HAMILTON – After a wild 7-4 game last night, the Colgate men’s hockey team used stellar defense to earn a weekend split against Ferris State after a 1-0 win on Sunday afternoon at Starr Rink.
Colgate (1-1-0) saw Eric Mihalik earn his second career shutout. The senior was given the start and pushed aside 25 shots by the Bulldogs, including nine in the opening 20 minutes. He got help from his defense as the Raiders blocked 21 shots with Spiro Goulakos leading the way with four blocks.
Kyle Baun provided the only offense Colgate needed with his first goal of the season, which came on the power play. Tyson Spink and Mike Borkowski were given assists on the play. Borkowski and Baun finished the weekend with three points on a goal and two assists.
Ferris State (1-1-0) was unable to get the offense going against the Raiders, but backup Charles Williams gave them a chance to get back in the game as he made 28 saves, including a pair of highlight-reel stops prior to the goal by Baun. The Bulldogs were shutout only once all of last season.
Each team earned a chance on the power play in the first period, but they had a combined three shots with the extra man. Colgate did get a little lucky early in the frame as Brandon Anselmini and Cory Kane rang shots off the post and the shots came within seconds of each other.
Colgate scored the lone goal of the game midway through the second period as Baun camped out in the slot. Prior to the goal, Williams made huge stops on Baun and Tylor Spink. One of the saves came when he was on his back he kicked up his pad and deflected the puck out of harm’s way. However, Borkowski settled the puck down and found Tyson Spink on the goal line. The sophomore shoveled a pass to his classmate in the slot and Baun didn’t miss this time and that’s all Colgate needed.
Ferris State did have a golden opportunity early in the second period with 1:21 of 5-on-3 power play time, but the Colgate defense stepped up. Mihalik made a pair of stops and the penalty kill unit blocked a few to stay ahead 1-0.
The penalties on the Raiders continued into the third with a pair of power play chances for the visitors in the first part of the final frame.
The Bulldogs tried to tie the game with the goalie pulled for the extra skater. Tylor Spink did an excellent job winning faceoffs in his own end after a flurry of icing calls on Colgate. He won a total of four faceoffs. Mihalik had to make one save down the stretch and earned the shutout.
Colgate was 1-for-5 with the man advantage, while Ferris State went scoreless on five chances.
The Raiders are back in action on Thursday night at RIT at 7 p.m. and the game will be live on Time Warner Cable Sports in Central New York.
