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HAMILTON – Greg Fargo couldn't have scripted it any better.

Colgate's head coach knew his Raiders needed to open fast and play solid defense to jumpstart this two-game ECAC Hockey weekend. And Colgate promptly scored twice in the first 2½ minutes of play to spark a 5-1 victory Friday night over Union.

Jocelyn Simpson found the net for her third goal of the year just 2:20 into the first period, and then Miriam Drubel followed that with her fifth this season just 13 seconds later. Cat Quirion added her first of the season in the period's final minute for a 3-0 cushion, Colgate's largest lead on the young season.

"For us, the first five minutes of a game – or any period for that matter – carries over to being the key to our success," Fargo said. "When we can get everybody in and going and not thinking about the next shift, the result is some good things.

"The less thinking we do out there, sometimes it carries off in our favor."

Simpson's goal began when she intercepted the puck at center ice and found Melissa Kueber on the left boards. Simpson raced toward the net and Kueber hit her in stride right in front, where the Raiders senior forward slipped the puck past Union's Shenae Lundberg for the 1-0 lead.

The Raiders won the ensuing faceoff and Kueber immediately applied pressure into the Dutchwomen zone. Rachel Walsh on the right wing found Drubel about 10 feet in front of goal. Drubel spun to her left and rifled it past Lundberg for a 2-0 advantage.

Blue-Collar Goal
Quirion's goal in the last minute before the intermission was lunch pail variety. She saved the puck from leaving the zone and put a shot on net. That attempt was deflected wide but Katelyn Parker dug it out of the corner and shoveled it to Taylor Volpe, who found Quirion for a second try that was true for a 3-0 lead.

Fargo said the Colgate locker room was buzzing but the team understood there was plenty of hockey left.

"We were happy with where we were but going into the game the challenge for us was to put together a complete 60-minute effort," he said. "We hadn't done that all season long. We wanted to make sure we went out in the second with the mind frame that we had to get out to another quick start and carry it as a 0-0 game at that point.

"We did that, and I was happy to see us in the second get our penalty play going."

All three first-period goals were even strength, but Colgate's fourth was a Volpe rebound goal on the power play at 11:41. Taylor Craig nearly scored from close range but then Volpe was there to poke home the second chance and Colgate led 4-0.

Walsh added Colgate's fifth goal when she found the net even strength at 18:46 of the second. Walsh won a faceoff to the left of the Union goal and then glided toward the slot. Nicole Gass passed to Drubel, who found Walsh for a screened shot from about12 feet that made it 5-0.

"We executed a textbook play and it was really a team effort," Walsh said. "I got a great pass from Miriam and everybody was focused. I got a good screen in front of the net and it was just like the coaches drew it up."

Three Points for Drubel
Union drew within 5-1 early in the third period when Kathryn Tomaselli scored at 1:38. But Colgate allowed nothing the rest of the way and the Raiders won inside Starr Rink for the first time this season.

Raider goalie Brittney Brooks (pictured right) stopped 20 of 21 shots for her first win of the season. Nine different Raiders either scored or assisted on goals, with Drubel's three-point night leading the way. Colgate outshot Union 30-21, but the Raiders were in the penalty box seven times for 14 minutes compared to two for 4 for the visitors.

Colgate improved to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in ECAC Hockey. Union dropped to 4-7 overall, 1-2 in ECAC Hockey.

Rensselaer is next on the schedule (Saturday, 4 p.m.) and Fargo knows it's another team his club will be battling for playoff position come season's end.

"It's an important weekend, no doubt," he said. "These are two teams in Union and RPI who we fully expect to be in the playoff race with. These are tough teams to play; there are no easy games in this conference. To walk away with four points this weekend would be a huge plus for us."