ITHACA, N.Y. – There was plenty of anticipation around Arizona State's number 7 this weekend at Lynah Rink, but it was Cornell's number 7 that ultimately stole the show. Cam Donaldson scored two more goals Saturday to cap a four-point weekend and help power the Big Red men's hockey team to a two-game sweep of the Sun Devils after a 3-2 victory at Lynah Rink.
 
Cornell (9-5-1) is now unbeaten in five straight as it turns its attention back to ECAC Hockey play for the balance of the regular season. Meanwhile, Arizona State (16-9-1) – which entered the weekend leading the country in victories behind the nation's leading goal-scorer and Donaldson's numerical counterpart, Johnny Walker – was again held in check offensively until the final six minutes.
 
While the victories obviously have no effect on the ECAC Hockey standings, they did help the Big Red move up three spots to 14th in the Pairwise rankings.
 
"They've got a really good hockey team, and it's like a playoff weekend with them being No. 13 in the country," said Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Men's Hockey. "I think everyone just takes them for granted, but they're a really, really good hockey team. … It was a great win for us and good weekend to get the sweep. Now it's ECAC Hockey the rest of the way."
 
With the Big Red scoring four times in the third period to rout the Sun Devils, 6-1, in Friday's series opener, the start of Saturday's rematch figured to be pivotal. It took 61 seconds for the Big Red to jump in front on just the game's second shift thanks to Donaldson's first goal. His team-leading ninth goal doubled the lead with just 1:21 left in the opening frame.
 
"We've talked to Cam about it (and said) if you want to be a dominant player in this league, you've got to go for it offensively," Schafer said. "He's done a really good job defensively, too. I have full confidence in him to play against anybody, because he's responsible. But he can be electric."
 
The two-goal first and scoreless second followed the script from Friday's victory — as did a third goal. Morgan Barron handled those honors on a broken play during a power play, marking his seventh goal of the season. Having also collected an assist on Donaldson's first goal, Barron pushed his points streak to five games and has posted multiple points in three straight.
 
"The power play didn't have that killer instinct in the second, but it did in the third," Schafer added.
 
With the Sun Devils trying to open up the game and mount a comeback, the Big Red had some Grade-A scoring chances on the counter – but it couldn't build on the three-goal lead.
 
Arizona State defenseman Jarrod Gourley finally broke through with 5:38 to play. Brinson Pasichnuk scored an extra-attacker goal with 20.6 seconds remaining to thicken the plot, but Matthew Galajda – making his first start since Nov. 24 – made the lead stand by stopping Pasichnuk's shot from point and Brett Gruber's rebound with 2.7 seconds left. He finished the night with 27 saves.
 
"We want to peak at the right time, so we've got to keep climbing," Schafer said. "I thought we were a better hockey team this weekend than we were last weekend. Each weekend, you've got to get a little incrementally better.
 
"I thought our penalty-killing was good this weekend against a power play that's one of the top in the country, and I thought for the most part our discipline was really good," he added. "They do some things where they really challenge you defensively, and I thought our guys were really up to that challenge."
 

The Big Red's Lineup:

How The Goals Were Scored:

Cornell's 1st Goal
1st period, 1:01 •  Donaoldson 8 (Smith, Barron)  •  Cornell 1, Arizona State 0
• The Big Red created a turnover on the forecheck and went to work in the offensive zone, with Smith activating from the left point down toward goal. A return pass was thwarted, but he swooped behind the net to regain control. An attempted shot from the bottom of the right circle was sticked away, but Donaldson followed in his tracks to collect and move toward the slot. He looked toward Locke cutting into the left circle, but instead pivoted and quickly whipped a forehand along the ice that caromed off a defender and under Daccord.
 
Cornell's 2nd Goal
1st period, 18:39 •  Donaldson 9 (Starrett)  •  Cornell 2, Arizona State 0
• As a Sun Devils power play was expiring, the visitors attempted to move the puck up the left half wall toward the point. The long reach of the 6-foot-5 Starrett disrupted the play and poked the puck past the defenseman and into neutral-ice space. That allowed Donaldson to speed away on a clean two-on-one with Barron driving the middle. The hot hand opted to shoot, going bar down over Daccord's glove.
 
Cornell's 3rd Goal
3rd period, 8:36 •  Barron 7 (Kaldis, Vanderlaan) (pp)  •  Cornell 3, Arizona State 0
• At the start of a power play, Barron won a faceoff in the Sun Devils' zone and the puck was eventually worked around to set up Vanderlaan's shot from distance. It was blocked by Arizona State's Jarrod Gourley, and Barron collected in the right corner. His pass allowed Kaldis to start walking in from the right point into the circle, where he was checked off the puck. An Arizona State defenseman was in position to collect and clear, but the puck slid by him and onto the stick of Barron. He quickly ripped a shot over Daccord's glove.
 
Arizona State's 1st Goal
3rd period, 14:22 •  Gourley 3 (Lemieux, Marrocco)  •  Cornell 3, Arizona State 1
• The Big Red connected on a couple neutral-ice passes before a long attempt cross-ice was behind its intended target and led to Arizona State steaming up ice on a counter. Lemieux fanned on an attempted pass in the right circle, but kept the play alive by kicking the puck back to his stick. He opted to circle behind the net before teeing up a charging Gourley for a one-timer in the left circle that splashed the net past Galajda's glove.
 
Arizona State's 2nd Goal
3rd period, 19:39.4 •  Pasichnuk 8 (Maniscalco, Koumontzis) (ea)  •  Cornell 3, Arizona State 2
• With Daccord pulled in favor of an extra attacker, an Arizona State dump-in was rung around the wall only to have Koumontzis knife it down and set up the Sun Devils in the offensive zone. He passed to Maniscalco at the top of the right circle, and he fed it back to Pasichnuk at the center point. Pasichnuk then faked a slap shot to draw his defender to the ice, then curled to his left before snapping a shot from just inside the left circle that went in off the far post.
 

Up Next:

•  Cornell returns to ECAC Hockey play for the rest of the regular season, starting with a home series against rival Harvard at 7 p.m. Friday and Dartmouth at 7 p.m. Saturday.