Colgate University women’s hockey has begun their season with a series of competitive games. Early season action has included games against Ohio State University, Boston University (BU), University of Maine and Ivy League play. Almost a month into the season, the Raider’s record stands at 4-5-1 (as of Nov. 2). After recent games against Dartmouth College and Harvard, Brown and Yale Universities, Colgate has officially entered into Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) play.
The season began on Oct. 3 against Ohio State, the second-ranked team in the nation. Colgate ended the first period with a 1-0 lead, after a goal by first-year forward Ava Wood — the first of her collegiate career. The Raiders maintained the lead until halfway through the second period when Ohio State tied the game. Despite a standout performance by senior defender Casey Borgiel, who scored two goals, Colgate lost the season opener 5-3.
The following day, Oct. 4, Colgate continued the series with a second game against the Buckeyes. Similar to the previous game, Colgate took an early lead with a goal by first-year forward Dorothy Copetti and the first period concluded with a score of 2-2. However, Ohio State scored seven goals within the next two periods and the game ended in a 9-4 Buckeye victory. Nonetheless, the game featured an outstanding performance from senior forward Alexis Petford who scored two goals. Petford enjoyed the two competitive games and commented on the opportunity that the challenge provided. She looks forward to the rematch versus Ohio State at the end of November.
“We were able to set a standard for ourselves and where we want to be after our game against them,” she said. “Our opening weekend against Ohio State gave us the opportunity to see what areas of our game needed improvement as a team, but we were also able to see our strengths.”
The following weekend, the Raiders bounced back with two wins against Boston University. The first game ended in a 3-1 victory, with junior forward Emma Pais scoring two goals. Petford complimented Pais’ play.
“Emma has started the year off strong,” Petford said. “She cares about her teammates and is not only looking to make herself better, but her linemates and teammates as well.”
The second game against BU concluded in a 4-3 Colgate victory after a thrilling third period. Petford delivered the game-winning goal with five minutes left, adding to a combined five goals scored by both teams in the third period. Junior forward Madeline Palumbo dedicated the Raiders’ success against BU to their preparation.
“I think when we show up to the rink ready to play our game the rest follows and our game is where we want it to be,” Palumbo said.
The following weekend, Colgate split a two-game series against Maine. Pais scored a hat-trick in the first game and led the Raiders to a 5-2 victory. The next day, the Raiders lost to the Black Bears 1-2. Pais scored the first goal of the game, but Maine came back with two goals in the second period.
On Oct. 24, the first day of ECAC play, Colgate faced off against Dartmouth but fell in a 2-4 loss. The following day, the Raiders bounced back with a big game against Harvard, concluding in a 5-0 victory. Pais, Petford and Elyssa Biederman all contributed to the three goals scored in the dominant second period, two of which were scored within 28 seconds of each other. Players acknowledged the importance of their first inter-conference win.
“ECAC play is always a grind,” Pais said. “It is a battle every single night and you cannot take a night off. We are so excited and can’t wait to get started!”
The Raiders’ two recent games, both held in the Class of 1965 Arena during Colgate’s parents weekend, kept fans on their feet. Both ended in overtime. The Raiders tied Brown 3-3 on Oct. 31, going into a scoreless double overtime. Brown ultimately came out on top with a 1-0 shootout score. The high level of competition did not falter the following day, when Colgate lost 4-5 against Yale in overtime.
Colgate will next face No. 1 Cornell University in ECAC play. With a mixed record from the first ten games, players stressed the importance of building on strengths and addressing weaknesses.
“Keys to success this year have been keeping things simple and playing our game,” Petford said. “An area for improvement for our team would be consistency throughout both games in a weekend.”
Palumbo cited the team chemistry and leadership as a means to success.
“From the first years to the seniors, everyone is so close which is really awesome,” Palumbo said. “I think our team goal is really to focus on the small things in the game and those will help us succeed with the big things. I think when we focus on what we can control it is when we are playing our best and when everyone buys into our team goals it is when we have played our best.”
If the team continues to build on these strengths, success down the line will fall into place.
