#8 Men’s Hockey Returns to Lynah for Battles With #18 Quinnipiac, Princeton

Mike Schafer '86
The Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey

THE PUCK DROP

The No. 8-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team returns to Lynah Rink this weekend when it welcomes ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals No. 18-ranked Quinnipiac and Princeton to Lynah Rink.

Both contests will have 7 p.m. puck drops and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Grady Whittenburg providing play-by-play and former Cornell defenseman Tim Vanini ‘91 supplying analysis. Friday’s game against Quinnipiac will also be simulcast on TSN+ for Canadian viewers. In addition to video broadcasts, Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) and former Big Red blueliner Tony Eisenhut ‘88 (analyst) will call the contest over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).

Friday's game with Quinnipiac will serve as Faculty Appreciation Night and the Big Red's annual Toys for Tots game. Fans are encouraged to purchase toys and deposit them inside the Toys for Tots boxes throughout Lynah Rink.

Saturday's game against Princeton will have a Family Night promotion featuring a temporary tattoo station and a photo booth.

'TENDY POINT!

Senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded an assist on senior defenseman Tim Rego’s second-period goal against Harvard last Saturday, becoming Cornell’s first goaltender to record a point since Matthew Galajda on March 22, 2019. Galajda assisted Morgan Barron on a second-period power-play goal in a 6-0 Big Red victory over Brown in the 2019 ECAC Hockey Championship semifinals.

Shane became Cornell’s 25th goaltender to record a point in a game and the 24th to notch an assist.

Paired with his 32-save performance in the Big Red’s tie with the Crimson, Shane is the 10th Cornell goaltender (11th instance) to record an assist and make 30-plus saves in the same game. The others to accomplish the feat include Steve Kelleher (March 5, 1974), Dave Chrastina (Jan. 5, 1975), Darren Eliot (twice — March 15, 1980 and Jan. 26, 1981), Doug Dadswell (Jan. 19, 1985), Corrie D’Alessio (Jan. 23, 1988), Ian Burt (Feb. 12, 2000), Ben Scrivens (March 9, 2008), Mitch Gillam (Nov. 29, 2014 at Madison Square Garden), and Galajda.

MISTER RELIABLE

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh went 15-of-22 on faceoffs against Harvard last Saturday, tying his second-highest faceoff win total in a game. He was one faceoff win shy of matching his career high set this past March 16 in the 2024 ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinals, which also came against Harvard.

Across his six games so far this season, Walsh has won 82 of his 139 draws taken this season (59.0 percent), highlighted by winning at least 10 draws in each contest and 13-plus faceoffs in his last five games.

Walsh’s streak of registering 13-plus faceoff wins in five consecutive games is the longest active streak by a Division I player and is tied with Northeastern junior Jack Williams for the longest streak this season.

Walsh’s 13.67 faceoff wins per game ranks as the fourth-highest average in Division I hockey entering this weekend. Brown sophomore Max Scott (17.25), Williams (14.44), and Air Force senior Clayton Cosentino (14.07) are those with higher per-game averages.

According to data compiled by College Hockey News, Walsh’s stretch of 13-plus faceoff wins is tied with Greg Miller ‘13 (2012-13), Cole Bardreau ‘15 (2013-14), and Gabriel Seger ‘24 (2023-24) for the third-longest streak with at least 13 faceoff wins in program history since the 2002-03 season.

If Walsh records 13-plus faceoff wins against Quinnipiac on Friday, he would tie Seger for the second-longest streak over the last 22-plus years. With at least 13 draws won in both contests this weekend, Walsh would trail Jake Weidner ‘17 for the longest streak on record in program history, which came over a 10-game span during the 2016-17 season.

HOME, SWEET, HOME

Entering this weekend’s games, Cornell has registered a 72-18-9 record (.773) at Lynah Rink, the third-best win percentage on home ice over the last seven-plus seasons.

