BRUNSWICK, Maine – One would be hard pressed to find a
better chapter in the storied Bowdoin-Colby rivalry than what was
written on Saturday night before 2,300 fans at Watson Arena. Jordan
Lalor scored the game-winning goal with 4:26 left in overtime to
give the top-seeded Bowdoin College men’s ice hockey team a
2-1 decision over arch-rival Colby in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. The
Polar Bears improve to 18-5-1 and advance to play Hamilton in the
semifinals next Saturday. Colby’s season comes to a close at
11-9-4.
With the win, Bowdoin earns the right to host the NESCAC
Championship next weekend. The Polar Bears will play Hamilton at
1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 6 while Middlebury and Trinity will
play in the second semifinal at 4:00 p.m. The NESCAC Championship
game will be at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 7.
Tickets will go on sale beginning Tuesday, March 2 at noon in
the Athletic Department Office in the Peter Buck Center. Prices
will be $5 for adults and $2 for students. Bowdoin students will be
free with their College ID.
Saturday’s 193rd meeting between the teams featured
phenomenal goaltending, extraordinary scoring chances and dramatic
momentum shifts. Colby had the best early chance, as Michael
Smigelski ripped a shot from between the circles that deflected off
the leg pads of Rossi back to Smigelski, whose rebound attempt
dinged the post just two minutes into the game. The teams traded
power plays midway through the period and Colby appeared to take
the lead when the puck found Matt Strickland wide open on the far
post. But Strickland’s shot was stopped by a tremendous glove
save from Chris Rossi to keep the game scoreless.
After a scoreless second period that saw both goalies put on a
defensive show, Colby carried a power play into the third frame and
quickly earned a two-man advantage after another Bowdoin penalty.
Colby made another bid to take the lead immediately after the
expiration of the penalty as Will Hartigan snapped a shot that
Rossi gloved out of mid-air.
Colby finally broke through at the 8:56 mark of the third period,
winning a faceoff draw in the Bowdoin zone. Hartigan snapped a shot
that beat Rossi inside the left post to give the Mules the lead. It
didn’t take long for the Polar Bears to respond, as Kyle
Shearer-Hardy took a feed from Leland Fidler and ripped a shot
top-shelf just 31 seconds later at 9:27. Neither team could find
the game-winner in the final few minutes of regulation and the game
entered overtime.
A flurry of action resulted in six early penalties in the extra
session- four against Bowdoin and two against Colby. Neither team
took advantage as the game remained deadlocked.
The Polar Bears maintained pressure in the offensive zone and
finally converted, as Colin MacCormack won a faceoff to the left of
Cody McKinney. Ryan Blossom pushed the puck back to the point for
Lalor, who wristed a shot toward the cage. The puck flew through
traffic and slipped to the right of McKinney, sending the capacity
crowd into hysterics.
McKinney was outstanding, stopping 47 shots in net for Colby, who
went 0/6 on the power play. Rossi made 25 saves for the Polar
Bears, who held a 49-26 edge in shots and went 0/4 with the extra
man.
Photos courtesy of Brian Beard and Creative Images
Photography.
MULTIMEDIA
HIGHLIGHTS
Watch the game again online (game-winning goal at
2:46:15 mark)
