CORNELL 6, @Brown 1 … Box Score | Game Recap | Video Highlights
CORNELL 5, @Yale 3 … Box Score | Game Recap | Video Highlights
A week of tough practice paid dividends for our team this past weekend. We were more physical in all areas of our game. At Brown on Friday, we finished our checks, managed the puck, and stayed above people throughout the game. We took a 1-0 lead at 16:03 of the first period when first year forward Charlie Major delivered a laser shot from the slot after a pass from senior forward Jack O’Leary. His goal was crucial as he was playing in his first game after missing eight games due to injury.
Just 25 seconds into the second period, sophomore forward Ryan Walsh made it 2-0 with a snapshot over the goaltender’s shoulder. Walsh made it 3-0 at 17:29 and senior forward Kyle Penney scored 18 seconds later giving us a 4-0 lead going into the third period. It didn’t take long to make the score 5-0, when senior defenseman Tim Rego found himself all alone in front of the Brown goaltender and he tucked the puck under the goalie’s pads. We lost a shutout when the Bears scored at 9:32 of the third. The scoring was finished 41 seconds later when senior forward Ondrej Psenicka made it 6-1.
It was great to roll four lines of forwards, to play more physically, and keep guys fresh for the whole game. We scored some great goals but it was the physical play that led the way.
Senior goaltender Ian Shane made just 17 saves and Brown used two goalies to stop 25 shots. We were 0-for-4 on the power play and Brown was 0-for-2. Our defensive was outstanding keeping their top line off the scoreboard.
The next night we came out strong again and took an early lead, including a power play goal, which hadn’t happened in a while. We scored at 3:34 when Walsh took a pass from Psenicka and ripped it past the Yale goaltender. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft also had a good night scoring on the power play to give us the 2-0 lead.
Yale kept pressing and tied the score in the second period with goals at 0:37 and 1:54. Bancroft got the lead back, burying a rebound at 4:31, and sophomore forward Jake Kraft converted a snapshot from the right wing to make it 4-2. Walsh scored his fourth goal of the weekend at 11:33 of the second period for a 5-2 Cornell lead. I was very proud of how the team responded to Yale’s tie by scoring three unanswered goals. Yale scored with four seconds left in the game to make a 5-3 final score.
Shane made 23 saves, and two Yale goaltenders stopped 17 shots. We were 1-for-3 on the power play, and they were 0-for-3.
Yale is a tough rink to play, and it was great to earn three points there. We had a good weekend, no one got hurt, and we might get another forward back for next weekend.
We have a lot going on at Lynah Rink next weekend. The team needs as many points as we can get to climb up the ECAC standings. Clarkson comes in on Friday night, and St. Lawrence visits on Saturday. Seniors will be recognized after the SLU game, and this will be my last regular season game on the bench at Lynah Rink. We’re expecting a big crowd, including returning players from the classes of 2020, 2010, 2005,1986, 1980 and championship teams.