Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Joe Devin's overtime game-winning goal with 1:42 left to play lifted the Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Niagara on Friday night at Lynah Rink. The game marked the season opener for the Big Red, which won its debut for the second time in as many seasons.

Colin Greening had a goal and an assist in the game, while Riley Nash chipped in a pair of assists. Patrick Kennedy had the other goal for Cornell, while Ben Scrivens stopped 28 shots in picking up the victory. For Niagara, Jason Beattie and Egor Mironov had goals, while Marc Zanette, Brent Vandenberg and Chris Moran each had an assist. Niagara goaltender Adam Avramenko made 38 saves in the losing effort for the Purple Eagles.

Cornell (1-0-0) finished the night 2-for-7 on the power play, while Niagara (0-4-1) was 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

Niagara got on the board first six minutes into the game on a quirky play. The Purple Eagles' Beattie fired a shot from the point that was heading high of the Cornell goal, but caught in the glove of Scrivens. In the process of pulling the puck down, he appeared to get clipped by a Niagara player, causing the puck to come out of his glove and into the goal. Officials went to check the video replay, only to find the system not working, and the goal stood without evidence to overturn the play.

Cornell evened the score seven minutes later as Greening scored his first goal of the year, a power-play tally from the stick of Riley Nash. Nash's lateral pass found Greening in stride as he rang his shot high past Avramenko to knot the score at one at the end of one period.

In the second, Cornell again capitalized on the power play when Riley Nash sent the puck around the end boards to Gallagher on the side wall. Gallagher sent a pass across the ice to Kennedy, who ripped a shot with Greening providing a screen in front. The puck slipped between the arm and body of Avramenko, giving Cornell a 2-1 lead just 1:53 into the period.

Niagara would knot the score with a power-play tally of its own with 3:02 to play in the period. With the Purple Eagles on a 5-on-3, Egor Mironov ripped a shot that beat Scrivens to tie the game at two. A scoreless third period followed, even with the Big Red out-shooting Niagara, 17-5, for the 20 minutes.

In overtime, Niagara turned the tables, ripping off five shots on Scrivens, but the senior netminder turned them all away. On the end of a long shift, Nick D'Agostino sent a pass ahead to Greening, who spotted Devin streaking toward the Niagara zone. The junior received the pass and flipped a shot that beat Avramenko high to the near side, with the Cornell team spilling off the bench in celebration.

Cornell returns to action on Friday, Nov. 6, when it plays host to Dartmouth in a 7 p.m. game at Lynah Rink.