'xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />HANOVER, N.H. – The Raiders played another hard fought contest against the second-ranked Big Green of Dartmouth, but came up just short in a 4-2 defeat. Allison Paiano tallied a goal and an assist and team scoring leader Becky Irvine registered two assists.'xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />
The Raiders came out flying, tallying five shots on goals before Dartmouth recorded one, but the Big Green took a 1-0 lead at 9:24 of the first period when Caroline Ethier kicked the puck into the net for the goal. The referee was screened from the play and the goal was allowed. Meredith Batcheller recorded the assist.
Colgate would tie the score at one just before the end of the first period on Amanda Barre’s power plat goal, her sixth score of the season. Allison Paiano and Becky Irvine were credited with the assists for the Raiders.
Dartmouth regained the lead at the 9:57 mark of the second stanza when Ethier found the back of the net on a power-play score. The Big Green upped their lead to 3-1 at the end of the second period when Lydia Wheatley scored from Tiffany Hagge and Alex Zagria.
Colgate came out hard in the third period and cut the lead to one with a power-play goal from Paiano just 41 seconds into the frame. Freshman defender Tara French added her ninth assist of the season on the play. Irvine was also credited with her second assist of the game.
The game was played back and forth for the remainder of the third, but Colgate could not come up with the equalizer. Dartmouth added another score to set the final at 4-2.
The Raiders finished 2-6 on the power-play, while Dartmouth was 1-4. The Raiders were outshot 36-18 and Rebecca Lahar made 32 saves.
Colgate is now 12-8-2 overall and 5-4 in the ECAC. The Raiders are back in action tomorrow when they travel to Vermont for a 4 p.m. face-off.