BOX SCORE       Photo Gallery

HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/20/12) – The 18th-ranked Colgate men's hockey team faced a third-period deficit, but Austin Smith was able to tally the game-tying goal as the Raiders and Harvard skated to a 2-2 tie at Starr Rink on Friday night.

Colgate (12-8-3, 6-4-1 ECAC) was led by Chris Wagner, who tallied two points on a goal and an assist. Austin Smith netted his nation's leading 23rd goal of the season, while Jeremy Price and Corbin McPherson earned helpers. Eric Mihalik pushed aside 17 shots in the tie.

The Crimson (4-6-7, 3-4-5 ECAC) got two points from Marshall Everson with a goal and an assist, while Peter Starrett added the other Harvard score. Alex Killorn finished with two assist, while Patrick McNally was given credit for one helper. Steve Michalek stopped 34 shots between the pipes, including 15 in the third period.

The Raiders took the lead six minutes into the game as Wagner scored his ninth of the season and second in as many games. Price slid the puck to Wilson at the faceoff circle and he charged the net. He then found Wagner with a pass and the sophomore got his stick on the puck in a crowd to get it past Michalek for the 1-0 lead. Harvard then scored its 25th power play goal of the season, just 16 seconds into its first man advantage of the game. Killorn found Everson in the slot and he roofed a shot that hit one post and tucked inside the other to tie the game with 19 seconds left in the first.

The Crimson earned its first lead of the game at 2-1 with 7:27 remaining in the second frame. Starrett gave his team the one-goal advantage with his first collegiate goal. Harvard put pressure on the Raiders with the forecheck and it paid off as Killorn chipped the puck away from a Colgate stick. A 2-on-1 developed off the play and Everson slipped a pass to Starrett at the far post and he tipped it home. The Raiders had their chances with a 12-6 shot advantage and they also hit a post.

Colgate dominated the third period with a 16-1 shot advantage and was able to tie the game with Smith scoring his 23rd of the season with 7:32 left in regulation. McPherson kept the puck in the zone at the blueline and it came around the boards and behind the Crimson net. Wagner was able to cause a turnover and skated up to the faceoff dot and hit Smith for the score. The Raiders had another great opportunity prior to the Smith score as a Raider put a shot on net that Michalek stopped, but the rebound came to Matt Firman in the slot. He chipped a shot that rang off the post.

Colgate put up big numbers in shots with 36, while Harvard managed 19. The Crimson continued to score on the power play and went 1-for-2 on the night. The Raiders had their chances as well, but couldn't find the net on three occasions.

The Raiders will be back at Starr Rink to host Dartmouth at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The Big Green is coming off an overtime heartbreaker at the hands of Cornell. Dartmouth came back from multiple deficits, but it was the Big Red scoring in overtime to get the win, 4-3.

NOTES: This was the seven tie in the history of the series with the Crimson … Colgate came back to tie a game in the third period for the second time this season, with the other coming against Army on Cape Cod … Wagner posted his eight multi-point game of the season … he has 28 points on nine goals and 19 assists, all three career-highs … he is on a four-game point streak and has six points in the four games … Smith has at least a point in 21-of-23 games this season and was tied with Jack Connolly of Minnesota-Duluth for the nation's lead in points with 36 at the end of the game … he has four more goals than the second place skater in goal scoring in the nation … the Raiders gave up just one shot in the third period, which is the least amount given up in a period this season … Robbie Bourdon played in his 99th career game and will hit 100 tomorrow night … Colgate had gone 17 games without a tie.