The Big Red’s win percentage trails Minnesota State (112-26-6 — .799) and Denver (99-22-12 — .789) and is one of six programs to win 70-plus percent of its home games across the span, joined by Quinnipiac (90-33-4 — .724), North Dakota (94-33-11 — .721), and St. Cloud State (86-31-13 — .712) are the others.

Rounding out the top 10 programs features UMass (80-35-9 — .681), ECAC Hockey rivals Harvard (58-25-9 — .679) and Clarkson (76-33-15 — .673), and Minnesota (93-44-7 — .670).

SHANE'S WORLD, IT'S PARTY TIME, EXCELLENT!

Senior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled inside the blue paint during his time on East Hill. Over his 90 career appearances between the pipes for the Big Red, Shane has a 52-22-12 record with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Shane’s 52 wins are the sixth-most by a Cornell goaltender in program history. Entering this weekend, Shane is six wins away from matching Andy Iles ‘14 for the fifth-most wins in program history. The 52 wins also rank third-most among active Division I goaltenders, trailing Western Michigan graduate student Cameron Rowe (58) and Wisconsin graduate student Tommy Scarfone (58). Boston University senior Mathieu Caron (46) is the closest player to the 50-win threshold.

The 11 shutouts registered by Shane during his tenure at Cornell are the most of any active Division I goaltender. Shane has two more blankings than Scarfone (nine) and three more than North Dakota graduate student T.J. Semptimphelter (eight).

Among Cornell goaltenders, Shane’s 11 shutouts are tied with Dave LeNeveu (LEH-neh-voo) and Mitch Gillam ‘17 for fifth in program history. Shane is two shutouts shy of matching Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden ‘69 (13) for fourth all-time at Cornell.

Entering this weekend, Shane’s 1,778 saves rank as the 13th-most by a Cornell goaltender in program history. Shane is 46 saves away from tying Doug Dadswell (1,824 from 1984-86) for 12th and is 66 saves shy of matching Matthew Galajda (1,844 from 2017-20) for 11th on the Big Red’s all-time saves list.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Senior goaltender Ian Shane’s career goals-against average of 1.74 is the 10th-best figure in NCAA Division I history, one of 35 sub-2.00 averages with at least 1,500 minutes played in history.

Shane’s goals-against average trails LeNeveu (1.29), former Quinnipiac standout Yaniv Perets (1.34), Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay (1.46), Michigan State and 18-year NHL veteran Ryan Miller (1.54), UMass’ Filip Lindberg (1.58), Dryden (1.59), former UMass Lowell and current Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (1.60), and former Big Red netminders Matthew Galajda (1.70) and David McKee (1.72).

Cornell has five of the top 10 career goals-against averages in NCAA history and is the lone program with multiple players in the top 10.

Along with the 1.93 career goals-against average posted by Ben Scrivens ‘10, Cornell has six of the 35 sub-2.00 career goals-against averages in NCAA history, the most of any Division I program. Quinnipiac (four), Maine and Notre Dame (three), Denver, Miami, Michigan State, and UMass (two) are the other Division I programs represented at least twice.

Among active Division I goaltenders with at least 1,500 minutes played, Shane is one of two netminders with career goals-against averages under 2.00, joined by Maine’s Albin Boija (1.86).

Shane’s .9217 career save percentage ranks fifth among active Division I goaltenders with at least 500 saves, trailing Boston College’s Jacob Fowler (.929), Arizona State’s Gibson Homer (.925), Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko (.9224), and Denver’s Matt Davis (.9221).

STOUT DEFENSE

Cornell has boasted one of the nation’s stingiest defensive units, ranking in the top 10 in scoring defense each of the last seven campaigns and in nine of the previous 10 seasons it has competed in.

The Big Red’s ranking within the top 10 in scoring defense seven times over the last eight seasons is the most by any Division I program, ahead of Minnesota State (six) and ECAC Hockey rival Quinnipiac (five).

Over the last eight-plus seasons, Cornell has averaged 1.95 goals allowed per game, joining Minnesota State (1.92) as one of two Division I programs to yield under two goals against per game during the span.

