Bulldogs continue turnaround, top Colgate

NEW HAVEN — After a three-point weekend against a pair of top 20 opponents, including a convincing 5-1 victory over No. 19 Colgate on Saturday night at Ingalls Rink, it’s easy to see why the Yale men’s hockey team feels like it’s been given a new lease on the season.

The Bulldogs, at 5-1-1 over their last seven games, clawed their way back to .500. They’ve played with renewed energy at both ends of the ice, found scoring from multiple lines and have a pair of interchangeable goaltenders playing as well as anyone in the league.

“The morale is definitely up,” said junior forward Ted Hart, who scored twice on Saturday. “Guys have more energy around the rink. They’re happier. It shows on the ice. We’re competing harder.”

The energy can be felt on the Yale bench. Every blocked shot or strong hit elicited a cheer that could be heard above the buzz of crowd some 3,235 strong.

“We’re feeding off that right now,” Hart said.

Said sophomore goalie Corbin Kaczperski, “It proves to us that all our hard work is paying off and everything we’re doing is the right thing. It’s really satisfying. It wasn’t a perfect weekend, and we’re a little salty about that. But we’ll look for four points next weekend.”

A night after junior Sam Tucker was outstanding in a 3-3 tie against No. 4 Cornell, Yale coach Keith Allain opted for Kaczperski. Both have enjoyed hot hands over the past six weeks. On Saturday, it was Kaczperski’s turn to shine.

He needed only 19 saves, losing a shutout when Trevor Cosgrove fired home a thirdperiod slap shot on the power play that cut Yale’s lead to 3-1. But Kaczperski was solid, if not spectacular at times. His glove save on a 2-on-1 Colgate rush midway through the second period was played perfectly, and stands as one of the team’s best saves of the season.

Allain is more than willing to roll out a two-man rotation each weekend if the results remain consistent.

“Going into the weekend I thought I was going to give

each a game,” Allain said. “Corbin’s won the last three he’s played. You could’ve asked me why I didn’t play him last night. But I have confidence in both goalies. I think the competition’s healthy. I think we’re a better team with two guys who can kick the way they’re kicking right now.”

Yale (8-8-1, 5-6-1) scored the game’s first three goals, one of the few teams this season to make Colgate sophomore goalie Colton Point look human. Point, a fifth-round pick of the Dallas Stars last June, entered the game with a 1.75 goals-against average and .944 save percentage, making him one of the top statistical goalies in the country this winter.

Hart got the ball rolling with 5:01 left in the first, catching a Charlie Curti feed in the slot and flipping a shot that caught Point flat-footed.

In the second period, Phil Kemp sprang Joe Snively for a breakaway with a perfect feed that began deep in the Bulldogs zone. Snively spun as he caught the pass in the neutral zone, accelerated past the Colgate defender and buried his shot with 6:30 remaining.

Hart’s second goal came off Yale’s forecheck.

“Evan Smith checked their defenseman to force a turnover,” Hart said. “I was coming through the slot, he chipped it to me, I was able to catch it and shoot five hole.”

Robbie DeMontis scored an empty-net goal to make the score 4-1. Mitchell Smith added a breakaway goal on Point with 27 seconds left to provide the final margin of victory.

“It’s one of the best weekends we’ve had this year,” Allain said. “To me, it was set up by two great weeks of practice here on the break. I was feeling good about our team heading into the weekend. I think they were feeling good about themselves. Now, hopefully, this feeling will motivate them to work even harder this week.”