LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — In a battle between two top-10 defenses nationally, both Cornell and Harvard's men's hockey teams were held scoreless over the 60-minute regulation period thanks to strong goaltending by Big Red sophomore netminder Ian Shane and the Crimson's Mitchell Gibson.

One team had to come out victorious, however, and Harvard's Alex Laferriere scored the game's lone goal 4:28 into overtime to lift the No. 2-seeded, and No. 6-ranked, Crimson to a 1-0 victory over the No. 3 seed, and No. 10-ranked, Cornell at the 1980 Rink — Herb Brooks Arena on Friday night.

Laferriere's golden goal ensures the Crimson's spot to potentially claim its second consecutive Whitelaw Cup when it squares off against the No. 5 seed Colgate on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Shane made 24 saves in the setback for Cornell (20-10-2), while Gibson stopped all 15 shots he faced to earn his third shutout of the season for Harvard (24-6-2).

How It Happened

Following a double-overtime game in the first semifinal between top-seeded Quinnipiac and the No. 5 seed, Colgate, both Cornell and Harvard got off to slow starts as the teams combined for just seven shots on goal in the first period.

Neither team was able to generate much offensive zone pressure in the opening frame as there was a combined 16 faceoffs taken, with majority of them coming on plays being called offside or by teams icing the puck.

The Big Red and Crimson displayed more offense in the middle stanza when Cornell posted a slight 6-5 edge in shots on goal, but both Shane and Gibson did their part in keeping the contest scoreless.

Chances were aplenty in the third period as Harvard held a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. With both teams trying to net the coveted first goal of the contest, both netminders had different plans as each goaltender stood strong in their respective creases.

In overtime, senior forward Ben Berard had a chance to give Cornell the win early in overtime with an opportunity right on the doorstep of the crease, but Gibson was able to make the stop.

Following a save by Shane, fellow senior forward Zach Tupker made a crucial block of a Harvard shot attempt on the ensuing rebound just over a minute later, preserving the scoreless tie.

A cross-slot pass by Baker Shore to Laferriere set up the Crimson's game-winner marker as a sprawling Shane could not stop Laferriere's one-timer from the left faceoff circle. Joe Miller had the secondary assist on the game-winning marker for Harvard.

Game Notes

• Cornell and Harvard met for the 162nd time on Friday night. It was the fifth time the two programs had met in Lake Placid, and the first since 2017 when it played in the third-place game.

• The Big Red is now 79-70-13 all-time over Harvard, as its winless streak against the Crimson now stands at six games (0-4-2).

• Following a scorless first two periods, it marked the first time Cornell and Harvard did not score in the first 40 minutes of a game against each another since Jan. 25, 2020, when the two teams played to a 1-1 tie at Lynah Rink.

• No Cornell playoff game had been scoreless heading into the third period since March 4, 2016, in the opening game of a best-of-three first-round series against Union. The Big Red prevailed, 1-0, behind a game-winning goal by defenseman Holden Anderson at the 13:48 mark of the third period.

• The contest marked the third time Cornell and Harvard had ever played a game that resulted in a 1-0 final score. All three instances have occurred over the last 20 years, as Cornell won a contest on Dec. 6, 2003, and fell on Jan. 8, 2005 at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

• Cornell was shutout by Harvard for the first time since the aforementioned 1-0 loss to the Crimson in Cambridge, Mass., on Jan. 8, 2005. The Big Red had scored in each of its last 42 meetings with its Ivy League rival.

• It was the first time Cornell played a 1-0 game in a playoff setting since the March 4, 2016 game against Union, and the first in winner-take-all contest since falling to Wisconsin in triple overtime in Midwest Regional Final of 2006 NCAA Tournament in Green Bay, Wis.

• Friday was the ninth playoff game in Cornell history in which the final score ended 1-0, and the fourth instance in which it needed overtime (the triple-overtime loss to Wisconsin in 2006, a loss to Quinnipiac in the 2007 ECAC Quarterfinals, and the 2016 win over Union also in the ECAC Quarterfinals).  

Looking Ahead

Cornell will now turn its attention to Sunday's selection show for the 2023 Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship to see if it will be one of 16 teams picked for this year's tournament. The selection show will air live at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU and ESPN+.