Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y., (12/1/06) – Colgate junior assistant captain Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.) recorded a career-high four points to lead the Raider men’s hockey team to a 5-2 win against Union on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Starr Rink. With the victory, Colgate improves to 6-8-2 overall and 2-4-1 in ECACHL play, while Union drops to 5-4-2 overall and 1-2-0 in the league.

Colgate’s first goal of the game, which came at the 12:31 mark of the first period, was the only one Winchester wasn’t involved in. Sophomore Jason Fredricks (Eagle River, Wis.) sent a break-out pass to junior Dustin Gillanders (Kyle, Sask.) along the right boards. He sent the puck cross-ice to freshman David McIntyre (Pefferlaw, Ont.), who made a move around his defensemen and feathered the puck into the goal along the ice.

Just 4:05 later, Winchester netted a 4-on-3 power-play goal to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead. Fredricks and senior Marc Fulton (Vancouver, B.C.) were playing the points. Fredricks passed the puck to Fulton, who one-timed it back to him. Fredricks put a slapshot on net and Union starting goalie Justin Mrazek made a pad save. The rebound came out to Winchester on the right side of the net, and he put the puck top-shelf while Mrazek was still down.

Colgate’s offense continued to click in as it took a 3-0 lead 2:39 into the middle session. Winchester broke the puck out of the zone to classmate Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.) on the power play. Burton skated diagonally into the offensive end to the bottom of the right faceoff circle and backhanded a shot off a defenseman’s stick and the goalie’s shoulder, top-shelf. Following the goal, Union replaced Mrazek with freshman Rich Sillery.

Burton struck again just over six minutes later with his second straight power-play goal. Colgate was set up in the zone, but Fredricks let the puck slip offsides. The Raiders retreated, and Fredricks crossed the puck to classmate Nick St. Pierre (St. Etienne, Que.) on the left side. St. Pierre sent a diagonal pass to Winchester. Winchester skated it into the zone and sent a centering feed to Burton, who slipped the puck under Sillery’s pad.

Winchester’s prowess in the faceoff circle led to his team’s fifth goal of the night. With just over eight minutes left in the second frame, he won a faceoff back to sophomore David Sloane (Ambler, Pa.) at the right point. Sloane sniped the puck over the goalie’s glove for his third goal of the year.

Union broke up junior goaltender Mark Dekanich’s (North Vancouver, B.C.) shutout bid with a goal 4:47 into the third period. Olivier Bouchard put the puck past the Raider goalie off feeds from Brendan Milnamow and Mike Schreiber. The goal was the first the Dutchmen had scored against the Raiders since the 2004-05 season, snapping a 205:11 Colgate shutout streak against Union.

Dutchman freshman Mario Valery-Trabucco netted a power-play goal with just under 11 minutes to play in the third period. Schreiber shot from the right point after receiving the puck from Jeff Christiansen, and Valery-Trabucco tipped it in glove-side.

Dekanich finished the game with 25 saves. Mrazek, who took the loss, left the game with 14 saves, including 11 in the first period. Sillery registered 15 stops on the night. Colgate outshot Union, 34-27, and held a 35-31 edge on faceoffs. The Raiders finished 3-for-10 on the power play, while the Dutchmen were 1-for-13.

Colgate hosts Rensselaer on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:00 p.m., to conclude the ECACHL weekend series. The Raiders will also continue to collect toys to benefit the Community Action Program in the lobby of Reid Athletic Center, outside Starr Rink. Fans who donate toys will be entered into a raffle to win a game-worn, team-signed jersey.