SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (2/24/06) - Colgate sophomore goaltender Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) shut out Union (16-13-6, 9-8-4 ECACHL) for the second time this season and helped propel his No. 20 Raiders back into a share of first place in the ECACHL with a 2-0 victory on Friday, Feb. 24 at Messa Rink.
With the win, Colgate (17-10-6, 13-6-2 ECACHL) clinched a first-round bye for the upcoming ECACHL playoffs. Cornell’s 2-0 loss at Rensselaer and Dartmouth’s 5-2 win against Clarkson moved the Raiders and Big Green into a tie for first place in the standings with both holding a one-point lead over the Big Red heading into the regular-season finale.
The game featured two of the league’s top netminders at opposite ends of the ice, and their combined efforts made it a scoreless game through one period. However, Colgate scored two goals in quick succession midway through the second period to earn the victory.
The Raiders struck first at the 9:12 mark of the middle frame. The teams were battling along the end boards when sophomore Tyler Burton (Langley, B.C.) pushed the puck around to classmate Jesse Winchester (Long Sault, Ont.) on the boards behind the left side of the net. Winchester found senior captain Jon Smyth (Markham, Ont.) on the right side of the crease, and Smyth one-timed the puck to beat Kris Mayotte backdoor.
Less than two minutes later, Colgate earned the 2-0 advantage. Senior Kyle Wilson (London, Ont.) skated into the zone marked by two Union defenders and shot in on goal. Mayotte made the stop, but the puck came out to junior Marc Fulton (Vancouver, B.C.) in the low slot and he roofed it over Mayotte’s glove.
Union head coach Nate Leaman took a timeout with 2:52 left in the third period and kept Mayotte on the bench for the rest of the game, but Dekanich stopped every Dutchman scoring attempt to preserve his shutout. He finished the game with 29 saves, while Mayotte recorded 20.
The Raiders close out the regular season at Rensselaer on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:00 p.m. Colgate will host an ECACHL quarterfinal series at Starr Rink, Mar. 10-12.
