HAMDEN, Conn. – Despite battling through the final horn, the Colgate men's hockey program dropped a 3-0 decision at No. 11 Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon. It was a game in which 10 different Raiders tallied shots on goals, however Quinnipiac's Keith Petruzzelli was able to hold them off to earn his third straight shutout.
 
The Raiders will be back in action next weekend for a three-game series against St. Lawrence.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
There was no down time as Quinnipiac scored just 2:52 after the drop of the puck with a shot through traffic from the point, while as the period went on, Carter Gylander made a couple of glove saves to keep Colgate within one. After a successful penalty kill, the Raiders saw looks by Colton Young and a wide-angle chance by Griffin Lunn, but would head to the locker room facing a one-goal deficit.
 
As the Raiders looked to close the gap, they came out in the second period with some serious offensive pressure. By getting pucks to the net, there were chances by Young, Trevor Cosgrove, and Nick Austin, but midway through regulation Quinnipiac would score on an odd man rush by beating the blocker side.
 
Although the Raiders gained their first power play of the night, Quinnipiac would burn it and capitalize on a power play of their own in the final minute. After the tally, the Raiders returned to a tough final 20:00 in which they faced a 3-0 deficit.
 
Returning with more confidence, Colgate was able to string together opportunities in the third as it produced its fastest period of play. With more action across the sheet, Austin highlighted a strong drive by the Raiders in which his shot from the point rang the crossbar. Arnaud Vachon was ready for the rebound at the edge of the crease but it was punched just wide of the net.
 
As Colgate looked to crack onto the board, Ross Mitton put up a quick shot before Quinnipiac took it down for one of its own. After stepping in between the pipes for the third period, Andrew Farrier made a pair of excellent saves to keep things where they were.
 
The final 10:00 of regulation featured a pair of Colgate power plays in which the Raiders looked to continue their offensive momentum. On the second, they wrapped up the power play with an empty net for a 6-on-4 advantage. On the play, Josh McKechney rang the post for the second time with a quick shot in the slot.
 
Battling through the final horn, Paul McAvoy came in with a sneaky shot with 11.2 on the clock, but the horn would ultimately sound on Quinnipiac's 3-0 victory.
 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• Sophomore Colton Young led the squad by landing three shots on goal.
• Defensively, first-year Nick Anderson and junior Griffin Lunn each tallied three blocked shots.
• Through the first two periods of play, first-year netminder Carter Gylander recorded 19 saves with three goals against, while junior Andrew Farrier posted eight saves for a 1.000 save percentage in the third period.
• Stronger as the game went on, the Raiders outshot Quinnipiac by a 9-8 margin in the final 20:00.
 
HEAD COACH DON VAUGHAN'S TAKE
"Quinnipiac was very good tonight. Our group never quit and competed hard. We hit two pipes in the third which could have turned the momentum.
 
"When a team is struggling to create offense, you often see players hesitate to make plays. You will often see a guy shoot when he should pass, and pass when he should shoot. We are seeing a bit of that now. We are also asking a lot of our first-year guys and they are learning a lot but there is still a steep learning curve.
 
"I can assure you our guys will keep grinding. There are only four teams in this league right now and every night is a battle. We will hit the reset button and get back to work tomorrow."
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
• No. 11 Quinnipiac 3, Colgate 0
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate holds a 2-5-3 record, and a 1-4-2 mark in ECAC Hockey action.
• No. 11 Quinnipiac is 10-4-1 overall on the season and is 4-2-1 in ECAC play.
 
UP NEXT
Colgate men's hockey continues ECAC Hockey play with a three-game series against St. Lawrence. Beginning Jan. 21 on the road, the Raiders host the Saints for a pair at Class of 1965 Arena Jan. 23 and 24.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate men's hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateMIH and Instagram at colgate_mih.