Men’s Hockey Heads to Princeton, #16 Quinnipiac to Start ECAC Hockey Home Stretch

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

THE PUCK DROP

The Cornell men’s hockey team begins the home stretch of ECAC Hockey play this weekend, concluding its seven-game road trip, when it travels to Princeton and No. 16-ranked Quinnipiac.

Puck drop for both contests on the weekend are slated for 7 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. Both games will also be regionally broadcast on SNY (Friday) and NESN (Saturday), as well as being available over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com), featuring Jason Weinstein on play-by-play.

KEMPF NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL AWARD

For the second consecutive season, senior defenseman Hank Kempf has been nominated for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, it was announced Tuesday afternoon by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation.

One of 14 nominees for this year’s award, the honor is bestowed yearly upon college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but to the community at-large through leadership in volunteerism.

Kempf is one of two student-athletes representing ECAC Hockey on this year’s nominee list, joining St. Lawrence women’s hockey graduate student Sarah Thompson, who was also a finalist for last year’s award.

Kempf’s nomination is the 10th time a Cornell player has been nominated for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, and is the first Big Red student-athlete to ever be nominated for the award multiple times.

A finalist for last year’s award, Kempf is one of two Cornell men’s hockey players (Sam Paolini ‘03, who won the award in 2003) to be named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.

THE GAME IS ON HIS STICK

Junior forward Dalton Bancroft broke open a 2-2 tie with his third-period goal to guide Cornell to a 4-2 victory over UMass on Jan. 3 in the first semifinal of the Desert Hockey Classic in Tempe, Ariz. Bancroft’s goal was his third game-winning goal of the season and the seventh of his Cornell career.

Bancroft became the first Cornell player to have at least three game-winning goals across the first 12 games of a season since forward Matt Stienburg ‘23 also had three game-winners in the first 12 games of the 2021-22 season.

With a game-winning goal this weekend, Bancroft would become the first Cornell player to have at least four game-winning goals within the first 17 games of a season since defenseman Nick D’Agostino ‘13 (five) in 2011-12. No Cornell forward has had four game-winning goals in the first 17 games of a campaign since Doug Marrett ‘74 also had four game-winners in 1972-73.

Entering this weekend, Bancroft is tied with 33 players for the eighth-most game-winning goals. Bancroft is tied for the ECAC Hockey lead in game-winning goals with Clarkson forward Ayrton Martino, Colgate forward Daniel Panetta, and Dartmouth defenseman John Fusco.

Nationally, only Denver’s Sam Harris and Michigan State’s Daniel Russell (six), Boston College’s Ryan Leonard and Western Michigan’s Tim Washe (five), and Ferris State’s Caiden Gault, Michigan’s Michael Hage, and Minnesota State’s Rhett Pitlick (four) have more game-winning goals this season.

BE VERY VERY QUIET, HE'S HUNTING BOBCATS!

With his short-handed goal against Quinnipiac in the Frozen Apple at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 30, junior forward Dalton Bancroft scored his sixth goal against Quinnipiac, tying Joe Devin ‘11 (10 games) and Mitch Vanderlaan ‘19 (13 games) for the most goals scored against the Bobcats in program history.

Bancroft (6-1—7) is currently in a six-way tie with Devin (6-1—7), Nick D’Agostino (3-4—7), Yanni Kaldis (1-6—7), Jeff Kubiak (4-3—7), and Brendon Nash (1-6—7) for the third-most points against Quinnipiac in Cornell history.

With a point Saturday, Bancroft will match Greg Miller (2-6—8) for the second-most points versus Quinnipiac in program history. The current points leader against Quinnipiac is Vanderlaan, who had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 13 games against the Bobcats.

MISTER RELIABLE

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh leads all Cornell centermen with 173 faceoff wins this season, tied for 58th nationally and ranking sixth in ECAC Hockey, trailing Clarkson’s Ellis Rickwood (222), Quinnipiac’s Victor Czerneckianair (207), Brown’s Max Scott (205), RPI’s Jakob Lee (190), and Dartmouth’s Sean Chisholm (186).

Walsh has won 55.4 percent of the draws he has taken this season (173-of-312) ranking 33rd nationally among Division I players with at least 150 faceoff wins. He ranks fifth amongng ECAC Hockey players, trailing Czerneckianair (207-of-345 — .600), Rickwood (222-of-376 — .590), Chisholm (186-of-331 — .562), and Lee (190-of-342 — .556).