Through its first six games this season, Cornell’s 2.17 goals allowed per game average is tied with Dartmouth for the 14th-best scoring defense in Division I hockey. The Big Red and Big Green are tied for second among the 12 teams in ECAC Hockey, only trailing Clarkson (2.08 — T-11th). Denver paces the nation with a 1.42 goals allowed per game average (17 goals against in 12 games).

Last season, the Big Red led all Division I programs in scoring defense, allowing 1.86 goals per game. Cornell’s figure was 17 points ahead of second-place Wisconsin (2.03). The Big Red also gave up the fewest goals in Division I hockey, surrendering just 65 goals across its 35 games, 14 goals fewer than second-place Quinnipiac (79).

Cornell has finished first or second in scoring defense four times in the last six seasons it has participated in.

ON THE PLUS SIDE…

Entering this weekend’s contests, senior forwards Ondrej Psenicka and Kyle Penney and senior defenseman Tim Rego rank within the top 10 nationally for the highest career plus-minus ratings among active Division I hockey players.

Psenicka’s plus-49 rating is tied with Michigan defenseman Jacob Truscott for fifth nationally. Denver forward Jack Devine (plus-64), Ohio State defenseman Aidan Hansen-Bukata (plus-58), Boston College blueliner Eamon Powell (plus-54), and Minnesota State forward Rhett Pitlick (plus-52) have higher plus-minus ratings.

Penney’s plus-46 rating stands ninth nationally and Rego’s plus-45 figure is tied with Denver defenseman Boston Buckberger for 10th among active skaters.

Cornell is the only Division I program to have a trio of players with career plus-minus ratings of plus-45, and is one of three programs with multiple players with at least plus-45 ratings (Boston College and Denver).

The Big Red is one of four Division I programs with multiple players with career ratings of at least plus-40, joined by Denver (Devine; Buckberger; Zeev Buium — plus-42; Aidan Thompson — plus-41), Minnesota (Mason Nevers — plus-48; Mike Koster — plus-44; Jimmy Snuggerud — plus-42), and Boston College (Powell and Leonard).

Cornell is one of three programs with multiple forwards having career plus-minus ratings of at least plus-40, joined by Denver (Devine and Thompson) and Minnesota (Nevers and Snuggerud). Psenicka’s plus-49 rating is the third-highest figure by a Division I forward, while Penney (plus-44) has the fifth-highest clip. Jack O’Leary’s plus-38 figure ranks ninth.

Rego’s plus-45 rating is tied with Buckberger for fourth among active Division I defensemen, only trailing Hansen-Bukata, Powell, and Truscott. Kempf’s plus-38 rating is tied with Colorado College’s Ty Gallagher for ninth among blueliners.

The Big Red is one of three programs with multiple defensemen with plus-35 ratings or higher, joined by Minnesota (Koster; Luke Mittelstadt — plus-37) and Denver (Buckberger and Buium).

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Cornell received production from nearly every skater who appeared in at least one game last season, as 21 of the 23 skaters (91.3 percent) registered at least one point, and 19 of the 21 players with a point last season logged at least two points.

Through its first three weekends of play, Cornell has maintained its goal of repeating last year’s scoring production. Nineteen of the 22 players (86.4 percent) who have appeared in at least one game have recorded at least one point.

The sophomore class — who led the team in goals (44), assists (70), and points (114) last season — is picking up right where it left off, generating 41.7 percent of the team’s scoring (20 points) and leading the team in assists (14). Cornell’s senior class (eight) is slightly ahead of the sophomores (six) for the team lead in goals.

The Big Red had five players register at least 10 goals a year ago, featuring Gabriel Seger (14), Dalton Bancroft (12), Ryan Walsh (12), Jonathan Castagna (11), and Kyle Penney (10). It was Cornell’s first time having five-plus players with double-digit goals since 2007-08 (14, Colin Greening; 12, Riley Nash; 10, Topher Scott; 10, Raymond Sawada; 10, Michael Kennedy).

AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!

Senior forward Kyle Penney was named captain of the Cornell hockey team for a second consecutive season on Sept. 5.

Penney is the seventh player under Mike Schafer ‘86’s tenure as the Big Red’s head coach to be named a two-time captain, joining Mitch Vanderlaan ‘19, John McCarron ‘15, Colin Greening ‘10, Stephen Bâby ‘03, Kyle Knopp ‘99, and Brad Chartrand ‘96. Penney is the 14th player in Cornell program history to be named a two-time captain.

“He does everything the right way and cares about his teammates,” Schafer said. “He connects across all classes, and he’s done that since he’s been here. He speaks up and picks his spots to make his point. He’s not soft-spoken but doesn’t waste his words. He checks all the boxes of great leaders. It’s an honor for him to be a two-time captain, and it was going to be evident that the honor was going to be bestowed upon him by his teammates.”

Joining Penney on the leadership team for the season will be senior defensemen Hank Kempf and Tim Rego and senior forward Jack O’Leary, who will all serve as alternate captains.

O’Leary is the second player in Cornell program history to be named an alternate captain in consecutive seasons, joining Cole Bardreau ‘15 (2013-14 and 2014-15).

ALL HE DOES IS WIN, WIN, WIN…

Mike Schafer ‘86, the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey, is one of six active Division I men’s hockey head coaches with 500 career victories.

Schafer’s 545 wins are the 18th-most wins by a Division I head coach in college hockey history and is 10 wins shy of matching former Michigan Tech head coach John MacInnes, who won 555 games with the Huskies during his 26-year tenure from 1956-82.

Among active Division I men’s head coaches, Schafer has the fourth-most career wins, trailing Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold (647), Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin (609), and Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson (594).

BATTLE OF RANKED OPPONENTS

Following last weekend’s pair of games against conference opponents who were ranked, Cornell will battle another ranked ECAC Hockey foe on Friday against Quinnipiac.

It is the fifth time since the inception of the USCHO.com poll before the 1997-98 season that Cornell is playing three consecutive regular-season games against ranked ECAC Hockey opponents. The last instance occurred when the top-ranked Big Red played against No. 20-ranked Dartmouth (Jan. 24, 2020), No. 16-ranked Harvard (Jan. 25, 2020), and No. 18-ranked Quinnipiac (Jan. 31, 2020).

NHL REPORT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (NOV. 19, 2024) — After appearing in his 200th NHL game last Saturday in a 5-0 loss to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., former Cornell men’s hockey forward Morgan Barron appeared to take the thrashing personally, logging his first multi-goal game in the NHL, scoring two short-handed, empty-net goals 21 seconds apart to cap a 6-3 win for the Winnipeg Jets over the Panthers at the Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night.

Barron’s pair of short-handed goals made him the second player in Jets franchise history to net multiple short-handed goals in a game, becoming the first to do so in Winnipeg. Marián Hossa was the other player to score twice while down a man, doing so on Dec. 19, 2006, with the Atlanta Thrashers.

The two short-handed goals in a game was the 160th instance in NHL history, dating back to 1935. It was also the second time a Cornell alum had accomplished the feat, joining Joe Nieuwendyk, who scored both goals for the Calgary Flames in a 2-2 tie against Winnipeg on Nov. 28, 1990.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC

Quinnipiac, ranked No. 18 in the most recent USCHO.com poll, enters this weekend with a 5-5-0 overall record and 2-2-0 mark in ECAC Hockey play. The Bobcats swept its weekend series against Brown, 3-2, and Yale, 4-1.

Boston University transfer Jeremy Wilmer (4-8—12) paces the Bobcats offense while Mason Marcellus (3-7—10) is the only other Quinnipiac player with a double-digit point total. Aaron Schwartz  (5-3—8) and Tyler Borgula (5-1—6) are tied for the team lead in goals, and Andon Cerbone (1-8—9) is tied with Wilmer for the most assists this season.

