Colgate Clinches Fourth Seed With Victory Over RPI

Nick Prockow scored the game winning goal versus the Engineers.

Final Box      Photos

HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/26/2010) – Nick Prockow (Montreal, Que.) scored the game winning goal at 10:24 of the third period to lead Colgate to a 3-2 victory over visiting Rensselaer, Friday evening at Starr Rink.

With the victory coupled with a St. Lawrence loss to Dartmouth, the Raiders secured fourth place in the league standings and in the process clinched a first round bye in the 2010 ECAC Hockey Tournament, which begins next weekend.

With the game knotted at 2-2 and Colgate on the power play, Brian Day (Danvers, Mass.) entered the offensive zone and fed Prockow who skates in from the right side boards. The sophomore fired a backhand by Allen York's right skate for his seventh goal of the year. Kevin McNamara (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) was credited with an assist for getting the puck to Day.

The Raiders had two more hurdles left. With 3:47 remaining, the Engineers went on the power play. RPI got two shots off including one hitting the crossbar. After the Raiders successfully killed off the man advantage, Rensselaer pulled York for the final 55 seconds, but really couldn't muster a quality shot in the closing seconds on net. Chase Polacek fired a shot on net from the red line in the closing seconds, but Alex Evin (Castlegar, B.C.) can up with the save as the horn sounded.

Colgate, now 14-13-6, 11-8-2 in lead play, took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission courtesy of Austin Smith (Dallas, Texas). The sophomore cashed in on his first of two goals as he deflected in a slap shot from center point by Wade Poplawski (Winnipeg, Man.) at 9:02.

Early in the second period, the Raiders had a chance to up the lead as David McIntyre (Pefferlaw, Ont.) stole a clearing pass and went uncontested in towards York from the slot, however, the sophomore saved the shot with his right pad to keep the game at a one-goal deficit.

Moments later, the Engineers, who fell to 17-15-3, 10-9-2 in league play, got on the board at 6:25 of the second with a power play goal. Colgate had just killed off a five on three and returned one player as Marty O'Grady ripped a shot from close range top shelf to beat Evin for his ninth of the year. Brandon Pirri and Paul Kerins each tallied assists on the goal.

Less than a minute later, RPI claimed its first lead of the contest at 7:21 as Kerins fired a shot home from the inside part of the face-off circle after gathering in the puck off a slap shot from Jeff Foss that bounced off the boards from behind the net. It was the senior's 12th goal of the year.

The Raiders knotted the score a little over three minutes later. Jeremy Price (Milton, Ont.) got the puck to McIntyre, who charged into the offensive zone from the left wing and sent the puck toward the cage from a low angle. The puck hit the skate of Smith and then a skate of an Engineer before winding up in the net at 10:38. It was Smith's 15th of the season.

Evin stopped 27 of 29 shots in the victory. The sophomore made some crucial saves in the third including a kick save at 5:48 as Jerry D'Amigo was left all alone out front of the cage. Evin saved 10 in the second and 11 more in the third to collect his ninth win of the campaign. York stopped 22 in defeat.

Colgate's power play was clicking. The Raiders connected on three of six opportunities. It was the first time Colgate had registered three power play goals since a 7-6 overtime loss at Canisius on December 20, 2009. Rensselaer went one of four on the man advantage.

The victory stretched Colgate's home-unbeaten streak against Rensselaer to 10 straight. During this stretch, the Raiders are 9-0-1 versus the Engineers with the last loss coming in 2001 at Starr Rink.

Colgate will end its regular-season by hosting Union, Saturday evening. Opening face-off is set for 7 p.m. Prior to the drop of the puck, six graduating seniors will be honored.

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