This season, Walsh has recorded a double-digit faceoff win total in 10 games and has won at least 13 draws on eight occasions, tied with Holy Cross’ Jack Stockfish, Maine’s Harrison Scott, North Dakota’s Jake Schmaltz,  RIT’s Simon Isabelle, Western Michigan’s Tim Washe, and Wisconsin’s Gavin Morrissey for the eighth-most games with at least 13 faceoff wins. Air Force’s Clayton Cosentino (14), Notre Dame’s Danny Nelson (13), Bemidji State’s Jackson Jutting, Bentley’s Ethan Leyh, and Niagara’s Tyler Wallace (12), and Northeastern’s Jack Williams and Brown’s Max Scott (9) have more games with 13-plus faceoff wins.

Entering this weekend’s slate, Walsh is one of 14 Division I players to average at least 11.50 faceoff wins per game this season. Scott (13.67), Nelson (13.50), Cosentino (12.79), Leyh (12.55), Wallace (12.22), Jutting (12.18), Stockfish (11.95), Denver’s Carter King (11.86), Minnesota Duluth’s Dominic James (11.68), Arizona State’s Artem Shlaine (11.64), Chisholm (11.63), and Isabelle and RIT’s Tyler Fukukasa (11.59) are those ahead of Walsh.

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 99 career appearances between the pipes for the Big Red, Shane has a 55-26-14 record with a 1.82 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.

Shane’s 55 career victories ranks sixth among Cornell goaltenders in program history. Entering this weekend, Shane is three wins shy of to tying Andy Iles ’14 for fifth in program history. The 55 wins makes Shane one of five active Division I goaltenders with 50-plus career victories, joining Western Michigan’s Cameron Rowe (64), Wisconsin’s Tommy Scarfone (63), Boston University’s Mathieu Caron (52), and Denver’s Matt Davis (50).

After making 24 saves to earn his 12th career shutout in a 5-0 victory over Princeton on Nov. 23, Shane’s 12 shutouts are tied with Scarfone for the most by all active Division I goaltenders. Both netminders have three more shutouts than North Dakota graduate student T.J. Semptimphelter (nine).

The 12 shutouts rank fifth all-time among Cornell goaltenders, one shy of matching Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden ‘69, who assumes fourth place with 13 shutouts.

Entering this weekend, Shane’s 1,939 career saves rank as the 11th-most stops by a Cornell goaltender in program history. Shane enters this weekend 49 stops shy of surpassing Dryden and officially entering the top 10 in Big Red history, as well as 61 saves away from becoming Cornell’s 10th player in program history to reach the 2,000-save plateau.

JOINING RAREFIED COMPANY

With an appearance between the pipes this weekend, senior goaltender Ian Shane will become the fourth Big Red goaltender in program history to appear in 100 career games with Cornell, joining Andy Iles ‘14 (118 games), Ben Scrivens ‘10 (117 games), and David McKee ‘06 (102 games).

Among active Division I goaltenders, Shane would become the sixth netminder to register 100 career appearances, joining Western Michigan’s Cameron Rowe (117 games), Boston University’s Mathieu Caron (107 games), Wisconsin’s Tommy Scarfone (107 games), Clarkson’s Ethan Langenegger (103 games), and Bemidji State’s Mattias Sholl (102 games).

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Senior goaltender Ian Shane boasts a 1.82 career goals-against average, standing as the 11th-best figure in Division I hockey history. Shane is among 35 goalies with a sub-2.00 goals-against average while logging at least 1,500 minutes between the pipes.

Shane’s career goals-against average currently trails LeNeveu (1.29), Quinnipiac’s 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), UMass Lowell and current Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (1.60), former Big Red netminders Galajda (1.70) and David McKee (1.72), and Maine’s Albin Boija (1.76).

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

Ben Scrivens ‘10 recorded a goals-against average of 1.93, leading Cornell to have six of the 35 sub-2.00 career goals-against averages in NCAA history — the highest number for any Division I program. Other Division I programs with multiple sub-2.00 averages include Quinnipiac (four), Maine and Notre Dame (three each), and Denver, Miami, Michigan State, and UMass (two each).

Among active Division I goaltenders who have played at least 1,500 minutes, Shane is one of only two netminders with a career goals-against average below 2.00, joning Boija.