Goaltending duties have been shared between Dylan Silverstein (3-3-0, 1.90, .928) and Matej Marinov (2-2-0, 2.90, .891). Silverstein stopped 23-of-24 shots in Quinnipiac’s win over Yale last Saturday, while Marinov made 18 saves in last Friday’s triumph over Brown.

23 YEARS, 268 MILES, 51 MEETINGS

Cornell and Quinnipiac will meet for the 52nd time on Friday night. The Big Red leads the series 27-20-4 and is 10-4-1 over its last 15 games against the Bobcats.

Playing Quinnipiac at Lynah Rink has favored Cornell recently, with the Big Red going 7-1-0 over its last eight meetings on East Hill since the 2017-18 season.

Junior forward Dalton Bancroft has scored five goals against Quinnipiac across three career appearances, tying Brian Ferlin for the second-most goals scored by a Cornell player versus the Bobcats. With his next goal, Bancroft would match Joe Devin ‘11 and Mitch Vanderlaan ‘19 for the most goals scored against Quinnipiac by a Cornell player in program history.

CORNELL - QUINNIPIAC CONNECTIONS

Kyle Penney and Cooper Moore played on the 2019-20 Chilliwack Chiefs ... Hank Kempf and Luke Devlin were teammates on the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks with Davis Pennington ... Ondrej Psenicka and Aaron Bohlinger were on the 2019-20 Waterloo Black Hawks ... Charlie Leddy, Matthew McGroarty, Dylan Silverstein, and Jeremy Wilmer played with Ben Robertson on the 2020-21 USNTDP Juniors ... Leddy, Silverstein, and Devlin were teammates on the 2021-22 USNTDP Juniors ... Robertson played with Nate Benoit on the Omaha Lancers and Waterloo Black Hawks from 2021-23 ... Devlin and Remington Keopple played with Chase Ramsay on the 2021-22 Des Moines Buccaneers ... Michael Salandra played with with Devlin (2022-23) and Justin Katz (2022-24) on the West Kelowna Warriors ... Nick DeSantis and McGroarty were coached by Cornell director of hockey operations/assistant coach Corey Leivermann on the 2021-22 Madison Capitols ... Marian Mosko was teammates on the Fargo Force with Mason Marcellus (2021-23), Matej Marinov (2022-23), and Noah Eyre (2022-23) ... Eyre was teammates with Katz on the Powell River Kings last year ... Victor Czerneckianair and Benoit played with Kyler Kovich on the Tri-City Storm (2020-21) ... Andon Cerbone was teammates with Ian Shane (2020-21 Chicago Steel) and Tyler Catalano (2022-23 Youngstown Phantoms) ... Shane and Noah Altman played on the 2020-21 Bismarck Bobcats.

BANCROFT LIFTS #14 MEN'S HOCKEY TO OVERTIME VICTORY OVER QUINNIPIAC

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (JAN. 20, 2024) — Sophomore Dalton Bancroft scored two goals, including the game-winning marker 3:11 into overtime, to lift the No. 14-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-2 victory over No. 3-ranked Quinnipiac before a sold-out crowd of 4,361 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Junior forward Ondrej Psenicka joined Bancroft in registering a multi-point night as he logged a goal and an assist, aiding the Big Red to extend its unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2) and improving its overall mark on the year to 10-4-3 and 5-4-1 in ECAC Hockey play.

Fellow junior Ian Shane continued his strong play between the pipes, stopping 22 shots in the victory. Across six career appearances against the Bobcats, Shane has compiled a 4-1-0 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage (150 saves on 157 shots faced).

Quinnipiac graduate student Zach Tupker — a familiar face for many Cornell hockey fans — and Alex Power found the back of the net for the Bobcats (15-6-2, 9-2-1 ECAC), who have lost consecutive games for the first time since losing a pair of overtime contests against New Hampshire (Oct. 21) and Maine (Oct. 28).

