ERIE, Pa. – Newcomer Hunter Racine scored two goals and junior Derek Freeman pitched in a goal and an assist to help lead Colgate to a 5-2 victory over Mercyhurst in collegiate men’s ice hockey action Saturday at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
Playing the first Division I regular season contest of the 2015-16 campaign, Racine tallied the first and fifth Raiders goals while Freeman notched the eventual game-winning marker early in the second to give Colgate the opening-night triumph.
Racine and sophomore Evan Peterson staked Colgate to a 2-0 lead after one period. Racine opened the scoring at the 5:16 mark with a power play tally while Peterson netted an even-strength marker with just under four minutes remaining.
The teams traded goals in a back-and-forth second period. Freeman extended the Raiders cushion to 3-0 on an unassisted effort 5:15 into the frame, but Derek Barach got Mercyhurst on the board midway through the period to cut the Colgate margin to 3-1.
Senior Tylor Spink restored the Raiders three-goal cushion less than two minutes after Barach’s strike with a man-advantage tally to make it a 4-1 contest. The Lakers closed out the scoring in the frame as Michael Verboom’s found the back of the net with 17:06 gone in the middle period.
Racine added an insurance marker in the final moments of the third, notching an empty net goal with 2:24 to play to determine the final margin.
Bottom Line
Colgate 5, Mercyhurst 2
Won-Lost Records
– Colgate opens the 2015-16 season with a 1-0 mark
– Mercyhurst begins the campaign with a 0-1 record.
Key Raider Info
– Three rookies – Racine, Willie Brooks and Ken Citron – all made their collegiate debuts in the contest. Racine and Brooks both found their way onto the scoresheet as Brooks picked up an assist on Peterson’s first period goal.
– For the second straight season, a newcomer found the back of the net in the season opener. Peterson scored his first goal as a Raider in Colgate’s season opener at St. Cloud State last October.
– The two points by Freeman were a career high for the junior forward.
– Defensemen were credited with assists on four of Colgate’s five goals in the game. Senior Kevin Lough and juniors Brett Corkey and Jake Kulevich all earned assists during the contest.
– Sophomore Sebastian Weberg picked up his first collegiate point with an assist on Racine’s first goal of the contest.
– Senior Tyson Spink picked up an assist on brother Tylor’s third-period strike. He now needs just eight points to reach the century mark for his career.
‘Gate One Timers
– Colgate improved to 36-2-5 since the start of the 2012-13 season when holding a lead after two periods.
– The Raiders moved to 34-3-1 since the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign when notching three or more goals in a contest.
– Colgate moved to 12-8-3 in their 23 season starters under head coach Don Vaughan. Colgate is 7-1-1 in their last nine openers.
Inside The Box Score
– Colgate out-shot Mercyhurst, 29-19, for the contest. The Raiders enjoyed a 20-9 margin over the first two periods while the Lakers held a 10-9 margin in the third.
– The Raiders were 2-for-3 on the power play while the Lakers were 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
– Colgate held a commanding 37-23 edge in faceoffs. Senior Mike Borkowski led the way for the Raiders, going 12-of-21 at the dot. Sophomore Mike Panowyk finished the game 11-for-18 in faceoffs.
– Borkowski and Kulevich led the Raiders with five shots each. Nine Colgate skaters registered multiple shots in the game.
From The Source
Colgate Head Coach Don Vaughan
(on season opener)
“For a lot of it, it looked like the opening night for both squads. I thought we were a little bit sloppy at times, we didn’t play with the pace that we’re capable of playing at, but you have to chalk that up to it being the first game. For our young guys, they got a real taste of how fast the game is.
We had some really good looks early. We moved the puck around like we want to early in the game and if we capitalize on some of those chances, it could have been a totally different game and a little less hectic than it was in the third period. It’s not easy, it never is, but it’s a good road win.”
Forward Hunter Racine
(On playing on the top line with the Spinks)
“They know each other so well. All I have to do is go to the net and they’ll find me with the puck. That was the game plan tonight and it worked out pretty well.
Forward Derek Freeman
(On game-winning goal)
“The goal was all my line mates. They forechecked, got on them deep in the corner and forced the puck out to me. Luckily I was there in the right spot and put it home.”
Up Next
– Colgate and Mercyhurst wrap up their two-game series Sunday with a 4 p.m. matinee at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
