NO. 16-RANKED COLGATE RECORDS 2-2 OVERTIME TIE AGAINST NO. 2-RANKED MICHIGAN; ADVANCE TO ICE BREAKER CUP FINALS WINNING SHOOTOUT 2-0 

For Immediate Release
Oct. 6, 2000

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A two-goal performance by senior assistant captain Sean Nolan helped the  No. 16-ranked Colgate University men’s ice hockey team battle to a 2-2 overtime tie against No. 2-ranked Michigan in the second game of the Ice Breaker Cup held in Yost Ice Arena on the Michigan campus.

Colgate advances in the tournament to face the University of New Hamsphire on Saturday at 8:35 p.m by winning a shootout, 2-0.  Senior assistant captain Kevin Johns (Almonte, Ont.) scored on first penalty-shot in the shootout and senior Sam Sturgis (Minnetonka, Minn.) found the net on the second, while Jason Lefevre (Rome, N.Y.) stoned three of the five UM attempts to give Colgate the 2-0 win.

In the earliest season opener and one of the toughest first-game opponents, Colgate might not have avenged last year’s 4-3 overtime loss against Michigan in the first round of the NCAA East Regionals, but they certainly sent a message to the Wolverines and the rest of the country with their performance.

Nolan (Dorchester, Ont.) gave the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead with a power-play marker at 3:29 of the first period.  The Red Raiders had two solid scoring chances 18 seconds into the power-play and closed it out with a goal from Nolan just under a minute into the opportunity.  Sophomore Scooter Smith (Calgary, Alb.) connected with fellow second-year P.J. Yedon (Toronto, Ont.) and then Yedon, below the right face-off circle found Nolan in front of the net.  Nolan held the puck for a second and then hit a low shot to Blackburn’s glove side.

The Colgate power-play didn’t miss a step showing little rust after finishing last year with the third-best PP unit in the nation (50-for-194, 25.8%).  Colgate was 1-for-6 on the evening, but set the tone early with it’s power-play marker to take the 1-0 lead.

Michigan’s Josh Langfeld scored at 9:15 on a wide-open net after grabbing a loose puck that rolled behind Lefevre on the stick side off a Wolverine shot attempt by Andy Burnes to even the score at 1-1.

Nolan recorded his second goal of the game to rebuild the Red Raider lead to 2-1 at 13:00 of the first.  Johns skated around the left post dropping the puck back to Red Raider senior captain Cory Murphy (Kanata, Ont.) who found Nolan on the short side of Blackburn just outside the crease and stuffed it in.

Langfeld registered his second “right-place at the right-time” goal to even the score 2-2 at 18:50 of the second period.  Mike Cammalleri’s shot from just inside the blueline hit the end boards bouncing back to the left of the net where Langfeld snuck it behind Lefevre. 

Lefevre was impressive in his season debut leaving little doubt that he is ready to take over the reigns in the pipes for Colgate.  Lefevre recorded 30 saves on the evening including a stretching glove save on Scott Matka’s slapper to preserve the tie at 3:44 of the overtime session.

The Colgate penalty-killing unit performed in midseason form killing 11-of-12 Wolverine power-play chances including two in the five-minute overtime.  The Red Raiders even killed off an 18-second 5-on-3 opportunity in the extra session.