'TENDY POINT!

Senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded an assist on senior defenseman Tim Rego’s second-period goal against Harvard on Nov. 16, becoming Cornell’s first goaltender to earn a point since Matthew Galajda assisted Morgan Barron on a power-play goal in the second period of a 6-0 shutout of Brown on March 22, 2019, at the 2019 ECAC Hockey Championship semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Shane became the 25th goaltender in Cornell history to record a point and the 24th to earn an assist.

Paired with his 32 saves in the Big Red’s tie with the Crimson, Shane became the 10th Cornell goaltender to make 30 saves and have an assist in the same game, joining Steve Kelleher, Dave Chrastina, Darren Eliot (twice), Doug Dadswell, Corrie D’Alessio, Ian Burt, Ben Scrivens, Mitch Gillam, and Galajda.

Should Shane record another assist this season, he would be the fifth Big Red goaltender to have multiple points in a season, joining Kelleher (two assists in 1973-74), Parris Duffus (three assists in 1991-92), Troy Davenport (two assists in 2006-07), and Gillam (two assists in 2014-15).

THAT'LL LEAVE A MARK…

Sophomore defenseman Hoyt Stanley blocked four shots in the Big Red’s 5-0 shutout of Princeton on Nov. 23, marking the third time he absorbed at least four shots in a game this season. Stanley’s four blocked shots matched his single-game high, all of which have come this season.

According to data from College Hockey News, Stanley is one of 13 Cornell players to block at least four shots in at least three games in a season since the statistic began being tracked in 2012-13.

Should Stanley block at least four shots in either game this weekend, he would enter into a six-way tie with Reece Willcox (2014-15 & 2015-16), Alec McCrea (2017-18), Yanni Kaldis (2017-18), Matthew Nuttle (2018-19), and Tim Rego (2023-24) for the 10th-most games with four-plus blocked shots by a Cornell player in a single season.

Heading into this weekend, Stanley’s 1.73 blocks per game are the 32nd-highest average nationally and ranks ninth among ECAC Hockey players, trailing Brown’s Alex Pineau (2.80), Colgate’s Reid Irwin (2.38), Clarkson’s Tristan Sarsland (2.25), Yale’s Dylan Herzog (2.20), Clarkson’s Trey Taylor (2.10), Harvard’s Ian Moore (2.07), Quinnipiac’s Elliott Groenewold (1.95), and RPI’s Gustavs Ozolins (1.76).

ON THE PLUS SIDE…

Entering this weekend’s contests, Cornell is the one of two Division I programs (Minnesota) to have at least four players with a plus-minus rating of at least plus-40.

Senior forward Ondrej Psenicka paces the Big Red’s quartet with a plus-48 rating and is joined by his fellow classmates Kyle Penney (plus-47), Tim Rego (plus-46), and Jack O’Leary (plus-40).

Psenicka’s plus-48 rating places him tied with Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud for the seventh-best plus-minus rating among active Division I players. Penney’s plus-47 rating is tied with Minnesota’s Mason Nevers for ninth nationally, while Rego (plus-46) is tied for 11th with Boston College’s Ryan Leonard.

Cornell is one of three Division I programs (Minnesota — four; Boston College — two) with at least three players with a plus-minus rating of plus-45.

Since the 2002-03 season, when plus-minus ratings  were tracked throughout the season by Cornell, Psenicka’s career plus-minus rating of plus-48 stands as the third-highest career figure in program history, only trailing forward Greg Miller (plus-52) and defenseman Travis Mitchell (plus-51).

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Cornell saw scoring contributions from nearly every skater who appeared in at least one game last season. Of the 23 skaters who appeared in at least one contest last year, 21 registered at least one point (91.3 percent), and 19 players (82.6 percent) recorded at least two points.

Across its first 15 games this season, Cornell has succeeded in maintaining the scoring levels achieved from last year. This year, 21 of the 24 players who have appeared in at least one game have at least one point (87.5 percent), and 19 players have at least two points (79.2 percent).

The sophomore class, which led the team last season in all three major scoring categories — goals (44), assists (70), and points (114), has accounted for a team-high 43.9 percent of Cornell’s scoring this season, leading in assists (32) and points (47). Only Robert Morris (94 of 168 points — 56.0 percent) and Army (74 of 159 points — 46.5 percent) are the lone Division I programs with a higher percentage of points from their sophomore class.

