Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The men's hockey team started off its exhibition season with a convincing 6-2 victory over the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-18 squad Friday night.
 
Freshman Christian Hilbrich got the scoring going early for Cornell, as he got the credit for a weird goal a little over four minutes into the contest. Hilbrich was trying to make a pass over to John McCarron in the high slot, but it was blocked by a U.S. defenseman, who promptly slid into starting goalie Hunter Miska and knocked the puck in.
 
Cornell would make it 2-0 six minutes later when Greg Miller finished off a beautiful passing play from Nick D'Agostino and John Knisley. D'Agostino fed a pass from the high point, and a waiting Miller tapped it into the yawning cage.
 
The Big Red onslaught continued just over a minute later when Hilbrich got his second of the night. After a McCarron shot was blocked, Madison Dias gained control toward the bottom of the right circle and took a shot toward the vacated net. Hilbrich was free at the far post to bat the puck out of midair and give Cornell a 3-0 lead.  
 
The visitors slowed the Big Red's momentum with a power-play goal later in the first and a quick strike six seconds into the middle frame, but that was as close as the Under-18 squad would get.
 
Cornell rediscovered its stride early in the second, starting with Joel Lowry's power-play goal at 5:56 to bring the lead back to two.
 
Two goals in a 21-second span later in the period would break the game open. The highlight of the night was the sixth Cornell goal, scored by Miller. After a turnover at the attacking blue line, Miller dangled his way around a couple of U.S. defenders and fired a wrist shot past the blocker of relief goalie Thatcher Demko.
 
Iles turned in a very strong performance, making 23 saves. Dias and D'Agostino turned in two assists apiece, and Miller added an assist to go along with his two-goal game. Brian Ferlin had the other Cornell goal in the middle of the second period.
 
The Big Red will return to action at 7 p.m. Saturday in its final exhibition game of the season, when it hosts Ontario-based Brock University.