The Colgate men’s ice hockey team had a bit of a tough weekend after tying Dartmouth 2-2 and losing to Harvard 6-1. The Raiders went into the Dartmouth game ranked 13th in the country, and unfortunately dropped to 15th after this weekend’s performance. Their overall record is now 14-8-2. With ten games left in regular season play, they can definitely break the top ten and climb back from the undoubtedly tough play this weekend.  

Coming out of the gates, Dartmouth and the Raiders battled hard resulting in a 0-0 tie at the end of the period. Dartmouth was the first to get on the scoreboard after scoring a goal midway through the second period. Less than a minute later, senior forward John Lidgett put one in between the pipes, tying the game up. Junior Kyle Baun notched the second Raider goal seven minutes into the third period, giving the team a 2-1 advantage over Dartmouth. Colgate was unable to hold onto their lead, and several minutes after the Raiders took the lead, Dartmouth tied up the game. Despite their seven more shots on goal (33 vs. 26) the Raiders were unable to bury one to win the game. Sophomore defenseman Jake Kulevich applauded his goalie after the game. “Charlie [Finn] was great in net and it would have been a nice win for us,” he said. 

Finn has been a huge asset to the Raiders this year and played an exceptional game against Dartmouth. Kulevich went on to say that the team needs ‘‘to hold [themselves] more accountable defensively.”  

Making better passes, seeing opportunities sooner and getting the puck out of the defensive zone is all part of making the team more successful in the future. 

The Harvard game was certainly a tough loss for the men’s hockey team, as they were the first on the scoreboard after sophomore Tim Harrison netted a goal midway through the second period. This lead was not enough to stop the offensive power of the Crimson, because they scored six unanswered goals. 

“We just didn’t win enough battles and they were able to capitalize on their chances,” Kulevich said.

From a fan perspective, the Raiders seemed off their game against Harvard and were slow to break the puck out of the zone and retain offensive possession in the Crimson zone. While the shots on net during the Harvard game were nearly equal (Harvard 34, Colgate 31), the Crimson had more chances in front of the net and worked the puck very well on the perimeter. Although they scored first, the Raiders seemed to be falling behind the quick-paced game Harvard brought to Starr Rink. 

Senior forward Brooks Herrington said, “Cornell is fun to prepare for as we all know the stakes and love the excitement.”  

This weekend is a huge weekend for the Raiders, as they have a home tilt against rival Cornell Friday and then travel to Ithaca for round two Saturday night. The most important thing for the Raiders to do as a team is to shake off this past weekend’s shortfalls and focus on their preparation for the Cornell game.  

With ten games left in the regular seasons schedule, the Raiders can redeem themselves against Harvard and continue to show the league that they are one of the top college teams in the country. 

After a tough loss to Harvard, Kulevich says that it is imperative to “approach the rest of the season with a game by game basis.” 

The season is far from over, and the Raiders are going to play several teams they have already played against for a second time. When asked about the game to which he most looks forward, Herrington said he was personally looking “forward to a rematch against Harvard.”

Games against Cornell always get rowdy, and the home crowd should give the Raiders a winning mentality come Friday. In preparation for the game, Kulevich said that the most important thing that the team needs to keep in mind is “to have a really good week of practice.” 

Student tickets are limited, so if you plan on attending the game, make sure to arrive to the rink early to claim your ticket. Game time is this Friday at 7 p.m. in Starr Rink.