Box Score (PDF)HighlightsITHACA, N.Y. – As far as unlikely finishes go, Friday's game ranks pretty high on the list for the Cornell men's hockey team. Sophomore forward
Eric Freschi scored in overtime as the Big Red was killing a major penalty, converting a pass from senior forward
Joel Lowry to lift Cornell to its first victory, 2-1, over Clarkson.
The winning goal was created on a two-on-one, when Lowry weaved inside a Clarkson defenseman pinching at the right point to speed away up the left wing. As the Golden Knights' Kelly Summers sprawled to the ice to try to break up the play, Lowry pulled the puck around him and sent a pass across the low slot to Freschi breaking in on goal. Freschi elevated his shot quickly, with the puck bouncing off the glove of goalie
Steve Perry before finding the back of the net and sending the crowd of 4,115 at Lynah Rink into a frenzy.
The goal pushed the Big Red to 4-0-5 in overtime games over the last two seasons, and it was the program's first short-handed overtime goal since Mike Iggulden beat Union on Jan. 14, 2005 — a span of 330 games. It was also just the third career goal for Freschi, who is known more as a grinding, high-energy winger than celebrated goal-scorer. Fortunately for the Big Red, he fulfilled both roles on Friday to help the team break a four-game winless skid to start the season.
Lowry also scored the first goal of the night for Cornell (1-3-1, 1-2 ECAC Hockey), which was also on special teams and also on the rush. Just as the long change of the second period helped create Clarkson's goal by Pat Megannety earlier in the period, so did it play an integral role in the Big Red's equalizer. With Cornell on the power play, Clarkson cleared the zone into the right corner on the same side as the Golden Knights' bench. But as goalie
Mitch Gillam collected the puck, he alertly caught Clarkson (3-5-3, 1-1-1) attempted to make a line change and sent a 100-foot pass up the opposite wing to senior forward
Cole Bardreau. Bardreau then relayed a pass into the slot for Lowry, who broke in alone on goal before beating Perry with a move to his forehand. It was the first collegiate assist for Gillam, who scored an empty-net goal in his first collegiate game in November 2013.
The Big Red made a bid to take the lead just 48 seconds into the third period when
Jake Weidner one-timed a pass from deep in the zone to set up Bardreau's shot from the right circle, but the puck pinged off the far post and out of danger. Lowry and senior forward
John McCarron then strung together passes to set up junior forward
John Knisley alone on the door step at the 8:47, but Perry closed the door on the chance.
Gillam was then called into action on a three-on-two with 4:12 to play in regulation. He stopped Brett Gervais' offering from a sharp angle on the left side, then stuffed Todd Christian's attempt on the rebound from the top of the crease. After the Golden Knights won the ensuing faceoff, defenseman Paul Geiger angled an indirect pass off the glass behind the net to A.J. Fossen in the slot, but Gillam made the stop with his left pad. Making his third consecutive start, Gillam made 23 saves to earn the victory Friday. He now sports a 0.98 goals-against average and .967 save percentage through four starts.
The Big Red's outlook turned dour with 29.8 seconds remaining in the third period when it was whistled for a 5-minute major for boarding. The penalty essentially guaranteed Cornell would be on the kill for most of the time left in the game, but the Big Red caught the Golden Knights at the end of a shift to create the winner.
Cornell returns to action at 7 p.m. Saturday against St. Lawrence at Lynah Rink.
