Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior defenseman Patrick McCarron and sophomore forward Mitch Vanderlaan scored second-period goals, and senior goaltender Mitch Gillam made 31 saves for his 11th career shutout in the Cornell men's hockey team's 2-0 victory over Rensselaer on Friday night at Lynah Rink.
 
With the victory, Cornell (18-6-4, 13-4-4 ECAC Hockey) pushed its unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2) and has clinched the No. 3 overall seed in the ECAC Hockey Championship playoffs. The Big Red will still have a chance to play the spoiler role at 7 p.m. Saturday, when it plays league-leading Union on its Senior Night at Lynah Rink.
 
McCarron got the Big Red on the board 2:27 into the second period on the power play. Vanderlaan had a pair of shots blocked, and McCarron collected the puck toward the top of the slot. He circled toward the point and wristed a shot toward goal that sailed through traffic and splashed the net. Senior forward Matt Buckles also had an assist on the play, giving him 15 points on the season.
 
Vanderlaan then scored his team-leading 13th goal just past the midway part of the game. McCarron started the play by causing a turnover on the forecheck behind the RPI net, then senior forward captain Jake Weidner kept the pressure on. Senior forward Eric Freschi then set up Vanderlaan for a one-timer from the top of the left circle, which beat RPI goalie Chase Perry. Vanderlaan now has goals in four straight games and seven points over that stretch.
 
While Rensselaer (7-26-1, 5-16) outshot the Big Red, plenty of shots came from the perimeter. Still, Gillam had to be sharp in the third period to keep the Cornell penalty kill a clean 5-for-5 on the night. He stopped a Viktor Liljegren from point-blank range on a rebound attempt, then laid out to his left to stifle a wraparound by Riley Bourbonnais with less than 4 minutes left in the game.