This past weekend the men’s hockey team went head-to-head with Cornell on both Friday and Saturday nights. Cornell games – especially in ice hockey – are very intense, and Starr Rink was sold out for the home tilt Friday. With a crowd full of fans and a rowdy student section, the Raiders came out during the first period

intense, composed and ready to play their rival.  

While the first period was scoreless, the Raiders seemed to dominate the play, not only with more shots on net but in general possession of the puck in the Cornell defensive zone. The Raiders also played more physical hockey, with big hits throughout the game coming from up and down the roster. Less than a minute into the second period, junior forward Tylor Spink put one into the back of the net, high glove side after a flawless pass in the slot from junior forward Kyle Baun. The Raiders held onto their one-goal lead until about a third of the way into the third period, when Cornell notched its first goal. The intensity of the game definitely went up a level in the third period, with players becoming especially physical in front of their own net. With neither team able to secure the victory in the last seconds of the third period, the game went into overtime.

Overtime, however, did not last very long, for Cornell scored less than a minute into play off of a weird rebound from a Colgate player. This defeat for Colgate was unexpected and heart breaking because of how well Colgate had been playing throughout the game. While the Raiders did not play perfect hockey by any means, they were stronger on the puck and seemed to play better in both the offensive and defensive zones. Although Cornell tallied more shots on net by the end of the game (26 vs. 21), Colgate had more faceoff wins (32 vs. 27), and sophomore goalie Charlie Finn outplayed his counterpart

on the Big Red side.  

In an online video interview on the athletic website, Head Coach Don Vaughan said, “We gave up too many clean shots and clear shots from the point,” after the overtime loss Friday Night.

    While the Raiders did a good job keeping the puck on the perimeter in their defensive zone, some shots from the point managed to make their way in front of Finn where Cornell had some luck in the scrum and was able to find the back of the net. With the tenacity up and down the bench, Colgate should have won Friday night’s game; some unlucky plays and rebounds in front of the net, however, was all Cornell needed

to grab the win. 

After the tough OT loss Friday night, the Raiders saddled up and drove to Cornell for their Saturday tilt. Again, the Raiders came out of the locker room fired up and ready to play, each shift leaving everything they had on the ice. The first period was scoreless, each team battling to gain a lead over the other. Cornell was able to notch its first goal in the first minute of the second period, giving them a 1-0 lead over the Raiders.  Luckily, senior forward (and #13) Daniel Gentzler scored for the Raiders with just seconds to go in the second period, tying the game up for the third period. Cornell then scored its second about midway through the third period, giving them the 2-1 advantage. The Raiders were able to hold out and at the fifteen-minute mark the game was tied up yet again, with the equalizing goal coming from junior forward Kyle Baun.  Colgate’s second game against Cornell ended in a tie, although again, they played better and more intense hockey.

“Getting down twice in this building, it’s not an easy place to come back in. I was really pleased with our effort,” Vaughan said.  

The Raiders are now 14-9-3 on the season, with just eight more games left in regular season play. They have two home games this Friday and Saturday against Princeton and Quinnipiac, respectively. While it might be difficult for the Raiders to shake off this past weekends’ events, there is still a lot of hockey to be played, and they can still easily come back from their tough losses and ties of the past couple of games.