HAMILTON – This has been one of the most enjoyable and fun years for Colgate men’s hockey head coach Don Vaughan.
The Raiders have been on a tear lately, going unbeaten since the turn of the new year with a 4-0-1 record, including their second-straight league weekend sweep at Dartmouth and Harvard. Colgate went a while without getting two ECAC Hockey wins in a weekend and they now have four-straight with each win coming on the road.
The road success has been quite a surprise for a team that features 17 sophomores and rookies. Colgate is 7-2-3 away from Starr Rink and is unbeaten in its last seven games away from Hamilton. They have scored two or more goals in all five games, which included putting four goals on Dartmouth and Harvard last weekend.
It is always hard to win on the road in league and coach Vaughan credits his team’s leadership for the success so far this season.
“I believe some of the success this year has a lot to do with great leadership from our captains Spiro Goulakos and Joe Wilson,” Vaughan said. “Those two, combined with a big sophomore class that gained a lot of experience last year as freshmen in learning how consistent the effort must be to win on the road. I also believe we have good depth and a group of guys who have bought into their roles. Of course we have had some great goaltending and timely saves as well. “
Rookie Charlie Finn has been impressive as of late with a 4-0-1 record and over the last five he has a 1.38 goals against average and a .947 save percentage. Finn has allowed seven goals in the five games and has not allowed more than two goals during the recent win streak. He has dropped his GAA from 3.27 to 2.57 over the past five games.
“Charlie was one of the best Tier 2 Junior A goalies in Canada two years running,” Vaughan said. “We knew what we had. Like any player there is an adjustment period coming from junior or prep school. Charlie had to get use to the pace of the game and how quick guys release the puck on shots.”
“It’s good for us that he is a quick study. He is doing now exactly what we expected of him and then some.”
The top six scorers for the Raiders are sophomores after Ryan Johnston tallied three points last weekend with a goal and an assist. All six skaters have 10 or more points and are led by Mike Borkowski, who is having a breakout year with 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists.
“The sophomores are a very talented group that saw a lot of playing time as freshmen in all situations,” Vaughan said. “In many programs it takes until junior year to gain that experience but for us with a relatively small roster compared to other schools our freshman play. Their talent level and experience gained last year helped them get off to a good start this year.”
It is not just the sophomore class making contributions. The Raiders have been able to roll four lines for most of the season and recently the fourth line has stepped in to provide a major role in the recent winning ways.
“It’s great to be able to roll four lines and its something we always want to do,” Vaughan. “For example the so called fourth line who are perhaps more of a checking line might be exactly what we need some nights to win. They can quickly become the first line on a night like that. It’s about depth and balance in terms of role definition and if you look at all of the great teams we have had at Colgate you will find this quality.”
The defense has been exceptional over the last nine games, allowing only 1.7 goals per game, which is well below the season average. The Raiders have played great defense and have not given up a lead in the final period. They are 9-0-3 when tied or ahead after the second period. The Raiders are also 7-2-1 when scoring first this season.
Vaughan has brought up many times that he really enjoys coaching this team.
“They are such a low maintenance team because there is just a great combination of talent and personalities in our locker room,” Vaughan said. “This group is all about team first and they really care about each other. Perhaps it’s the youth but I can’t remember a team that wants to learn and work at improving as much as this group. Coaching is what Brad, Jason, Mike and I love and with this group it’s a joy to come to the rink every day.”
The Raiders are still on the outside of the rankings, but look to continue their momentum this weekend with No. 13 Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Friday night’s game will be live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel in Central New York (Channel 55 in Hamilton). Both games are going to be on the Patriot League Network online and tickets are still available by calling the Colgate Ticket Office at 315-228-7600.
Friday night is also a white out, so fans are encouraged to wear white to the game in support of the Raiders. The first 100 fans will receive a free t-shirt.
