Men's Hockey Tops Colby For First Time In Program History, 5-2
Saint Michael's climbs to .500 and snaps three game ECAC East losing skid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 7, 2011
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Tony Bonvechio - Phone: 802.654.2929
Box Score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/mice/2010-11/files/mcolstm.htm.
Photos (taken by Shane Bufano): http://www.shanebufano.com/Sports/SMC-Winter-2010-2011/SMCvsColby-1-7-11mh .
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team (5-5-0, 3-3-0 ECAC East) never trailed and defeated the Colby College Mules for the first time in program history, 5-2, in conference action on Friday evening at Cairns Arena. Saint Michael's snapped a three game Eastern College Athletic Conference East losing skid and returned to .500 play in the conference and overall.
For the Purple Knights, senior Alex Higgins (Phoenix, Ariz./Kent School) led the way with a goal and two assists, while junior Reave MacKinnon (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Winnipeg Saints) and sophomore Josh Geary (Wellesley, Mass./Phillips Andover Academy) each added a goal and an assist.
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Senior Alex Higgins (Phoenix, Ariz./Kent School) |
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MacKinnon and sophomore Dan Evarts (Hinesburg, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) traded off goals to open the first period before Colby junior Matt Rappaport (Livingston, N.J./Berkshire School) put the Mules on the board in the seventh minute of the second period.
Sophomore Alex Davidson (South Burlington, Vt./St. Paul's School) buried the game-winner for Saint Michael's on a lighting-quick power play effort with assists credited to Higgins and senior Tully LaBelle-Hamer (Fairbanks, Alaska/Alaska Avalanche).
The third period burned away quickly with few scoring opportunities until Higgins intercepted a Colby pass deep in the Mules zone a zipped a shot into the net just outside the crease on the left side with under four minutes to play. The Mules promptly pulled senior goalie Cody McKinney (Weston, Fla./Lawrenceville School), which paid off as senior Wil Hartigan (Arlington, Mass./Buckingham Browne & Nichols) halved the deficit with 1:18 left.
McKinney returned to the ice briefly, but went back to the bench just seconds before Geary gathered the puck at the redline and broke away for an empty net dagger.
Sophomore goalie Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec/OCN Blizzard) braved the Colby attacked with 29 saves and earned his fourth win of the year. McKinney made 22 saves for the Mules and is 2-5-1 on the season.
Saint Michael's returns to action on Saturday with a 3 p.m. home contests versus fourth-ranked Bowdoin College. Colby also next plays on Saturday, visiting nationally-ranked Norwich University at 4 p.m.
GAME SUMMARY
1 2 3 Total
Colby 0 1 1 2
Saint Michael's 2 1 2 5
First Period - Scoring: 1. SMC, MacKinnon (McIntyre, Belmore), 6:32. 2. SMC, Evarts (Higgins, MacKinnon), 9:54 (pp). Penalties: Harff, COL (tripping), 8:53; Crinnion, COL (tripping), 9:22; Harff, COL (cross-checking), 14:08; McIntyre, SMC (elbowing), 14:25.
Second Period - Scoring: 3. COL, Rappaport (Buonomo, Lanza), 7:13. 4. STM, Davidson (LaBelle-Hamer, Higgins), 16:32.
Penalties: Lehman, COL (interference), 0:42; Smigelski, COL (elbowing), 7:39; Kader, COL (cross-checking), 11:23; Harff, COL (10-minute misconduct), 12:34; Kader, COL (interference), 15:55.
Third Period - Scoring: 5. STM, Higgins (Geary), 16:17. 6. COL, Hartigan (Lehman), 18:42. 7. STM, Geary (Empty Net), 19:15.
Penalties: Doherty, COL (cross-checking), 2:44; Rodeschini, STM (elbowing), 5:16; MacKinnon, STM (roughing), 17:33; Belmore, STM (roughing), 17:33; Bartlett, COL (roughing), 17:33; Crinnion, COL (roughing), 17:33; Kader, COL (hooking), 19:15.
Shots on Goal: COL (12 – 7 – 12 – 31), SMC (10 – 11 – 6 – 27)
Saves: COL, McKinney (22 saves); SMC, Dizgun (29 saves).
-PURPLEKNIGHTS-