Of Cornell’s 107 points on the season, 55 have come from underclassmen (51.4 percent), ranking as the 21st-highest percentage in Division I hockey. Among ECAC Hockey programs, only Brown (56 of 76 points — 73.7 percent) and Yale (54 of 88 points — 61.4 percent) have higher percentages.

BLUELINE HELPING OUT

Of the Big Red’s 107 points on the season, 34 (five goals, 29 assists) have come from defensemen (31.8 percent of scoring production).

Cornell is one of 10 programs to have at least 30 percent of their scoring from defensemen, joining Colgate (58 of 174 — 33.3 percent), Air Force (42 of 126 — 33.3 percent), Minnesota Duluth (51 of 160 — 31.9 percent), Robert Morris (53 of 168 — 31.5 percent), Merrimack (38 of 122 — 31.1 percent), Omaha (44 of 142 — 31.0 percent), Princeton (24 of 78 — 30.8 percent), Lindenwood (34 of 111 — 30.6 percent), and Notre Dame (51 of 170 — 30.0 percent).

The 29 assists by Cornell blueliners (43.9 percent of its assist total) is the highest average among Division I hockey programs this season and one of two programs with at least 40 percent of its assists coming from blueliners (Omaha — 38 of 89 — 42.7 percent).

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 548 wins are the 18th-most wins by a Division I head coach in college hockey history and is seven 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 (655), Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin (609), and Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson (596).

SCOUTING PRINCETON

Princeton enters the weekend with a 6-8-1 overall record and 3-6-1 mark in ECAC Hockey contests. The Tigers are currently situated in a three-way tie with Cornell (3-3-2) and Yale (3-6-1) for seventh in the ECAC Hockey standings with 11 points.

After posting a five-game win streak — the Tigers’ longest since the 2017-18 season — Princeton has dropped its last four games, all of which have come against ranked opponents (No. 20 New Hampshire, 3-0 and 4-3, and No. 18 Quinnipiac, 4-2 and 3-0).

Brendan Gorman (6-7—13) is Princeton’s lone player with at least 10 points on the season, pacing the Tigers in goals and points. David Jacobs (1-8—9) owns the team lead in assists. Jake Manfre and Noah de la Durantaye each have scored two game-winning goals for Princeton.

Goaltending duties have favored Arthur Smith of late as the sophomore has started eight of the Tigers’ last nine games. During the span, Smith has compiled a 5-3-0 record with a 1.64 goals-against average and .940 save percentage (205 saves on 218 shots against). Smith’s goals-against average and save percentage rank as the sixth-best figure in Division I hockey since Nov. 29.

123 YEARS, 222 MILES, 163 MEETINGS

Cornell and Princeton will meet for the 164th time on Friday night. The Big Red owns an impressive 101-54-8 lead in the series lead over the Tigers, with the 101 victories serving as the most against a single opponent in program history, nine more than the 92 wins over Yale (92-63-10).

Since being shut out, 1-0, at Lynah Rink on Feb. 9, 2013, Cornell has a 20-4-0 record against the Tigers, having an average scoring margin of +1.96 (3.83 goals for, 1.79 goals against). The Big Red has scored three-plus goals in 10 of the last 11 and 20 of the previous 24 games against Princeton.

The Big Red is 10-2-0 in its last 12 contests at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink, averaging 3.33 goals scored compared to just 1.50 goals allowed. Following last year’s overtime victory on its home ice, Princeton is seeking for its first home win streak against Cornell since stringing three wins together between March 13, 1999, and Feb. 9, 2001.

CORNELL - PRINCETON CONNECTIONS

Princeton first-year head coach Ben Syer served 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, which also featured former Cornell goaltender Mike Garman on staff ... Kai Daniells was teammates on the Nanaimo Clippers with Jack O’Brien (2020-22) and Sean Donaldson (2021-22) ... Donaldson also 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.

SHANE GUIDES #8 MEN'S HOCKEY TO SHUTOUT WIN OVER PRINCETON

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (NOV. 23, 2024) — Senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded 24 saves en route to his Division I-leading 12th career shutout as the No. 8-ranked Cornell men's hockey team (4-2-2, 2-2-2 ECAC Hockey) defeated Princeton (1-4-1, 1-4-1 ECAC Hockey), 5-0, before a sold-out crowd at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Aiding Shane in his shutout, four players registered two-point nights, highlighted by senior forward Ondrej Psenicka, sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson and sophomore forward Ryan Walsh, who all had a goal and added an assist. Robertson's classmate and fellow blueliner George Fegaras chipped in two assists.

