Hamden, Conn. – The No. 5 Raiders fell to No. 8 Quinnipiac, 3-1, in Saturday afternoon’s matchup at High Point Solutions Arena.
Both teams got off to a strong defensive start for the start of the game; goaltender Julia Vandyk made a huge save just seconds in the game to hold off any Quinnipiac momentum. The Bobcats were able to get eight shots off in first six minutes, but Vandyk and the rest of the Colgate defense were able to hold Quinnipiac off the board for those opening minutes.
Quinnipiac found an opportunity just under seven minutes in and the team was able to capitalize. Kenzie Lancaster got the Bobcats on the board at 6:21 in the first after slipping the puck past Vandyk on the left side of the net.
Later in the period, the Raiders were able to kill off two Bobcat power-play opportunities after Livia Altmann was called for tripping at 9:31 and Lauren Wildfang was sent to the box for tripping at 15:30, staving off any gain in Quinnipiac’s momentum.
Colgate was outshot in the first period, 11-4, and Vandyk registered 10 saves to keep the Raider deficit at one going into the second frame.
The Raiders had their first power-play opportunity at 5:18 in the second period after a hooking penalty on Quinnipiac. Colgate controlled the puck for a majority of the power-play and with 11 seconds remaining, Bailey Larson notched the game at one. After a deflected Quinnipiac shot, the puck found its way back into the Raiders offensive zone. Olivia Zafuto was on the right side of the ice, close to the boards when she found Breanne Wilson-Bennett behind the net. Wilson-Bennett passed the puck to Larson, who was stationed to the left of the net, and the sophomore fired a shot right past Bobcat goalie Abbie Ives.
In the final 14 minutes of the period, Quinnipiac was on the offense attack, but the Raiders were able to hold the Bobcats off and keep the game tied at one.
Colgate recorded 10 shots on goal in the period to Quinnipiac’s 15.
Colgate had a power-play opportunity at 5:16 after Quinnipiac had a roughing penalty called on Meghan Turner. The Raiders only got one shot before Quinnipiac was able to notch its second goal of the night, a short-hander at 6:23 in the third.
The Raiders continued to battle throughout the third, but couldn’t get any shot past Ives. The Bobcats added to their total with an empty-netter at 19:46, giving them a 3-1 lead.
Vandyk finished the night with 33 saves to lead the Raiders.
Colgate is back in action on Tuesday as the team travels to Mercyhurst for a non-conference series with the Lakers before Thanksgiving break. The Raiders play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and are slated for a 3 p.m. start on Wednesday.
Bottom Line
– Quinnipiac 3, Colgate 1
Won-Lost Records
– Colgate drops to 12-2-1 on the year and 5-2-1 in conference play.
– Quinnipiac’s record improves to 10-4-2 in the 2016-17 campaign and 5-2-1 in ECAC play.
Key Raider Info
– Larson recorded the only goal for the Raiders on the afternoon.
– Wilson-Bennett and Zafuto each recorded an assist.
– Vandyk recorded 33 saves against a tough Bobcats’ offense.
Inside the Box Score
– Colgate went 1-4 on power-play opportunities, while Quinnipiac went 0-3.
– The Raiders were outshot by the Bobcats, 36-19 on the night.
– During the 60 minutes of play, Colgate won 20-of-48 faceoffs.
Up Next
– The Raiders take a quick break, but are back on the road for a series with Mercyhurst on Tuesday and Wednesday.
– Mercyhurst holds the 18-3-2 series lead over Colgate, but the Raiders won the last matchup between the teams, 3-0.
– Tuesday’s game is slated for a 7 p.m. start, while Wednesday’s puck drop will be at 3 p.m.
– Live stats will be available for both games.
