Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – John Esposito scored the winning goal with 5 minutes, 45 seconds left in the third period as the men's hockey defeated St. Lawrence, 3-1, on Saturday at Lynah Rink to end the fall semester on a four-game unbeaten streak.
 
Following a tough start, which included a Greg Carey power-play goal for the Saints, 12th-ranked Cornell (6-3-2, 3-3-2 ECACH) found its stride by outshooting St. Lawrence (7-5-2, 1-3-2 ECACH) in the opening frame by a wide 13-2 margin. But it was the Saints leading until Vince Mihalek's first goal of the season.
 
Teemu Tiitinen chipped the puck into the St. Lawrence zone, where fellow freshman Christian Hilbrich skated on to it before working the puck toward goal to Saints goalie Matt Weninger's right. Mihalek arrived to bang the puck home with 1:27 left in the period, also giving Hilbrich his first career point and Tiitinen his first collegiate assist.
 
Cornell continued to largely control play in the second period, but neither team could break the deadlock despite only half the frame being played at even strength.
 
The Saints kept it close in the third period, but the Big Red finally broke through on a play reminiscent of Friday night's closing tally. Sophomore defenseman Joakim Ryan started a breakout from behind his own net, then Erik Axell worked up the right wing before firing a pass across the neutral zone to spring Esposito on a breakaway. The senior winger held off a defenseman, then lifted a shot over Weninger's glove for his third goal of the weekend and team-leading sixth goal of the campaign.
 
With a little under a minute to go in the third period, Joel Lowry finished off the scoring. Braden Birch stood up a Saints forward at the Big Red blue line, allowing Lowry to swoop in and chip the puck to himself for break up the left wing. He then picked the top corner over Weninger's glove.
 
Andy Iles stopped the last 13 shots he saw, surrendering just one goal for the fourth straight game to lower his goals-against average to 1.80.
 
The Big Red is idle from game action for final exams and a holiday break before its annual trek to the Florida College Hockey Classic. Cornell will take on Ferris State in the opener at 4:05 p.m. on Dec. 28, then will clash with either Maine or Minnesota-Duluth the following night.