Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/25/08) - The Yale University men's hockey team scored three goals in each of the final two periods to earn a 6-1 win over Colgate on Friday, Jan. 25, at Starr Rink. With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 9-7-3 overall this season, including a 5-4-3 record in ECAC Hockey play, while the Raiders drop to 9-10-4 overall and 3-5-3 in the league.

Colgate dominated the first period, outshooting Yale 15-4, but Bulldog netminder Billy Blase was up to the task, stopping every shot he faced to keep it a 0-0 game heading into the first intermission.

The second period was a different story. Less than six minutes into the frame, Yale got on the board. Colgate made two attempts to clear the puck out of its own end, but on the second try, a misplaced pass put the puck on the stick of YU's Sean Backman. Backman skated to the left hashmark and fired a wrist shot that beat Colgate senior goaltender Mark Dekanich (North Vancouver, B.C.) glove side.

Yale's second goal came at the 13:26 mark on the power play. After carrying the puck into the zone, Chris Cahill passed it to Ken Trentowski, who found Matthew Thomey on the far left side. Thomey shot from the far left hashmark, and the puck went between Dekanich's legs after deflecting off a Raider defenseman's stick.

With 1:07 left in the period, both teams sent two players to the box for hitting after the whistle after a Raider scoring opportunity. As time wound down, Colgate was eager to get back into the game with a goal before heading into the lockerroom, but it was the Bulldogs who tacked on another with just 35 seconds on the clock. After working the puck around in the zone, Yale's Mike Matczak took a shot from the right point that went through traffic and into the bottom corner, stick-side, that put his team up 3-0 heading into the second intermission.

The Bulldogs continued to pour on the offense in the third period. Around the five-minute mark, Brock Little blocked a shot and took off with the puck after it deflected off his shin pads. Little cut in from the right side, but was sidetracked by Colgate's defense. However, Denny Kearney was following the play, and he picked up the loose puck and put it in an open net as Dekanich was out of position. Following the goal, Dekanich was replaced between the pipes by classmate Justin Kowalkoski (Young America, Minn.).

But even the change of netminders couldn't stop the Yale onslaught. Less than three minutes after entering the game, Kowalkoski faced a breakaway by Thomey following a Raider turnover. Thomey streaked down the middle, and flipped the puck over Kowalkoski's left pad to make it 5-0.

Just under seven minutes later, Yaworski took the puck behind the Colgate net, and passed it to Cahill on the left inside hashmark. Cahill one-timed a pass to Little, who scored backdoor, stick side.

Less than a minute later, Colgate spoiled Blase's shutout bid. Yale turned the puck over in its defensive end, and junior David Sloane (Ambler, Pa.) collected the rubber. He took a shot from the right circle that sailed through traffic and past Blase for his second goal of the season.

Blase finished the game with 32 saves, including all 23 he faced over the first two periods, as his team was outshot 33-25. Dekanich posted 16 stops over the first 45:13 of the game, and Kowalkoski registered three saves in relief. The Bulldogs were 1-for-5 on the power play, and Yale's top-ranked penalty kill shut down all four Colgate extra-man opportunities. The Raiders dominated in the faceoff circle, 41-29.

Colgate will try to regroup before it returns to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 26, to take on Brown. The game begins at 7:00 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Colgate Ticket Office at (315) 228-7600. For the game against the Bears, fans can purchase one general admission ticket and get a second one for free.