The Colgate men’s ice hockey team tied Army  West Point in overtime during Homecoming Weekend in what was their first game in the

historic new Class of 1965 Arena.

While the Raiders put forth a valiant effort, they were unable to clinch victory against the Black Knights. Senior forward Derek Freeman scored the first goal for the Raiders in the new arena off a deflected shot by senior defenseman and captain, Jake Kulevich halfway through the first period.

After a successful first period, the Raiders came back onto the ice with momentum on their side. Senior forward Tim Harrison notched the second Raiders goal, giving them a 2-0 advantage against the Black Knights midway through the second period.

Although the crowd was amped up and feeding the Raiders energy on the ice, Army was able to capitalize on several of Colgate’s mistakes and came back from a 2-0 deficit. The largest mistakes by the Raiders came from the amount of time players spent in the penalty box and the ejection of Harrison after a hit from behind. The Black Knights, with several power play opportunities, were able to capture some momentum and secured goals late in the second and third periods.

Senior goaltender Charlie Finn made an impressive 25 saves for the Raiders and is one of four goaltenders in the program’s history to play in 100 games. Despite his stellar performance, two shots landed in the back of his net.

Kulevich cited Finn as being the Raiders’ biggest strength in the Army tilt.

“[We owe our success to the] great goaltending out of Charlie. I thought we came out with a lot of energy and had a good start,” Kulevich said.

The new rink certainly played a role in this game, and will likely be a huge asset for the Raiders moving forward. Not only was the game sold out, but the new rink also features a rowdy student section behind the opponent’s net. The seating of the rink is also much more vertical, giving spectators throughout the rink a much better view of the ice.

Kulevich shared his thoughts on the new rink.

“It is incredible. We are so grateful for the opportunity to open up the new rink. The atmosphere was great as well,” Kulevich said.

With the “first-game-in-a-new-rink” jitters out of the way, the Raiders need to prepare for a long and tough season ahead. With veteran players like Kulevich, Harrison, Freeman and senior defenseman Brett Corkey, the Raiders are geared up to have a successful season. Perhaps the most key player of this season is senior goaltender Charlie Finn, who has been an integral player for the Raiders since his first year. These seniors will continue to mold the new recruits into successful Raiders, as seen on past teams in the program’s storied history.

The Raiders’ next match-up is against Boston University. The game is slated to start at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 8. While the Raiders did not get much momentum from their tie against Army, they need to put emphasis on correcting their mistakes during practice this week.

Kulevich offered his insight on what needs to happen in preparation for the Terriers.

“We’re going to continue to work on our defensive zone system and structure and just try to tighten up and improve over the course of the week. We know we have a great team coming in, and we’re looking forward to that challenge,” Kulevich said.

While the majority of Colgate’s campus will be enjoying the long fall weekend, the men’s hockey team will be sparring against what has typically been one of the top teams in the country. The game will be available to live stream via the Colgate athletic’s website.