LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Colgate won its second ECAC Hockey Championship in program history and its first in over 30 years Saturday with a 3-2 defeat of second-seeded and No. 6-nationally ranked Harvard in the title game at Herb Brooks Arena.
The Raiders entered the tournament as the fifth seed and have now secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Carter Gylander continued his playoff hot streak with a 34-save performance. The junior netminder was named the ECAC Hockey tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Ross Mitton and
Alex Young also earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
The Raiders jumped out to an early lead after Harvard got called for interference, giving Colgate what would end up being its only power play of the game.
Colton Young took advantage of the situation, scoring his 11th goal of the season just over a minute into the game.
Alex Young passed to
Ethan Manderville, who wrapped around the goal and dished a pass to
Colton Young for a shot he finished home.
Alex Young then doubled Colgate's lead at the 12:47 mark of the first. The junior got free on a breakaway and bobbled the puck before recollecting it and firing a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Gylander started the game off strong with 11 saves in the opening period, denying the Crimson on several scoring chances. The Raiders also killed off two Harvard power plays in the opening 20 minutes.
The Crimson got on the board six minutes into the second period when Henry Thrun put one in off of passes from Joe Miller and Alex Laferriere to cut the lead to one at 2-1.
Levi Glasman answered right back three and a half minutes later when he netted one to make it a two-goal game again.
Simon Labelle passed to
Nick Anderson, who skated up the right side of the ice and flew the puck toward the goal. Glasman batted it into the back of the net, giving Colgate a 3-1 lead.
The Crimson cut it back to a one-goal game again at the 12:55 mark of the third when Matthew Coronato converted on a power play.
The Raiders held on for the rest of the game, with Gylander recording 14 saves in the period, including shutting down the Crimson on an extra attacker chance at the end of the game.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Don Vaughan
"I'm just incredibly proud of our team. The process they bought into early in the year and the fact that we were just able to stick to our game. I have to give credit to our assistants
Dana Borges and
Chris Azzano, as we wouldn't have been here without their hard work. I'm really thrilled for us to be in this position with the championship going back to Colgate and our great fans."
UP NEXT
Colgate now awaits its NCAA Tournament opponent. The selection show will air at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.
