HAMILTON – No. 7 Colgate scored two goals in the first 28 minutes of play and it was enough to hold on against Dartmouth. The Raiders defeated the Big Green, 2-1, on Friday afternoon.
The first couple of minutes were quiet for both teams offensively, with the Raiders recording only one shot on goal. After the two minute mark, Colgate’s offense seemed to awaken and junior Shelby Perry recorded two consecutive shots on goal.
Junior Lauren Wildfang followed up with a shot on goal of her own and although nothing was breaking through for the Raiders, they controlled the tempo and the shots for the rest of the period.
Dartmouth got one great look at the goal six minutes in during a scrum in front of the net, but Vandyk was able to smother the puck to keep it knotted at zero.
Colgate was able to break through at 6:43 when junior Annika Zalewski recorded her seventh goal of the season. Olivia Zafuto controlled the puck just before the blue line on the left side of the ice before she fired a shot off. The shot was blocked by a Dartmouth defender and sophomore Jessie Eldridge corralled it. Eldridge passed the puck into the slot from just beyond the right faceoff circle. Zalewski was waiting in front of the goal and was able to put the puck past goaltender Chemago.
The Raiders controlled the puck for a majority of the final 13 minutes of the period, but the Big Green did get a power-play opportunity at 10:23 after Wildfang was called for a tripping penalty. Colgate was able to kill of the power-play to keep its one-goal lead.
Colgate recorded 13 shots to Dartmouth’s four in the period.
The Raiders once again came out with the momentum at the beginning of the second period, controlling the tempo for the first half of the frame. Dartmouth was able to briefly get the puck in its offensive zone, but Colgate’s defense was quickly able to shut down any momentum that the Big Green gained.
Colgate was able to add another goal to the board just under eight minutes into the second period. Wildfang collected the puck off of a Dartmouth turnover and quickly passed to Eldridge, who found Anonda Hoppner at mid-ice. The freshman skated past four Big Green defenders and put the puck past the goalie’s left leg, giving the Raiders the 2-0 advantage.
Eldridge was called for tripping at 12:46 in the second frame, giving Dartmouth its second power-play opportunity of the afternoon. Goaltender Julia Vandyk came up with three huge saves in the midst of the power-play, but Dartmouth was able to sneak one past her shoulder with two seconds remaining, cutting its deficit to one.
Dartmouth really controlled the pace of the game for the final five minutes of the second period. The Big Green were called for a tripping penalty at 16:07, but the defense was able to kill it off and keep the puck in their offensive zone.
Wildfang was called for a tripping penalty with less than two minutes remaining in the frame and once again Vandyk came up with a huge save to keep the lead with Colgate.
The Big Green recorded 12 shots on goal to Colgate’s nine.
The first several minutes of the final period were a skate fest, with possession constantly switching. Sophomore Bailey Larson had a breakaway opportunity eight minutes into the frame, but her shot hit off the post, keeping the score at 2-1 Colgate.
Dartmouth had two penalties called in the middle of the third, giving Colgate its third and fourth power-play chances of the afternoon, but the Big Green defense stepped up with the blocks to keep their deficit at one.
The final seven minutes and change saw two tired teams as the puck had been up and down the ice for the entirety of the frame. With a minute and a half to play in the game, Dartmouth’s Devon Moir was called for an interference penalty. Before she went to the box, the official’s called her for a 10-minute game misconduct, putting two members of the Big Green squad in the box for the final minute.
The Raiders controlled the puck for the final 90 seconds and were able to secure the 2-1 victory. Colgate outshot Dartmouth, 9-5, in the final period and 31-23 in the game.
The Raiders are back in action tomorrow at 3 p.m. to face Harvard at the Class of 1965 Arena. This game is Colgate’s final action until the new year, when they travel to St. Cloud State on Jan. 6-7.
Bottom Line
– No. 7 Colgate 2, Dartmouth 1
Won-Lost Records
– The Raiders improve to 15-2-1 in the 2016-17 campaign, their best record through 18 games in program history. Colgate moves to 6-2-0 in ECAC play.
– Dartmouth drops to 2-7-0 on the year and 1-5-0 in conference games.
Key Raider Info
– Zalewski recorded her seventh goal of the season to give Colgate the early lead. The captain now has 18 points in the 2016-17 season, good for second on the Raider squad.
– Eldridge dished out her 18th and 19th assists on the year, which leads the ECAC.
– Zafuto notched her sixth assist and 11th point in her sophomore campaign.
– Hoppner registered her fourth goal of the season and her ninth career point.
– Wildfang recorded her 12th assist in the 2016-17 campaign.
– Vandyk recorded 22 saves for the Raiders on her way to picking up her 13th win.
Inside the Box Score
– Colgate went 0-5 on power-play opportunities, the first time in nine games that the Raiders have not scored a power-play goal. Dartmouth went 1-3 in the game.
– The Raiders outshot the Big Green 31-23 on the afternoon.
– During the 60 minutes of play, Colgate won 34-of-57 faceoffs.
– This is only the ninth time the Raiders have defeated the Big Green in series history.
Up Next
– Colgate faces Harvard tomorrow, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m.
– The Crimson hold the 28-3-2 record over the Raiders, but Colgate won the last meeting in the ECAC playoffs on Feb. 28, 2016.
– Live stats and video will be available for both games.
