HAMILTON – Colgate scored three unanswered goals but could not hold onto a late lead and Arizona State’s Tim Theocharidis scored 23 seconds into overtime to beat the Raiders 4-3 Saturday night at Class of 1965 Arena.
The loss moves Colgate to 5-2-0 overall and caps a weekend split between the two teams after the Raiders knocked off Arizona State 8-3 in the opener Friday night.
Colgate erased a 2-0 deficit on the strength of three unanswered goals and had sights set on the weekend sweep after Tommy Bergsland’s third-period goal lifted the Raiders to a 3-2 lead with 7:13 left in regulation.
But the Raiders, hampered by penalties down the stretch, spent the last four minutes of regulation shorthanded. ASU’s Josh Doan snapped Colgate’s three-goal run, cashing in on the power play with the game-tying goal with 2:45 left in regulation.
Carter Gylander and Colgate’s defense survived the late penalty kill, but it took just 23 seconds of the 3-on-3 overtime for the Sun Devils to finish off the victory. Theocharidis skated in toward the crease and lifted a high shot over Gylander’s glove side for the game-winning goal.
Alex Young, Jeff Stewart and Bergsland were the goal scorers for Colgate. Matt Verboon added a pair of assists for a two-point night. Shots finished 34-29 in favor of ASU. Gylander tallied 34 saves on the night despite shouldering his first loss of the season. Three of ASU’s four goals came on the power play, while Colgate finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
After a scoreless first period, both teams found the back of the net in the second. ASU scored twice in a two-minute span to open a 2-0 lead but Alex Young cut the deficit in half with his first goal of the season midway through the second period.
Colgate kept the pressure on and drew the game even 2-2 six minutes into the third period when Stewart sent home a centering pass through the slot from Verboon. Bergsland gave the Raiders their first lead 3-2 with a rocket from the point with 7:13 left in the third.
The lead did not last, however, as ASU capitalized on the power play late in regulation and came away with the game-winning goal early in overtime to earn the 4-3 victory.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Don Vaughan
“We got what we deserved tonight. When you give the best power play in the country seven attempts they are going to capitalize. We killed off five but you are playing with fire every time you take a penalty and we took too many. I liked a lot of what we did tonight and came back in the third period to take the lead.
“The overtime is what it is. It’s no secret that I am not a fan of 3-on-3 to decide a game. Give ASU credit. They played to their strengths with good execution on the power play and won two big faceoffs in overtime. Faceoff wins in overtime means possession and they possessed and we didn’t.
“As disappointing as it is we will to learn from it and continue to coach and teach. We are doing so many things well. We have a huge challenge ahead next week with Western Michigan coming to ’65. It’s back to work Monday.”
UP NEXT
Colgate stays home to host Western Michigan for two games next weekend. Friday night’s faceoff from Class of 1965 Arena is set for 7 p.m.
