ITHACA, N.Y. – A shaky first period was followed up by a dominant second period that featured a tying goal by Max Andreev, but the #8/8 Cornell men's hockey team was ultimately tripped up to the tune of a 5-2 loss to Michigan State on Friday night at Lynah Rink.
 
After failing to convert on several Cornell (0-1) turnovers at the defensive blue line and odd-man rushes, Michigan State (2-1) rattled off four goals in the third period to sprint away with the win. Matt Cairns assisted on Andreev's goal, then capped the scoring with his first career goal on Lynah ice late in the third.
 
The Big Red was 0-for-5 on the power play, which is where Spartans goalie John Lethemon made 10 of his 32 saves. The loss marked the first time Cornell has surrendered five or more goals in a game since a season-ending NCAA tournament loss to UMass-Lowell way back on March 25, 2017.
 
"The difference in the game is having opportunities to score on the power play, and when we did get opportunities their goalie made some huge saves for them," said Mike Schafer, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Men's Hockey.
 
Early-season rust was evident in the first period, especially after Sam Saliba's shorthanded goal. Even with that, the Big Red had chances and built momentum throughout the second period. It crescendoed into Andreev's goal off a three-on-two rush.
 
"Second period, I thought we dominated" said Andreev, who became the first freshman to score Cornell's first goal of a season since Joe Devin '11 against RIT on Oct. 27, 2007. "We just lost that focus during the second intermission, and they just outplayed us in the third period."
 
Michigan State scored its next two goals on two-on-ones, then Brody Stevens' strike with 8 minutes left came on a turnover at the Big Red blue line. Cody Milan added a bank-shot power-play goal for good measure before Cairns' rip accounted for Cornell's second goal.
 
"Coming out after the second intermission, we made a huge mistake against their top line," Schafer said. "Three guys that were responsible for taking care of the puck got greedy down low and gave up a two-on-one. Those are lessons we'll obviously learn in a hurry."
 

The Big Red's lineup:

 
 

How The Goals Were Scored:

Michigan State's 1st Goal
1st period, 11:33  •  Saliba 2 (sh)  •  Michigan State 1, Cornell 0  
• With the Big Red hastily trying to set up a one-timer for Alec McCrea at the center point, Saliba momentarily recovered from being out of position to poke-check the puck away into the neutral zone and speed away on a clear-cut breakaway. He stick-handled a bit before snapping a shot over Matthew Galajda's glove for the game's first goal.
 
Cornell's 1st Goal
1st period, 9:11  •  Andreev 1 (Vanderlaan, Cairns)  •  Cornell 1, Michigan State 1
• After the Spartans had the Big Red hemmed in its own zone for the majority of a shift, a drive to the net from the corner was spooned away by Cairns up the middle. As Vanderlaan collected in the slot, a three-on-two developed as he skated up the left wing. He floated a pass toward Donaldson cutting down the middle, but it went past him and the defender before sliding to a wide-open Andreev closing in on the right hash mark. He wasted no time, blasting a clapper past Lethemon's glove.
 
Michigan State's 2nd Goal
3rd period, 4:33  •  Cesana 1 (Lewandowski, Hirose)  •  Michigan State 2, Cornell 1
• Pressure down low by Brenden Locke's line ended and the Spartans came up the left side of their zone. Patrick Khoderenko's pass was tipped along by Tiro Hirose to beat the pinching defenseman, and a lack of back-side pressure allowed Lewandowski to start a two-on-one on his off wing. He slid a pass across to Cesana before the Big Red's lone defender back could hit the ice, and his shot dipped under Galajda's glove.
 
Michigan State's 3rd Goal
3rd period, 7:22  •  Hirose 3  •  Michigan State 3, Cornell 1
• With the forwards already in the neutral zone, the Big Red attempted to move out of its zone up the right wing with a D-to-D pass that clanked off a skate and set up a Hirose-led two-on-one. The defender forced Hirose into an angled shot, but he squeaked a shot through Galajda's legs.
 
Michigan State's 4th Goal
3rd period, 12:00  •  Stevens 1 (Sanford 1)  •  Michigan State 4, Cornell 1
• The Big Red had an opportunity to chip a puck out of its zone on the right side, but failed to clear. Sanford collected and quickly turned the puck into the middle for Stevens. His wrister from the top of the slot fooled Galajda and sailed in gloveside.
 
Michigan State's 5th Goal
3rd period, 15:43  •  Milan 1 (Hirose, Cesana) (pp)  •  Michigan State 5, Cornell 1
• At the tail end of a power play, the puck found its way to Milan at the bottom of the left circle. He angled toward goal and, with few other options, slid a puck across the crease that bounded into the net off the skate of a Cornell defender.
 
Cornell's 2nd Goal
3rd period, 16:17  •  Cairns 1 (Nuttle, Vanderlaan)  •  Michigan State 5, Cornell 2
• The Big Red broke out of its zone with Nuttle's pass sending Cairns unimpeded through the neutral zone with speed. That kept Michigan State's defense on its heels, and Cairns used the space to drift into the high slot before unleashing a wrister that beat Lethemon over the glove.
 

Up Next:

• Cornell and Michigan State return to Lynah Rink for a rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday before the Big Red embarks on ECAC Hockey and Ivy League play with home games against Yale on Friday, Nov. 2 and Brown on Saturday, Nov. 3.