TROY, N.Y. – Michael Neumeier scored the overtime game-winning goal to give Colgate a 4-3 win over RPI Friday evening at Houston Field House.

The victory secured the Raiders a top-four spot in the ECAC standings, earning an opening round bye in the playoffs and home ice for the quarterfinals March 14-16.

COACH HARDER'S COMMENTS
"Our special teams were good tonight, and that made the difference. We are happy to have achieved our first objective with the win tonight - a top-four finish and a bye in the first round. Our best hockey is still ahead of us."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neumeier netted the game-winner just over two minutes into the extra period. Brett Merner fired a shot wide that was collected by Daniel Panetta. The junior took it out and skated around before playing a pass to Neumeier, who skated to center ice and ripped one into the back of the net.
• The Raiders began overtime by killing off the remainder of a penalty that got called with 1:33 left in the third.
• Arvils Bergmanis fired one in for RPI at about the halfway mark of the third to level the game at 3-3.
• The Engineers made it 3-2 after Max Smolinski found the back of the net on a power play with 7:25 left in the second period.
• Ryan Sullivan gave the Raiders a two-goal advantage at 3-1 with a power play goal three minutes before RPI's equalizer. A faceoff win by Brett Chorske landed at the stick of Reid Irwin, who ripped a shot that got saved, but Sullivan collected the rebound and put it home.
• RPI had cut Colgate's lead in half at 2-1 with a goal from Dovar Tinling a minute and 13 seconds into the middle frame.
• The Raiders jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first. Alex DiPaolo made it 2-0 at the 6:46 mark of the period. Ben Raymond tapped the puck to DiPaolo, who played a give-and-go with Chorske. The senior then juked out the goalie and finished off his shot.
• Niko Rexine gave Colgate a 1-0 advantage eight minutes into the first. Jake Schneider passed to Neumeier, who fired a shot just inside the blueline that Rexine deflected into the goal.
• Andrew Takacs stopped nine shots in the opening period to keep the Engineers off the scoreboard.
• Max Nagel got awarded a penalty shot with just over two minutes left in the second after getting hooked on a breakaway. The first-year could not convert his penalty shot, getting denied by the goaltender.
• Both teams had one power play chance in the first period, but neither could capitalize. The Raiders shut down two RPI power plays in the second and held the Engineers to a 1-for-5 mark on the night. 

GAME NOTES

• Sullivan scored for the third straight game and expanded his point streak to six games. He has nine points (5G, 4A) in that span.
• Chorske logged his sixth multipoint game of the season with a goal and an assist.
• Neumeier notched his second game-winning goal of the season.
• Rexine tallied a point for the second straight game.
• Takacs finished with 29 saves in goal .

UP NEXT
The Raiders conclude the regular season with a 4 p.m. contest at Union Saturday.