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HAMILTON – Two goals early and two goals late were just the prescription for No. 9 Colgate to dispatch nemesis Harvard 4-1 here Friday afternoon.
 
Now the Raiders look to double the dose and take the best-of-three ECAC Hockey playoff series at Starr Rink. Game 2 of this 4-seed vs. 5-seed matchup is Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
The Raiders claimed a big Game 1 quarterfinal victory over the tough Crimson. Colgate entered just 1-28-2 all-time against Harvard and was suffering through a 15-game losing streak in the series.
 
But Megan Sullivan scored twice in the first six minutes and goalie Ashlynne Rando stopped 22 shots as Colgate won in the ECAC playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Raiders are on home ice in the postseason for the first time in Division I program history.
 
Colgate also matched its overall program record wins total of 21, set when the 1999-2000 Raiders went 21-4 against a Division III schedule.
 
Breanne Wilson-Bennett and Annika Zalewski added third-period goals to boost the Raider offense to its highest-scoring game since a 5-3 win at Rensselaer back on Jan. 29.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 4, Harvard 1

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 21-7-7.
• Harvard is now 16-11-3.
 
Scoring Recap
• Colgate led 2-0 inside the first six minutes.
• Sullivan's shot from the top of the right faceoff circle initially was saved by Harvard's Emerance Maschmeyer. But the puck somehow bounced up and hit the back of Maschmeyer before bounding into the goal just 1:57 in.
• Chelsey Jacques and Lauren Wildfang had the Colgate assists.
• Sullivan doubled Colgate's lead with her 12th goal at the 5:56 mark of the first period.
• Nicole Gass stole the puck deep in Colgate's defensive zone and fed Bailey Larson, who sparked a 2-on-2 counter-attack with Sullivan.
• When both Harvard defenders took Larson, Sullivan was left wide open in front of the net and she rifled a shot to the upper right corner.
• After Harvard made it 2-1 in the second period, Colgate again seized control with another early-period score.
• Sullivan intercepted the puck at center ice and sparked a counter for the Raiders with Larson. The two played catch before the puck found a trailing Wilson-Bennett.
• The Colgate sophomore collected the puck and shot stick-side past Maschmeyer for a 3-1 Raider advantage 1:56 into the final period. It was Wilson-Bennett's 15th goal of the season.
• Zalewski soon tallied her 15th goal at the 11:19 mark.
• Jessie Eldridge collected a loose puck behind the Harvard net, wrapped around and fired two shots from close range, both of which were saved.
• But the second rebound found Zalewski's stick and she slammed it home for the closing 4-1 result.
• Chelsey Jacques and Lauren Wildfang had the Colgate assists.
 
Facts & Figures
• Colgate claimed a 40-23 edge in shots on goal.
• Both teams came up empty in two power-play opportunities apiece.
• Colgate won the faceoff category, 26-15. Zalewski won 10-of-12 faceoffs and Wilson-Bennett 10-of-19 to lead the Raider effort.
• Sydney Daniels scored the Harvard goal, her 19th, midway in the second period. Maschmeyer finished with 36 saves.
• Defending-champion Harvard has advanced to the ECAC Hockey semifinals each of the past 17 years, winning six titles during that span.
 
Turning Point
• Leading 2-1 but not having scored since early in the first period, Colgate head coach Greg Fargo told his team during the second intermission that the next goal would decide the game.
• And Colgate made sure momentum swung back toward the Raiders as Wilson-Bennett scored just 1:56 into the period.
• Colgate added a Zalewski goal nine minutes later and coasted from there for its first playoff victory since 2009.
 
More Key Info
• Rando made 22 saves but two of them were especially noteworthy.
• The first was a kick save with 12:11 showing on the second period clock that kept the Raiders in front, 2-0.
• The second came late in the middle period, another kick save on a semi-breakaway that prevented the tying goal and denied the Crimson tons of momentum heading into the third.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Greg Fargo: (On the game) "I was really pleased with our start to the game. The first 20 minutes set the tone for how the rest of the game went. When you get up 2-0 early on, it feels good. You feel good about your process and how you do things.
 
"And we were able to carry that forward for a complete game."
 
Listen to the rest of Coach Fargo's comments HERE.

Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance for the first ECAC Hockey women's playoff game in Starr Rink history was 312.
• This weekend likely marks the final games for Starr Rink. The Raiders this fall are moving next door to the Class of 1965 Arena.

Up Next
• Colgate and Harvard hit the ice Saturday at 7 p.m. for Game 2 of this best-of-3 series.
• The series winner advanced to the ECAC Hockey semifinals at the site of the top remaining seed.

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