CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — In a matchup of the nation's top goal-scorer and the nation's top defensive team, the latter prevailed – specifically, Matthew Galajda, who continued to make history while backstopping the Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-0 victory over rival Harvard on Friday night at sold-out Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
 
The goaltender was spectacular to become the Big Red's first freshman to record three consecutive shutouts, and junior forward Anthony Angello notched his first collegiate hat trick to move into a tie for the team lead with 11 goals on the season.
 
Galajda made 35 saves to push his shutout streak to 220 minutes, 30 seconds – second-longest in program history behind the mark of 267:11 set by Ben Scrivens '10 during March of his senior season. Galajda's six shutouts are tied for the national lead and are tied for sixth-most in a single season in Big Red history. Eight of Galajda's saves came against Harvard forward Ryan Donato, who leads the country with 20 goals.
 
With the victory, Cornell (17-2-1, 11-1-1 ECAC Hockey) pushed its unbeaten streak to a national-best nine games (8-0-1), while also putting itself in a distant lead in the Ivy League standings. Now 6-0-1 against Ancient Eight opponents, Cornell can win the Ivy League title outright with a victory Saturday at Dartmouth, or at least a split with a tie. The Big Red has won 21 Ivy League titles in program history.
 
Angello pushed his goal-scoring tear to nine in his last nine games, giving the Big Red a first-period lead on the rush. Galajda was then called upon several times to keep the visitors ahead. Five of Harvard's seven shots on goal in the first period came in the final five minutes, including a stop of Jack Badini's open shot from the slot with 5.8 seconds to play.
 
Not often during the Cornell's hot streak has Galajda been called upon to stave off the opposition as often as he was in the second period, but he stopped all 13 turned his way – including a highlight-reel glove save on Michael Floostrand's redirection labeled for the top corner with 3:56 before the intermission. The Big Red penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3 – all in the game's first 31 minutes – to push its streak of successful kills to 15.
 
Angello scored again 6:33 into the third period to not only give the Big Red a two-goal cushion, but also seemingly deflate a Harvard (9-7-4, 8-4-3 ECAC Hockey) squad that entered the game unbeaten in eight straight. Junior forward Mitch Vanderlaan had an assist on the play, pushing his points streak to a team-best five games. Angello then capped the scoring with a last-second empty-netter, just Cornell's second of the season.

The Big Red's Lineup:

How The Goals Were Scored:
Cornell's 1st Goal
1st period, 7:19  •  Angello 9 (Kaldis)  •  Cornell 1, Harvard 0  
•  Harvard had the puck in the Cornell zone but Kaldis checked Zerter-Gossage off his feet, moved toward the corner and chipped a puck into Angello's path coming out of the zone. With Angello steaming through the neutral zone, the defender gave him space with the hope that a backchecker could help. But Angello kept a step on the help, then toe-dragged around the defender last-ditch lunge in the right circle before sniping a shot over Lackey's glove and inside the near post.
 
Cornell's 2nd Goal
3rd period, 6:33  •  Angello 10 (Vanderlaan, Locke)  •  Cornell 2, Harvard 0  
•  Locke was working the puck along the half wall on the left wing when the puck was swatted by a defender and a mad scramble ensued as the puck drifted toward the slot. Angello eventually won the battle to gain possession, then quickly whipped a shot from the slot that hit he post to Lackey's right, caromed back off the goaltender's back side and dribbled over the line.
 
Cornell's 3rd Goal
3rd period, 19:59 (en)  •  Angello 11 (Betts)  •  Cornell 3, Harvard 0  
•  With time winding down and the Crimson pulling Lackey in favor of an extra-attacker, a shot from the left point was blocked by Betts. The puck kicked toward the wall, where Angello pushed it forward and gained the red line before sliding in Cornell's second empty-netter of the year.

Up Next:
• Cornell wraps a stretch of five on the road over a six-game stretch at 7 p.m. Saturday, when it takes on Dartmouth at Thompson Arena in Hanover, N.H.