Box Score
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – For the fifth consecutive season, the Big Red men's hockey team will be at ECAC Hockey Championship weekend. Cornell scored three goals in the first half of the first period on Saturday in a 3-1 win over Dartmouth, wrapping up a 2-0 sweep in the quarterfinal series and punching the Big Red's ticket for Atlantic City, N.J. next weekend.
 
Saturday's game started 45 minutes later than its original start time because of an NCAA women's tournament quarterfinal earlier in the day that went to the later stages of triple overtime. The Big Red won that game, 8-7, perhaps setting the tone for the offensive outburst that was about to ensue.
 
It was just like the series opener in that there was no shortage of offense in the first period of Saturday's game – only this time, it was more favorable for Cornell. The Big Red's onslaught in the opening 8:21 of the game chaseed Big Green starting goalie Jody O'Neill.
 
Sophomore Dustin Mowrey got the scoring started just 1:07 into the game on a redirection of a John Esposito shot for his sixth goal of the season. Junior forward Greg Miller set up the play with a pass to Esposito in the slot. Senior Locke Jillson then doubled the lead at the 5:42 mark, poking in a rebound from the crease after junior forward Erik Axell forced the puck toward the net. Freshman defenseman Joakim Ryan drew the other assist.
 
O'Neill's night then ended with senior defenseman Sean Whitney's second goal in as many nights. Similar to his Friday winner in double-overtime, the shot came from long range over O'Neill's shoulder. This goal came on the power play, with assists going to freshman Joel Lowry and senior Sean Collins.
 
Dartmouth got on the board about three minutes later on its first scoring chance of the game. Andy Simpson took a shot from the point that hit Mosey in front, then he turned to flip a puck over the outstretched pad of sophomore goalie Andy Iles.
 
Iles went on to stop the last 25 shots he faced, comfortably holding ninth-seeded Dartmouth (13-16-4) at arm's length until the final buzzer.
 
Second-seeded Cornell (17-7-7) will play in the second semifinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16. (Top-seeded Union will play in the preceding semifinal at 4 p.m.) The Big Red's opponent has not yet been determined, though the possibilities include third-seeded Harvard, fourth-seeded Colgate or fifth-seeded Quinnipiac – depending on the outcomes of Sunday's games.