Box Score

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - A physical game that saw crushing hits and end-to-end action ended with the Niagara men's hockey team (0-3-2) coming back from a two goal deficit only to drop a high scoring game to the No. 16 Colgate Raiders (4-1-1), 7-6 at Dwyer Arena on Friday evening.  

Senior forward Austin Smith put away the game for Colgate 1:29 left in overtime.  Mike Leidl sent a pass across the top of the crease to the stick of Smith who slapped it in for the game winner.  

"We just keep finding the positives with this team," remarked head coach David Burkholder.  "To fight back against a nationally ranked team, down in this third, bodes well.  I thought the killer goal was the soft goal to end the second period.  I'm still proud of the guys that we fought back and got into overtime.  We had a couple chances late in the game and it's just a bad break to lose it.  It's tough."

Sophomore Ryan Rashid found the net for the second time during the night off a feed from Patrick Divjak to pull Niagara within one with 4:12 left in the game.  Freshman Isaac Kohls sent the Purple Eagles into overtime for the fourth straight game, 16 seconds later, roofing one past Colgate netminder, Eric Mihalik to tie the game, 6-6.  

The Raider's powerplay unit came up big for Colgate, finding the back of the net four times on the man advantage.  

"You can't give a nationally ranked team six powerplays.  They're ranked for a reason," said Burkholder.  "It definitely was the difference in the game.  Special teams has to get better, especially when we get into conference play.  Five on five, I really liked our team, but special teams is a big part of college hockey and we lost." 

Niagara took the first lead of the game, scoring off their first shot of the game with 15:26 on the clock.  Sophomore forwardrecieved a long defensive zone pass from Kevin Ryan at the top of the blue line and netted a laser top shelf to give Niagara a 1-0 lead.  

The Raiders responded with their first of two goals on the man advantage.  Just over two minutes later a shot by sophomore Chris Wagner rebounded off Niagara netminder Cody Campbell, dropping in the crease before being poked in by defender Thomas Larkin.  Colgate capitalized on their second powerplay when senior forward Austin Mayer took a shot into traffic that trickled in behind Campbell, giving Colgate their first lead of the game with 8:20 left in the first period.  The goal was assisted by Nick Prockow.  

Rashid evened out the game at the 15:52 mark with his second of the season.  Speeding down the near boards, he waited until he was inside the left circle to roof one over the right shoulder of Mihalk.  The Raiders outshot the Purple Eagles 14-11 in the first period.  

The powerplay unit came through again for Colgate in the opening two minutes of the second stanza, after C.J. Chartrain was called for hooking.  Senior Austin Smith skated around the Niagara net to Campbell's stick side, taking a sharp angled wrister that went above the goalie's shoulder, giving the Raider's their second lead of the game.  

Niagara would fight back to tie the game when Ryan Rashid's slap shot from the top of the right circle rebounded off Mihalik and a diving Sam Alfieri swiped it in on the powerplay.  Twenty-three seconds later though, Colgate forward Robbie Bourdon regained the lead after a wrister from the inside right circle deflected off of Campbell's glove into the net.  

Newly inserted Niagara goaltender Chris Noonan was beat at the end of the period when Colgate netted its fourth powerplay goal of the game.  The one timer came off the stick of Mayer, for his second of the game, assisted by Matt Firman.

The Purple Eagles pulled within one again just 41 seconds into the final 20 minutes when Arnold notched his second of the game after slapping in a Divjak slapshot that rang off the post.  At the 8:45 mark though, Christian Long had a solo effort to regain the two goal advantage after stealing the puck off a defender in front of the Niagara net and slipping it passed Noonan. 

Campbell made 14 saves between the pipes, while Noonan followed with 12. 

Niagara finish its first home and home series of the season tomorrow when they face off against Colgate in Starr Rink at 8 p.m.