from David Norris.  Adrian Ignagni gave up four goals on five shots in a little more than 18 minutes and took the loss.  Jackson Teichroeb took over goaltending duties and finished the game with 10 saves.

•  On Saturday, the Purple Eagles got a three-point night from Kohls and Turcotte in a 5-0 shutout.  Kohls scored a pair of goals and added an assist, while Turcotte scored a goal and contributed a pair of helpers.  Ryan Rashid and TJ Sarcona also found the back of the net.

•  Jackson Teichroeb turned aside 12 shots for his second shutout and third win of the season.

HOT HANDS

•   Isaac Kohls pushed his point streak to three games after securing a three-point night against the AIC Yellow Jackets on Jan. 11 with two goals and an assist.

•   The three-point evening was the junior’s third of his career, with his previous two coming against Army on Nov. 9, 2012 (1-2-3) and Nov. 16, 2013 (0-3-3).

•   Since the Jan. 4 game at Bentley, Kohls has four goals and three assists for seven points, his fourth three-game point streak of his career.  His longest point streak came during his freshman season when he went 1-4-5 from Jan. 20 through Feb. 3.

•  Kohls is currently tops on the team with 16 points.  He is tied for the team lead in goals (7) and leads the Purple and White with nine assists.

WE’RE GOING STREAKING

•   Junior Isaac Kohls and sophomore Hugo Turcotte are currently on a three-game point run, with Kohls earning seven points and Turcotte pocketing six points in that span.

•   Senior Ryan Rashid saw his three-game point streak snapped on Jan. 10 vs. AIC, but he bounced back with a goal the following day.  Rashid has totaled three goals and two assists in his last five games.

•   Freshman Brock Edwards has tallied six points in the last eight games (one goal, five assists).

THE NU-HC SERIES

•  These pair of contests will mark the 11th and 12th meetings between the teams, in a series that dates back to 1999.

•  Niagara leads the all-time series 7-3-0, with the series tied 3-3-0 since the Purple Eagles joined Atlantic Hockey in the 2010-11 season.

•   The Purple Eagles had won the first four games in the all-time series, starting with a 3-0 shutout at Holy Cross on Jan. 3, 1999. The Crusaders’ first victory over Niagara came on Jan. 8, 2011 with a 5-1 win in Worcester, Mass.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS

•  Holy Cross currently owns a 4-15-0 overall mark, while owning a 3-9-2 AHA record.  The Crusaders are slated in the 11th position in the AHA standings with eight points.

• Holy Cross is searching for its first win in eight games, going 0-6-2 in that time.

• The Crusaders are averaging 1.95 goals a game and are allowing 3.10, placing them 53rd and 43rd the nation, respectively.

• The power play has gone 8-for-68 while the penalty kill is 65-for-82, ranking them 55th and 43rd in the NCAA, respectively.

• Adam Schmidt and Matt Vidal lead the team in scoring with 12 points each.  Schmidt is tied for the team-lead in goals with Mike Barrett, while Vidal is tops on the squad with eight helpers.  Tim Driscoll has also contributed offensively for Holy Cross with a pair of goals and seven assists.

•   Matt Ginn is the go-to goaltender for the Crusaders, making 619 saves for a .910 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average.

WHAT’S UP NEXT

•   Following this weekend’s two-game set against Holy Cross, Niagara will wrap up its five-game home stand when it hosts RIT on Jan. 24, a nationally-televised contest on CBS Sports Network.

•   Including the Jan. 24 contest, the Purple Eagles host six of the team’s final 12 games.

Canisius (8-11-1, 7-5-1 AHA) vs. Bentley (11-8-2, 9-3-2 AHA)
Dates: Saturday, January 18 / Sunday, January 19
Times: 12:05 p.m. / 12:05 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.  |  Buffalo State Sports Arena
TV/Webcast: America One Network
Live Audio: GoGriffs.com
DI Series History: Canisius leads, 23-21-3

The Canisius hockey team continues Atlantic Hockey play this weekend with a pair of home games against Bentley. The Griffs host the Falcons at the Buffalo State Sports Arena on Saturday and Sunday at 12:05 p.m.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFS
• Canisius (8-11-1, 7-5-1 AHA) split a pair of one-goal games last weekend against Sacred Heart.
• Kyle Gibbons leads the Griffs with 19 points and nine goals this season, while Ralph Cuddemi is second with 14 points (7g, 7a).
• Senior Tony Capobianco (3.33 gaa, .902 sv pct.) and junior Keegan Asmundson (2.35 gaa, .935 sv pct.) have split time in goal this year.

THE MOST DANGEROUS LEAD IN HOCKEY
• It is often said that a two-goal advantage is the most dangerous lead in hockey and the Griffs helped prove that last weekend.
• In the weekend split with Sacred Heart, both teams won after trailing by two goals in the game.
• Unfortunately, it has been a theme for the Griffs this season.
• The Griffs have now lost three games this season when up by at least two tallies – a first for the program since the 2004-05 season.
• Overall, Canisius has lost a two-goal lead in five of the last 32 games after going 98-straight games without losing a two-goal advantage.

GRIFFS RALLY FOR VICTORY
• It’s not all doom-and-gloom for Canisius concerning two-goal rallies.
• Canisius came back from a 4-2 third-period deficit against Sacred Heart on Saturday and earned a 5-4 victory.
• It marked the first time that the Griffs won a game when down by two scores in the final period since a 4-3 win against Sacred Heart on Jan. 22, 2012.

GIBBONS LISTED ON HOBEY BAKER BALLOT
• Senior Kyle Gibbons is listed on the initial Hobey Baker ballot.
• Fans can vote for who they believe deserves the award as the nation’s top player by visiting hobeybaker.comand clicking the Vote for Hobey link.
• Voting closes on March 9 and the list will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists on March 20.
• Gibbons leads the Griffs with 19 points and nine goals this season.

CANISIUS – BENTLEY SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to 1981, Canisius holds a slight advantage in the series, 24-22-3, including a 23-21-3 mark in Division I meetings.
• The schools have split the season series in each the last four seasons with each team claiming six victories during that span.
• Last season, the schools split four meetings with each team winning twice on its home ice. The Falcons took all four points during the regular season with 3-2 (overtime) and 7-2 victories in Waltham. Canisius then responded with a sweep in the Atlantic Hockey Quarterfinals with 4-0 and 2-1 wins in Buffalo.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• Bentley enters the weekend second in Atlantic Hockey with a 9-3-2 conference mark. The Falcons are 11-8-2 overall this season.
• The team is coming off a home sweep against RIT last weekend, earning 8-2 and 4-1 victories.
• The Falcons feature four players with at least 20 points this season, led by Brett Gensler (14g, 15a) and Alex Grieve (16g, 13a) with 29 points each. Defender Steve Weinstein (1g, 26a) and Andrew Gladiuk (13g, 9a) have also chipped in over 20 points.
• Branden Komm has started all 21 games in goal for the Falcons this season, posting a 2.42 goals against average and .927 save percentage.