Vinny Duplessis shoved aside 14 Cornell shots in the setback for the Bobcats.

SCOUTING PRINCETON

Princeton enters this weekend with a 1-2-1 record overall and in ECAC Hockey play.

Ethan Pearson was named ECAC Hockey’s MAC Goaltending Goaltender of the Week on Monday after posting a 0.96 goals-against average, stopping 50 of 52 shots (.962 save percentage) in the Tigers’ 1-0-1 week against Yale (4-1 win) and Brown (1-1 tie).

Pearson has a 1-1-1 record on the year with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Arthur Smith (0-1-0, 5.00, .808) started the season opener for Princeton.

Brendan Gorman (2-2—4) averages a point per game for the Tigers and leads the team in goals and assists. David Jacobs (0-3—3) has the team lead in assists.

123 YEARS, 222 MILES, 162 MEETINGS

Cornell and Princeton are meeting for the 163rd time on Saturday night. The Big Red is 100-54-8 all-time against the Tigers, and the 100 wins are the most against a single opponent in program history.

The series with Princeton has favored Cornell since the Tigers shut out the Big Red, 1-0, at Lynah Rink on Feb. 9, 2013. Cornell is 19-4-0 since the blanking, scoring at least three goals nine times in its last 10 games (3.90 goals per contest) and in 19 of the previous 23 matchups (3.78 goals per game).

Under Mike Schafer ‘86, Cornell is 24-5-1 (.817) at home against Princeton. The win percentage is the second-highest clip against an active member of ECAC Hockey, trailing Brown (24-3-2 — .862).

CORNELL - PRINCETON CONNECTIONS

Former associate head coach Ben Syer is returning to Lynah Rink for his first regular-season contest this weekend. Syer was on Mike Schafer ‘86’s coaching staff for 14 years, including the last 13 as an associate head coach ... Princeton sophomore defenseman Ian Devlin is the younger brother of Cornell sophomore forward Luke Devlin ... Nick DeSantis and Arthur Smith were coached by Cornell director of hockey operations/assistant coach Corey Leivermann on the Madison Capitols in 2021-22 ... Ian Shane and David Ma played on the Chicago Steel from 2019-21 ... Kai Daniells was teammates on the Nanaimo Clippers with Jack O’Brien (2020-22) and Sean Donaldson (2021-22) ... Donaldson played with Brendan Wang on the 2018-19 Prince George Spruce Kings ... Daniells and Kyle Penney played on the 2019-20 Chilliwack Chiefs ... Justin Katz and Tyler Rubin were teammates on the 2021-22 West Kelowna Warriors ... Alex Konovalov was teammates with Hank Kempf (2019-20
Muskegon Lumberjacks) and Jimmy Rayhill (2020-21 Odessa Jackalopes) ... Rayhill played with Luke Pearson on the 2019-20 Alberni Valley Bulldogs ... Carson Buydens and Josh Karnish played with Jake Kraft and Ryan Walsh on the 2022-23 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders ... Buydens also played with Marian Mosko on the 2022-23 Lincoln Stars ... Miles Gunty played on the Youngstown Phantoms with Wallace (2020-21) and Tyler Catalano (2020-23) ... Hoyt Stanley and Luc Pelletier played on the Victoria Grizzlies from 2021-23 ... George Fegaras and Conor Callaghan spent the 2022-23 season on the Muskegon Lumbjeracks.

CASTAGNA PROPELS #14 MEN'S HOCKEY TO WIN OVER PRINCETON

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (JAN. 19, 2024) — Freshman forward Jonathan Castagna recorded a four-point night, including his first collegiate hat trick, to guide the No. 14-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a resounding 6-2 victory over Princeton before 4,181 at Lynah Rink on Friday night.

Joining Castagna in logging multi-point nights were his linemates, junior forwards Jack O'Leary (one goal, one assist) and Sullivan Mack (two assists).

