HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/26/07) – Senior Brook Wheeler (Brussels, Ont.) backstopped the Colgate University women’s ice hockey team to a 3-0 shutout over Rensselaer on Friday, Jan. 26 in Time Warner Sports’ live televised contest.

 

Wheeler made 21 saves in her third shutout of the season, helping the Raiders improve to 12-10-2 overall and 11-3-1 in ECACHL play.

 

Freshman Nicole McDonald (Calgary, Alta.) scored her first career goal just 1:27 into the contest for what would be the eventual game winner.

 

It was a freshmen showcase that helped the Raiders jump to an early 1-0 lead.  Marissa Dombovy (Webster, N.Y.) swung that puck in around the back of the net where Ali Edell (Madison, N.J.) won the puck in a battle and passed it up McDonald who was on the extended red to the left of the goal.  McDonald slipped the puck past the defender that stood between her and the net and surprised goaltender Ashley Mayr who was being screened by the defender.

 

Junior defender Mallory Johnston (Chatham, Ont.) pushed the lead to 2-0 at 3:34 of the second period.  Senior Tara French (Truro, N.S.) found Johnston opened near the Raider bench, and Johnston shot through traffic and found the netting as Mayr once again was screened by an Engineer defender.

 

Freshman Katie Stewart (Exeter, Ont.) and sophomore Sam Hunt (Calgary, Alta.) are proving they can be quite the duo in transition on the top line with another beauty goal, at 12:07 of the second. Simultaneously skating into the offensive end, Hunt on the right side taking the puck in on net, slipped it to her left to Stewart who fired a shot that went to the bottom pocket of the net.  Senior Ashley Bradford (Burnaby, B.C.) was credited with an assist on the play.

 

Two minutes later Bradford was charged wit ha five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind.  Colgate faced a 5x3 as Ali Edell was already in the penalty box for a cross check.  The Raider penalty-killing unit was unstoppable, holding Rensselaer to just one shot on goal during the five minutes.  Bradford will be eligible for tomorrow’s contest.

 

Mayr finished the night with 27 saves for Rensselaer, as the Raiders outshot the Engineers, 30-21.

 

The Raiders will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they host Union College at 4 p.m.