Box Score

ESTERO, Fla. -- Rodger Craig scored in the ninth round of a shootout after a 1-1 tie with Maine, lifting the men's hockey team to its fourth Florida College Hockey Classic title on Sunday evening at Germain Arena. Andy Iles stopped eight of nine shots in the shootout and was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Christian Hilbrich scored the only goal in regulation time for Cornell (8-4-3) with 14 minutes, 25 seconds to play in the third period -- though he needed some good fortune. From the right corner, Dustin Mowrey set up Hilbrich for a shot from the circle. Maine (10-6-2) goalie Martin Ouellette made the save with his right pad, but the rebound splayed into the slot and deflected back into the net by a Black Bears defenseman.

Florida native Brian Ferlin had the secondary assist on Hilbrich's goal and was named to the all-tournament team, along with Mowrey and defenseman Kirill Gotovets. Cornell has played in the event in each of its 14 years of existence, with its other titles coming in 2003, 2005 and 2008. While Craig's winning goal in the shootout doesn't officially count as a goal, it was his first strike since scoring the overtime winner against Michigan in the 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals.

Similar to that win over the Wolverines, Iles played a huge factor in Sunday's title game against defending champion Maine. He finished the game with 32 saves and stopped 76 of 79 shots over the weekend. The only goal he yielded Sunday came with 61 seconds left in the second period, when Devin Shore converted an indefensible shot off a Steven Swavely feed.

Iles then stopped Connor Leen on a shorthanded breakaway, followed by Dan Renouf's rebound offering early in the third period -- keeping the Big Red within striking distance just before Hilbrich's goal. After a scoreless overtime, the teams engaged in a marathon nine-round shootout. Shore led off with a goal for Maine, then Patrick McCarron countered with a goal for Cornell. The freshman defenseman avoided Ouellette's poke check, then swept a forehand past the sprawling goalie's left pad. After 15 consecutive unsuccessful tries between the two teams, Craig sent a shot between Ouellette's legs to lead Cornell to win the Ned Harkness Cup.

Cornell -- which has lost just once in its last eight games (5-1-2) -- returns to the Lynah Rink for its next two games, though the first will be an exhibition. The Big Red plays host to the touring Russian Red Stars at 7 p.m. Friday before returning to regular-season play at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 against Massachusetts.