HAMILTON – Kyle Criscuolo’s power play goal midway through the second period broke a 2-2 tie and lifted No. 8 Harvard to a 4-2 victory over Colgate in ECAC Hockey action Friday at Starr Rink.
The rematch of the championship game of the 2015 ECAC Hockey Tournament got off to a high-paced start as the two teams combined for three goals during the opening 7:30 of the first period.
Harvard took a 1-0 lead just 3:04 into the contest when Sean Malone knocked home a loose puck from the middle of the slot to give the Crimson the early advantage.
Mike Borkowski brought the Raiders level just 1:41 later as he finished off a goalmouth scramble to tie the game at 1-1.
Alexander Kerfoot restored Harvard’s one-goal margin at the 7:30 mark of the first, putting home his own rebound during a 4-on-4 opportunity to make it a 2-1 contest.
Borkowski once again tied the game for Colgate, taking advantage of a deflected shot to beat Crimson keeper Merrick Madsen and make it a 2-2 contest.
Criscuolo put Harvard ahead for good with 11:39 gone in the second period, deflecting a point shot from Colin Blackwell past Colgate netminder Charlie Finn to once again give the Crimson a one-goal edge, 3-2.
Jimmy Vesey closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal with 43 seconds remaining to determine the final margin.
Finn made 35 saves between the pipes for Colgate. Madsen turned aside 25 shots for Harvard.
Bottom Line
No. 8 Harvard 4, Colgate 2
Won-Lost Records
– No. 8 Harvard improved to 10-4-3 overall and 6-3-3 in ECAC play with the win.
– Colgate moved to 7-15-2 and 3-7-2 as it suffered its first loss in four games.
Key Raider Info
– Borkowski’s two goals moved him into first place on the team’s goal-scoring chart. He now has 11 goals this season.
– The two-goal effort was the fourth multiple-goal performance of Borkowski’s career and the second this season. It was also the 17th multiple-point performance of his career.
– Panowyk tallied multiple assists for the third time this season. The effort also marked the fifth multiple-point game of his career.
– Brett Corkey picked up an assist on Borkowski’s second-period goal, giving him 10 points (4g,6a) for the season. He is the first Colgate defenseman to reach double digits in points this season.
– Finn made 30 or more saves in a game for the 11th time this season.
Inside the Box Score
– Harvard held a 39-27 shot advantage for the contest. The Crimson out-shot the Raiders in all three periods, highlighted by a 15-5 margin in the second.
– Harvard was 2-for-3 on the power play while Colgate was 0-for-2 with the man advantage. The Crimson scored on both of the shots it took while on the power play.
– Colgate held a 48-24 edge at the faceoff dot. Adam Dauda was 17-of-24 and Tylor Spink was 15-of-18 to lead the Raiders in faceoffs.
– Borkowski led all players with seven shots taken while Malone and Blackwell fired four shots each to pace Harvard.
From the Source
Colgate Head Coach Don Vaughan
For complete interview, click here
(on game)
“I thought we played hard tonight. I liked our first and I really liked our third. We’ve got to resolve whatever is happening to us in the second period. We’re getting caught, we’re getting hemmed in and our defensemen are getting tired.
“The end of the night the puck didn’t bounce for us. We had some great opportunities at the net. We hit a pipe; one went right through him and out the backside. That’s hockey.”
Senior Mike Borkowski
For complete interview, click here
(on game)
“That was a good hockey game. I think it was two skilled teams going at it. Harvard has a lot of depth. I thought we did a good job going toe-to-toe with them.
“It perhaps a bounce away from going our way, so there is a lot of good to take away from tonight.”
Up Next
– Colgate hosts league foe Dartmouth Saturday in a 7 p.m. contest at Starr Rink.
– Tickets are available by calling 315-228-7600 or by visiting bleedcolgatemaroon.com.
