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NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. — Christian Hilbrich scored 1 minute, 46 seconds into overtime, powering the Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Niagara in its season opener Friday night at Dwyer Arena.
 
Hilbrich created a turnover with his long reach on the forecheck, then linemates Jake Weidner and Teemu Tiitinen kept the pressure on. Weidner eventually sent a feed from behind the net to Hilbrich low in the slot, and he buried a shot over the blocker of Niagara goaltender Guillaume Therien to put the Big Red on top for good.
 
Cornell scored twice in the second period to erase an early deficit. Eric Freschi claimed the first goal of the season by swatting in a rebound from the slot at the 4:31 mark. Ryan Bliss took the original shot from the left point, which was deflected to the far wall. Alec McCrea gained control on the half wall and immediately fed the puck back toward goal, setting up Freschi's conversion. It was the first career point for McCrea, a freshman defenseman.
 
Cornell immediately went on the penalty kill soon thereafter, and a three-on-two developed as John Knisley was leaving the penalty box — but his shot from the left circle hit the near post. Big Red goaltender Mitch Gillam answered with athletic saves on Albin Karlsson and Patrick Conte on a goal-mouth scramble at the 8:49 mark. The Big Red killed the ensuing Niagara power play, then Gillam squeezed off Sam Rennaker's one-timer from the slot at 11:51.
 
Niagara finally broke through again in similar fashion to its first-period goal — through traffic. Vinny Muto took a shot from the center point that was redirected past Gillam by Dan Kolenda, restoring the home side's lead with 4:52 left in the period. But Cornell struck back 74 seconds later on Anthony Angello's first collegiate goal. Holden Anderson took a shot from the right point that was deflected wide. Angello flagged the puck down behind the net and passed to Jeff Kubiak along the right halfwall, then skated to the left circle to receive an extraordinary pass from Kubiak. Angello then zipped a shot just inside the near post to tie the game at 2.
 
The game got noticeably tighter in the third period with just seven total shots on goal, but the Big Red had a few opportunities to take its first lead of the game. At 8:30, a long hard-working shift by Freschi set up a Jared Fiegl chance from the slot, but it zipped just wide of the far post. Two minutes later, Therien made his best save of the game when he snagged a Mitch Vanderlaan shot from the slot.
 
Gillam responded at the other end. Kolenda beat his defender wide to set up a two-on-one, but his backhand was stopped by Gillam with 6:30 to play. The Big Red then averted a heartbreaking end to the game when a fumbled breakout gave Niagara numbers coming toward net, but Patrick McCarron jammed Stanislav Dzakhov's shot over the glass with 13.9 seconds remaining.
 
Overtime seemed like a favorable proposition for the Big Red after a rusty start allowed the Purple Eagles took an early lead. Luke Edwards flagged down a clearing attempt off the boards and sent a shot from the top of the left circle that had eyes through traffic and over the blocker of screened Big Gillam just 22 seconds in.
 
Cornell's rough start very nearly turned disastrous 10 seconds later with a puck sliding across a vacant slot to charging Niagara forward Kolenda, but Gillam lunged across to make a huge save. From there, the Big Red settled down and took control for the bulk of the rest of the period. Cornell spent the stanza's lone power play in the Niagara zone for at least 1:30, but couldn't cash in a bevy of rebounds from Therien. The Big Red had nine shots on goal within the first 10 minutes.
 
The home-and-home series will now shift to Ithaca for a rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lynah Rink. Season ticket holders will receive a free hat upon entrance.
 
Notes
* This was Cornell's first game in an Atlantic Hockey team's rink since 1996. The Big Red lost Jan. 12, 1996 at Army, but Cornell went 14-3-1 after that and won the ECAC Hockey Championship. It was Mike Schafer's first season as the Big Red's head coach.
* Cornell has an all-time record of 58-34-7 in season openers, extending its unbeaten streak to five straight years with this victory (4-0-1). Under current head coach Mike Schafer, the Big Red is 13-6-2 in season openers. That includes a 3-2 victory over Niagara to open the 2009-10 season, also decided in overtime.
* The Big Red owns a 13-2 advantage in the all-time series between the teams, all under Mike Schafer's tenure. This is Cornell's ninth straight victory against Niagara since 2001.