Box Score

HAMILTON – Rookie Hannah Rastrick chose a great time to tally the first goal of her career, as it helped lift the Colgate women's hockey team 1-0 past Princeton on Friday night, keeping the Raiders' playoff hopes alive.
 
"It was a great win," Colgate head coach Greg Fargo said. "At this point in the year, every win is a good win. Princeton's a good team and they played us really hard earlier in the season so this was a good test for us.
 
"We've got another big game tomorrow that we will try and take care of."
 
Colgate now has 14 points on the season and sits in a tie for ninth place with Rensselaer in the ECAC Hockey standings. The top eight teams make it into the playoffs and the Raiders need a victory Saturday over No. 9/10 Quinnipiac and a Dartmouth loss at Yale in order to reach the feat for the second year in a row. Dartmouth has 15 points and is positioned currently in the eighth spot.
 
Rastrick's marker 2:54 into the third period made this scenario possible. Taylor Volpe fed the puck up the ice to Melissa Kueber, who found herself on a two-on-one with Rastrick and a Tiger defender. Kueber slid the puck over the Rastrick, where the freshman fired it between the legs of Princeton's netminder for the eventual game-winner.
 
"I'm happy for Hannah (Rastrick) to get her first one," Fargo said. "She is someone who has continued to get better and better as every week goes by. She's not typically an offensive defensemen but great play by her to jump up on the rush and get rewarded with her first collegiate goal."
 
The Raiders are now on a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last seven games.
 
Colgate (10-21-2, 7-14, 0-ECAC) slightly outshot Princeton, 21-20, with both team's recording double-digit shots in the final period. Both teams also went scoreless of the power play. Colgate was 0-3, while the Tigers were 0-2.
 
After a penalty-free opening frame, Colgate held the slight edge on shots at 4-2, thanks to a solid defensive performance, which featured five blocked shots. Taylor Craig had two of those five.
 
Rookie Kayla Haus had a great chance for Colgate right before the buzzer sounded, with a slap shot from just inside the left faceoff circle. Kimberly Newell came up with a stellar glove save, however, to keep the game scoreless.
 
Four minutes into the second frame, Colgate's Ashlynne Rando made an incredible kick save on a shot by Brianne Mahoney after the Tigers found themselves on a fast break opportunity.

Princeton (13-11-4, 9-9-3 ECAC) was awarded the game's first power play chance a few seconds later, following a cross checking call. Colgate's defense came up big again, though; deflecting off any Tiger looks on net to kill off the penalty.

Rando made a goal saving stop for the second time in the game with less than a minute to play in the period. Brianna Leahy saw an opening and tried her luck on goal but Rando grabbed the puck with her glove before it could find the net.
 
The Raiders broke through 2:54 into the final frame when Rastrick netted the first goal of her career.
 
The Tigers turned up their offensive pressure over the course of the next 10 minutes, but each time the Raiders had the answer.
 
Late in the period Princeton was awarded an extra skater when Colgate was called for tripping. The Tigers managed just one shot during their man up advantage thanks to a strong Raider defensive effort.
 
Princeton earned two shots in the final two minutes but Rando would not give up her shutout, closing down any final Tiger attempts to secure the Colgate win.
 
Rando posted 20 saves in her sixth win of the year, while Newell also notched 20 in the loss. Rando posted her first collegiate shutout in the victory as well.
 
"Ashlynne's been great, game after game," Fargo added of his goalie's solid play. "She comes out and does what every coach asks of their goalie and that's giving their team a chance to win every night. She was battling to find pucks today and did a nice job to hold us in with a couple big saves late when we needed it."
 
Colgate has a big game Saturday when it hosts No. 9/10 Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. in its final regular season game of the year. The Raiders need a win and a Dartmouth loss at Yale to advance to playoffs. Colgate will recognize six special seniors during this game as well, who will play in their last game at Starr Rink.