Highlights
Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – The 19th-ranked Cornell men's hockey team scored four power-play goals for the first time in nearly four years, and senior goaltender Andy Iles made 37 saves to cap off a season-opening sweep of Nebraska Omaha with a 4-3 victory Saturday night at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
 
Junior forward Joel Lowry had a goal and an assist, scoring the winner with 10:57 remaining in the third period. Junior captain John McCarron and freshman defenseman Patrick McCarron had two assists apiece for Cornell (2-0), which never trailed.
 
There were a total of 14 power plays in the game, with the Big Red going 4-for-7 with the man advantage and 6-for-7 on the penalty kill. The last time Cornell scored four power-play goals in a game was Nov. 6, 2009 – a 5-1 win over Dartmouth.
 
While the Big Red used a pair of goals in rapid succession late in Friday's game to secure a win, it got two quick strikes in Saturday's affair to take an early 2-0 lead. Cornell took advantage of receiving the first three power plays of the game, scoring on two of them.
 
Senior forward Dustin Mowrey got the scoring started with his second goal of the weekend. Working on a two-man advantage, Patrick McCarron passed off to classmate Jake Weidner on the right side. He tried to force the puck to the net, but the puck caromed to Mowrey on the weak side for the easy conversion at the 7:04 mark.
 
The goal negated one of the penalties on UNO (2-4), but the Big Red still had a 5-on-4 advantage. Junior forward Cole Bardreau capitalized just 28 seconds, slamming home a puck in the low slot after John McCarron drove to the net from the left corner. Lowry earned the secondary assist.
 
Cornell made sure the lead would stand through the first period, killing off a pair of late UNO power plays – including a brief two-man disadvantage.
 
Iles kept the Mavericks at bay for the opening half of the second period as the home side gathered some momentum. Michael Young's shot through traffic at 7:55 was swallowed up, then Iles flashed his catching glove to foil Jake Guentzel's shot from the high slot a minute later.
 
But the deluge of power plays continued in the second period leading to two more goals on the man advantage, but UNO would first get on the board on Brock Montpetit's tally with 8:27 left in the frame.
 
The Big Red restored its two-goal lead 1 minute, 11 seconds later on a power-play goal by sophomore forward Christian Hilbrich, who was making his season debut. Senior defenseman Kirill Gotovets drew traffic to the left side of the zone, then sent a pass back to Patrick McCarron at the point. He calmly waited for a defender to slide by, then uncorked a shot that hit traffic in front. Stationed just off the post to UNO goaltender Ryan Massa's left, Hilbrich deftly handled the puck in tight quarters from backhand to forehand, then flipped a shot into the roof of the net.
 
The Mavericks then pulled back within one, taking advantage of the 10th power play of the game. Ryan Walters set up Dominic Zombo for an easy tap-in with 2:28 left in the period, cutting Cornell's lead to 3-2.
 
But Lowry scored what proved to be the winning goal around the midway point of the third period. Junior forward Brian Ferlin set it up with a pass from the left wing, and Lowry converted from the slot.
 
UNO cut its deficit to one goal yet again on Johnnie Searfoss' goal with 5:11 left, then the Big Red were forced to kill a late penalty to secure the victory.
 
Cornell returns to Ithaca, N.Y. next weekend for its home debut and ECAC Hockey opener against Princeton at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1 at Lynah Rink. The Big Red will then play host to Quinnipiac the following night.