Chris Wilkie had two goals and an assist and Grant Cruikshank scored twice to lead Colorado College to a 7-2 victory over Princeton Friday afternoon at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink.
 
Matt Vernon posted 40 saves, while Jack Gates and Connor Mayer each added a career-high two assists as CC improved to 5-5-1 this season.
 
Liam Grande put Princeton (1-7-3) on the board at the 9:51 mark of the first period by finishing off a 2-on-1 with Corey Andonovski for a 1-0 lead.
 
CC answered just 1:15 later when Alex Berardinelli scored his first of the season, putting home a rebound after Ryan Ferlund saved a shot by Josiah Slavin.
 
Freshman Sam Renlund then put CC ahead for good with the first goal of his career at the 13:07 mark. Gates took a shot from the left circle that popped up in front of the net and Renlund batted it out of the air past Ferlund.
 
Nick Halloran put the Tigers ahead 3-1 at the 8:08 mark of the second with his sixth goal of the season. Connor Mayer's shot from the point was saved by Ferlund, but Halloran was right in front to clean up the rebound.
 
Wilkie then made it 4-1 at the 13:46 mark of the middle frame after a shot by Gates was saved by Ferlund, but Bailey Conger grabbed the puck and found Wilkie all alone at the right side of the net.
 
After Christian O'Neill scored a power-play goal for Princeton at the 15:45 mark of the second to make it 4-2, Cruikshank pushed the CC lead back to three with his third goal of the season at 18:56 of the second. Christiano Versich sent a cross-ice pass to Cruikshank, who skated down the right side a placed a shot over Ferlund's shoulder.
 
Vernon kept the lead at 5-2 with a leg pad save on a shorthanded breakaway by Spencer Kersten.
 
Wilkie scored his second of the game at the 12:59 mark of the third to make it 6-2 and Cruikshank notched the Tigers' first shorthanded goal of the season at the 13:48 mark for the final goal of the game.
 
What Head Coach Mike Haviland Said
"We started a bit slow but got better as the game went on."
 
"We talked about needing secondary scoring and we got it."
 
"This was a good road win and we have to come back and do it all over again. We can't think things are going to be easy tomorrow night. We'll change some things up and try to duplicate what we did in St. Cloud."
 
"The PK gave one up but we did a good job there."
 
"He (Vernon) played well again, he makes the saves you want him to. They had a lot of PP and we have to tighten that up."
 
Three Stars of the Game
1. Chris Wilkie, Colorado College (2g,1a)
2. Grant Cruikshank, Colorado College (2g)
3. Matt Vernon, Colorado College (40 saves)
 
Colorado College Notes
With two assists apiece, Jack Gates and Connor Mayer each recorded his first career multi-point game
McKay Flanagan recorded the first point of his career with an assist on Wilkie's third-period goal
Patrick Cozzi collected the first point of his career on Alex Berardinelli's goal
Four Colorado College players posted a +3 rating
CC's seven goals were the most since an 8-2 victory over Western Michigan on Feb. 23, 2019
Nick Halloran has five goals in his last five games
Princeton held a 42-22 advantage in shots
CC allowed just one power-play goal on seven chances
 
Up Next
The Tigers and Princeton battle on Saturday, Dec. 7, beginning at 7 p.m. (ET).