Sophomore forward Nick DeSantis was the lone other Cornell player to have a multi-goal night, scoring the Big Red's first and final goals. 

Junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 15 shots between the pipes for Cornell.

David Jacobs posted a goal and an assist in the setback for the Tigers, while Ethan Pearson made 29 saves in goal for Princeton.

WALSH'S GAME-TYING GOAL AIDS #6 MEN'S HOCKEY TO TIE WITH #20 HARVARD

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (NOV. 16, 2024) — Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh scored the game-tying goal on the power play with 6:43 left in the third period as the No. 6-ranked Cornell men's hockey team played to a 2-2 tie with No. 20-ranked Harvard before a near-sold-out crowd at Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Saturday evening.

Senior defenseman Michael Suda and sophomore Ben Robertson scored for Cornell in the shootout to give the Big Red the extra point in the ECAC Hockey standings.

Joining Walsh in scoring was senior defenseman Tim Rego, a native of nearby Mansfield, Mass., who had a goal and an assist to record his second multi-point game of the season and his fifth career outing with multiple points. Senior goaltender Ian Shane made a season-high 32 saves between the pipes for the Big Red (3-1-2, 1-1-2 ECAC Hockey).

Ryan Fine and Mason Langenbrunner registered the tallies for the Crimson (2-2-1, 2-2-1 ECAC Hockey), and junior goaltender Aku Koskenvuo made 24 saves in goal for the Crimson.

2024-25 Roster

If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped in line to get season tickets and ensure your spot as one of the raucous and devoted "Lynah Faithful." But most importantly, if you’ve never been to Lynah, you’ve never experienced all the best that college hockey offers.

Lynah Rink, which enters its 68th year serving as the home of Big Red hockey this season, was formally dedicated on April 6, 1957, a month after its opening to the public on March 4, 1957. The facility, which was built following a $500,000 anonymous donation (approximately $5.59 million in 2024), honors the late James Lynah '05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

The donation to build Lynah Rink reresurrected the Cornell hockey  program following a 10-year hiatus, ensuring hockey returned as a varsity sport for the 1957-58 season.

Cornell began sponsoring hockey as a varsity sport with the 1900-01 season, which featured all Big Red home games played on the university’s outdoor rink on Beebe Lake. Due to a series of abnormally mild winters, the program was left — literally — on thin ice, causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.

Since its opening in March of 1957, Lynah Rink has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural event on March 21, 1957, a 7-3 victory for the NHL’s New York Rangers in an exhibiton against the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Gump Worsley stopped 44 shots in the victory for the Rangers.

Among the renovations, Cornell spent nearly $1 million in the summer of 2000, to replace the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection and refrigeration piping, and adding new boards and seamless glass.

During the summer of 2006, a 16,700-square-foot expansion added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, new athletic training space, and approximately 450 new seats in the seating bowl.

Over last season’s winter break, updated Cornell branding on the façade and south concourse brought a more modern look to the facility.

Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over time, the crowd remains constant. Lynah Rink can hold 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans, who provide unwavering support for the Big Red while creating an unparalleled atmosphere in college hockey.

Although many rinks in the nation are bigger in capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the "Lynah Faithful," stream into every home contest, making themselves as much a part of the game as the players do. Whether they’re cheering for the Big Red or joining the pep band in their rendition of "Give My Regards to Davy," the Lynah Faithful reaffirms the old saying, "There’s no place like home."

Since the doors opened on Lynah Rink, the Cornell men's hockey program has won a pair of NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships in 1967 and 1970, garnering an ECAC Hockey-record 13 tournament championships (1967-70, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996-97, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024) and 26 Ivy League titles, 22 of which have been won outright.

Cornell will face Quinnipiac for the second time in eight days when it plays the Bobcats at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the biennial Frozen Apple contest. Puck drop from The World's Most Famous Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. Game action will be broadcast on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com). Canadian fans can also stream the game on TSN+ or Stretch Internet.