The Colgate men’s hockey team has won four of its last five games and returns to home ice after two weeks on the road to take on ninth-ranked Yale and Brown.
Both games are going to be streamed live for free on the Patriot League Network and live stats will be available at game time. For all the necessary links visit the men’s hockey game central page ongocoglateraiders.com.
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.
Led by John Lidgett, the men’s hockey team has teamed up with the Movember Foundation to raise money for men’s health by growing mustaches for the month of November. Fans can follow along with the team as they grow their ’staches. The team will post pictures on the site as well as on Twitter. Fans are asked to donate through the team’s page on the Movember website:moteam.co/colgate-hockey.
THIS WEEK: BACK AT STARR RINK
After two weeks away from Starr Rink, the Raiders are back on home ice against reigning national champion Yale and Brown. The Bulldogs are currently ranked ninth in the nation and have gone unbeaten in their last six games. The Elis only had one game last week and they beat Sacred Heart. The Bears have stumbled a bit out of the gate with a 3-3-1 mark overall and a 1-2-1 record in conference play. Brown played UNH on Nov. 12 in its last game and lost 4-2 on the road. The Bears have not played home since Nov. 2.
NEXT UP: CORNELL RIVALRY RENEWED
Colgate will have time to get ready for its rivalry game against Cornell, which is not until Dec. 7. It is only a single game and will be played at Lynah Rink at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night. The Big Red is playing two games before facing the Raiders as Cornell hosts Niagara on Nov. 26 and then plays Boston University at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 30 in New York City. The Big Red has hit a little bit of a skid with only one win in its last five games and it came last Saturday at St. Lawrence in a 5-1 win.
THRIVING IN THE THIRD
Colgate showed last weekend that with one period to go, the Raiders are never out of it. Being tied or down in the North Country, Colgate oustscored the Saints and Golden Knights, 5-0, in the final 20 minutes, including three goals against Clarkson in a 4-3 win. It’s the Raiders best scoring period with 18 goals, but Colgate has also given up 18 goals in the frame.
AUDI TOP ROOKIE
The Raiders had their first weekly honor after the sweep last weekend as Emilio Audi was named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week. Audi had a goal and two assists. He posted a goal and assist for a season-high two points in the come-from-behind win over Clarkson. Audi is tied for fourth in the league among rookies in conference points with four.
After leading the team in total points last season, the sophomore class has been putting the goals and assists on the board. The Class of 2016 has recorded 67 points out of the 97 scored this season, which is 69 percent of the scoring output. They have scored 25 of the 36 goals this year and all top five scorers for Colgate are sophomores. All seven sophomore skaters have scored this season after Kevin Lough and Ryan Johnston scored at St. Lawrence.
SPINK CHIPPING IN
Tylor Spink just needed to warm up his engine over the first eight games. The points leader from last year is warming up over the last six games. After scoring four points on a goal and three assists in the first eight games, Spink has eight points in the last six games and has moved into the lead in goal scoring for the Raiders with seven. He is second in the league in conference goals with six and his three power play goals is tied with Kyle Baun for tops on the Raiders.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs come to campus after becoming the first ECAC Hockey school to win the national title since Harvard in 1989. They have continued their momentum into this season as they are 4-1-2 and have gone unbeaten in their last six contests. Like Colgate, Yale has been scoring goals at will recently with five or more goals in three of its last four games. The Bulldogs were in action once last weekend and defeated Sacred Heart by a 5-1 score. Yale has five NHL draft picks on its roster.
Yale has played well as a team as no player has double-digits in points in the first seven games. The team has had 14 different goal scorers. Anthony Day leads the way with seven points on three goals and four assists. Jesse Root is the top goal scorer for the Bulldogs with four goals to go with two helpers for six points.
In goal, the Bulldogs are very young with two rookies on the roster. Yale lost Jeff Malcolm to graduation and have filled him in with Alex Lyon and Patrick Spano. Lyon has started four games and is 1-1-2 with a 2.41 goals against average, while Spano is undefeated at 3-0-0 with a 2.33 goals against average.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 97th meeting between these two schools, dating back to Colgate’s second season as a varsity program back in 1916-17. Yale has recorded a 5-2-2 record over the last eight games and the teams have played a very entertaining series in the last 10 matchups with five overtime games. The season series last year was split. The Raiders won 4-2 on home ice and then Yale came away with an overtime win at Ingalls Rink. Colgate leads the series, 49-42-5.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Brown makes the trip to Hamilton with a 3-3-1 overall mark and a 1-2-1 record in ECAC Hockey. The Bears have struggled as of late with one win in their last five games after starting the year with two wins at the Liberty Invitational against Yale and Dartmouth. They will have taken 10 days off between games as Brown last played at UNH on Nov. 12 before taking on Cornell on Friday night.
The Bears have two players in double digits in points with Mark Naclerio leading the way with 12 points on five goals and seven assists. Nick Lappin has 10 points in six games on three goals and seven helpers. Both top scorers are sophomores. Matt Lorito has nine points on the year with four goals and five assists, while Maple Leafs draft pick, Dennis Robertson has five points.
In goal, Marco DeFilippo has returned for his senior season and is 1-3-0 so far this year with a 2.81 goals against average and .929 save percentage. Rookie Tyler Steel has seen action in three games and is unbeaten at 2-0-1. He has a 2.92 goals against average and a .985 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
Colgate leads the series 52-21-3 in the previous 76 meetings. The first game between these two schools came back in 1934-35. The Raiders have dominated at home with a 30-5-2 record, while Colgate has a smaller advantage in Providence with a 20-12-1 record. Colgate earned its 50th win over the Bears in 2011-12 and Brown became the fourth school Colgate had earned its 50th win over, joining Cornell (56), Rensselaer (56) and St. Lawrence (64).
