Box Score
 
DENVER – An emotional weekend came to a disappointing close for the men's hockey team, which fell to Denver, 2-1, on Saturday night in its non-league finale.
 
Larkin Jacobson scored the winning goal for Denver (12-6-3), the first of his collegiate career, sneaking back door while David Makowski streaked down the left wing before winging a pass across the top of the crease for the slam dunk 7:45 into the third period.
 
Unlike Friday's series opener, when Denver took an early lead, Cornell (7-6-2) struck first in the early going Saturday. On the second shift of the game, Nick D'Agostino wristed a shot from the left point that deflected off one of the many bodies in the slot to give Cornell a 1-0 lead just 45 seconds into the game. Joel Lowry was credited with his sixth goal of the campaign, and Greg Miller drew the secondary assist. It was the first time this year the Big Red lost in a game where Lowry scored (4-1).
 
Andy Iles was pressed into action shortly thereafter, making a save on Nick Shore at 2:12 and gloving a Josiah Didier offering from the top of the right circle six seconds later. The Big Red soon fell into penalty trouble, playing seven minutes of the period shorthanded. A night after surrendering three goals, Cornell's penalty kill stood tall to keep the visitors out front.
 
The Big Red countered on its lone power play of the period, but Joakim Ryan's shot from the center point hit the crossbar and somehow bounced harmlessly through the crease at the 15:15 mark.
 
The Pioneers then equalized in the final minute of the period. Zac Larraza's shot from the left hash was kicked away to the far side, but Daniel Doremus was able to skate on to the puck and sailed a shot high inside the near post to pull the hosts even.
 
The second period featured just as much excitement – just without any additional scoring. The Big Red once again incurred a major penalty for contact to the head on a check with an accompanying game misconduct, leaving the squad with just 10 forwards and three centers. But the penalty kill didn't waver, keeping Cornell even despite being outshot 16-2 in the period.
 
The Big Red's biggest scare of the middle stanza actually came when it was on a power play. Shore was sprung for a shorthanded breakaway. Iles made the initial save, and Shore was only able to backhand the puck over the line after he knocked the net of its hinges. An officials' video review confirmed the initial call of no goal.
 
Cornell will have next weekend off before closing out its string of six games away from home by returning to ECAC Hockey play. Cornell will visit defending league champion Union on Friday, Jan. 18 before making the short jaunt east on Saturday, Jan. 19 for a matchup with Rensselaer.