Box Score 3 Elis Tally in Win at Colgate
HAMILTON, N.Y. – Yale's last game at 67-year-old Starr Rink was a memorable one, but only for the visitors. Alex Lyon stopped all 36 shots and saw three different teammates light the lamp as the No. 10 Bulldogs won a fourth straight game and moved into second place with a 3-0 decision over Colgate in ECAC Hockey action.
Lyon notched his fourth shutout of the year by stopping four power plays and coming up with huge saves on numerous grade-A chances on a night the already depleted Bulldog roster was also without the services of All-American defenseman Rob O'Gara, serving the end of a disqualification from last weekend.
Yale's other All-American, using goals from Cody Learned, Joe Snively and JM Piotrowski and a great team defensive effort, made eight stops on advantages and never looked to be out of position. Lyon's 36 saves were a season-high.
The Elis (15-5-4, 10-4-3 ECAC), who had 28 shots and a goal from all three lines, had just one power play tonight but didn't need that special teams unit to shine as much as its penalty-kill.
"Alex Lyon back-boned a solid team win," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach. "It was great to have scoring from all three lines, and we had an outstanding penalty-kill tonight."
No rubber found a net in the first period, but there were great scoring chances at both ends. Eli forward Mike Doherty had the game's first quality chance when he flew in from the point around a defender and tried to go near side high from the left circle seven minutes in.
Shortly after, the Bulldogs were on the period's only power play (no shots on target), but the best chance for a score came in front of Lyon. Mike Panowyk jumped on a bad bounce and went in alone on the Yale net before the goalie kicked away the wrister from the slot. That was one of nine shots on for the home team, one more than the visitors.
The Raiders had four advantages in the second period, but the Bulldogs got the only goals. After killing off three straight power plays that included seven of Lyon's 14 saves, Yale tallied twice in less than two minutes late in the frame.
So the Blue was outshot 14-7 in the middle period but jumped all over its chances to grab the lead. Carson Cooper sent a perfect pass from the corner to the high slot for a charging Learned, who wound up and let fly with a one-timer that hit the net at 15:21. It was the senior's fourth game in a row with a goal.
The Bulldog who has a team-high 16 assists created the next opportunity. Stu Wilson skated in from the corner into the slot and threw a shot off Charlie Finn's pads. The puck bounced out to the slot and Snively won the race. The rookie left shot grabbed the puck in traffic, spun around and fired a wrist shot over the goalie at 17:03.
"It was good offensive zone time," said Snively, the ECAC Rookie of the Month for January who got his ninth goal tonight. "I got a pass from Mitch [Witek] and went up the wall before cycling it to Stu [Wilson]. He made a great move to the net and the puck popped out. I shot it over the goalie."
Yale's netminder, who left the period killing off a penalty and began the next frame on the same one, made multiple, difficult stops from short range shots to send the Blue up two into intermission.
"I thought we did a great job of shutting them [Colgate] down when we had the lead," said Allain.
The visitors were successful on the rest of the kill and then Piotrowski added to the margin with his second goal of the season. The Bulldogs were buzzing in the Colgate end for most of the period and the cycling just wore down the home team. On one of those puck-moving offensive possessions, Adam Larkin fired a low shot from the point as the freshman center battled with a defenseman down low for position. Piotrowski won the spot and got his stick on the shot that zipped past Finn to make it 3-0.
BULLDOG BITES
Yale won for a second straight game while being outshot... Cody Learned has points in five straight games… Lyon recorded his Yale-record 14th career shutout… Captain Mitch Witek had two assists… The Blue dressed 17 skaters last week, including 10 forwards; tonight there were 10 forwards and six defensemen… Yale outscored opponents 86-54 last last season and have a 62-38 edge this year… The Elis skate tomorrow night against Cornell at Lynah Rink in a contest airing live on the Ivy League Digital Network… Starr Rink opened in 1959 and will be replaced next year by the Class of 1965 Rink… Yale's last two home regular-season games are next weekend with SLU and Clarkson coming to the Whale for senior weekend… Mark Arcobello '10 is back with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The former Bulldog star who tied the NHL record last winter by playing for four different teams, has been in the NHL and AHL this season.
By Steve Conn, Yale Associate AD & Sports Publicity Director
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