Kroshus scored Harvard's third goal of the game, the first of his career, in the first period (photo courtesy DSPics.com)

HAMILTON, N.Y. -- The Harvard men's hockey team suffered its first loss of the season, falling to ECAC Hockey rival Colgate by the score of 5-4 Friday evening at Starr Rink. Eric Kroshus, Alex Killorn, Marshall Everson and Chris Huxley each found the back of the net for the Crimson, while Kyle Richter stopped 35 shots by the Raiders.

Harvard (1-1, 1-1 ECAC Hockey) opened a 3-0 lead in the first period, beginning with a score by Huxley on the power play at 7:17. With 11 seconds remaining in Colgate's second penalty of the game, Killorn and Ryan Grimshaw moved the puck to Huxley for Harvard's first goal of the game. Less than five minutes later, Harvard struck again on an even-strength goal by Killorn at 12:58. The Crimson offense kept fire on all cylinders in the frame, as Kroshus lit the lamp at 14:25, after the right wing received a pass from Chad Morin. Louis Leblanc earned an assist on Harvard's third goal, his first of two helpers on the evening.

In the second, Colgate (3-2-3, 1-0) got on the scoreboard as Brian Day fed Thomas Larkin with a pass, and Larkin buried a shot past Richter at 8:40. Only 69 seconds later, Harvard responded with its fourth goal, coming on the power play at 9:49. The Crimson won the ensuing faceoff after Colgate was whistled for elbowing at 9:30. Everson gave Harvard a 4-1 lead with the power-play goal, as Leblanc and Alex Fallstrom earned assists.

In the opening moments of the third, Colgate made it a 4-2 contest with a power-play tally off the stick of David Mcintyre. The Raiders struck again at 10:33 with a goal by Austin Smith, and later tied the game with Smith's second goal at 12:45. With 4:04 remaining in the stanza, Robbie Bourdon capped Colgate's comeback victory with a slap shot, as the Raiders grabbed a 5-4 lead.

Harvard outshot Colgate, 16-9, in the first period, but the Raiders held the edge, 40-29, for the game. The Crimson finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while holding the Raiders to 1-for-7 with an extra skater. The Crimson will now travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to face No. 5 Cornell Saturday at 7 p.m.