Princeton's Ethan Pearson made 19 saves in the setback for the Tigers.

The Big Red went 2-for-5 on the power play on Saturday night and killed all four of Princeton's power-play opportunities, which included seven shots on goal. 

"Special teams got the job done," said Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "Penalty kill, Ian made some big saves for us when we needed it, the power play generated some chances and scored some goals. So far this year, we've lost every special teams game except for this one. It's something good to build on.

"We changed lines up, changed power plays up. Maybe they got comfortable playing with the same players, but tonight, they had to get their heads up, read each other, look around and make some decisions we didn't do last night."

Cornell staked out to a 3-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes of play as junior forward Dalton Bancroft, sophomore forward Jake Kraft, and Psenicka all found the back of the net during 5-on-5 action.

Bancroft opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the top of the slot after receiving a pass from Major at the near half-wall.

Over two minutes later, Kraft doubled up Cornell's lead when he one-timed a shot at the base of the crease on a wrap-around pass by senior defenseman Tim Rego, extending his point streak to three games and matching his career high. Senior forward Jack O'Leary earned the secondary helper.

With under four minutes remaining in the period, a wrist shot from the point by senior defenseman Michael Suda deflected off the torso of Psenicka and past Pearson to give the Big Red a 3-0 lead.

Neither team scored in the second period despite a combined eight penalties being called and each team having three power-play opportunities.

Both of Cornell's third-period goals came on the power play, with the first one coming on a threaded pass by Robertson from the top of the near faceoff circle to Walsh at the far post for a tip-in one-timer.

Following a Princeton penalty and a faceoff win by Walsh, Robertson netted Cornell's fifth goal of the night, blazing a wrist shot from nearly the same spot in the faceoff circle.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC

No. 16-ranked Quinnipiac enters the weekend with an overall record of 13-7-1 and an ECAC Hockey mark of 7-3-1, pacing the 12-team conference with its 24 points.

Since tying with Cornell, 3-3, at the Frozen Apple on Nov. 30 in New York, the Bobcats have won seven of their last eight games and has scored three-plus goals in all but one contest.

Jeremy Wilmer (6-14—20) and Mason Marcellus (5-15—20) are tied for the team lead in points. Jack Ricketts (10-2—12) leads the team in goals, the lone player with a double-digit goal total. Marcellus, Wilmer, and Andon Cerbone (5-13—18) are the lone trio of Bobcat players with at least 10 assists.

Matej Marinov leads Quinnipiac’s goaltenders with his 2.08 goals-against average over his nine appearances (seven starts). Marinov also owns a team-best .917 save percentage to go along with his 6-2-0 record. Dylan Silverstein has a 7-5-1 record in his 14 outings (all starts) while compiling a 2.25 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

23 YEARS, 268 MILES, 53 MEETINGS

Cornell and Quinnipiac will meet for the 54th time on Saturday. The Big Red owns the series lead, 27-21-5, and is 10-5-2 over its last 17 games against the Bobcats.

The Big Red will be playing a ranked Bobcats squad for the 10th consecutive time. Of the last 31 games between the ECAC Hockey rivals, 26 have featured Quinnipiac being ranked at the time of the contest. Cornell is 11-15-3 all-time against a ranked Quinnipiac squad.

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.

MACK, CASTAGNA LOG MULTI-POINT NIGHTS AS #11 MEN'S HOCKEY TIES WITH #18 QUINNIPIAC

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

NEW YORK (NOV. 30, 2024) — Making his return from a four-game absence, senior forward Sullivan Mack scored a goal and added an assist to aid the No. 11-ranked Cornell men's hockey team (4-2-3) to a 3-3 tie with No. 18-ranked Quinnipiac (6-6-1) before a crowd of 16,593 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Joining Mack in having a multi-point performance was sophomore Jonathan Castagna, who chipped in two assists.

Senior forward Jack O'Leary and junior forward Dalton Bancroft also lit the lamp in the draw for the Big Red, who extended its unbeaten streak at Madison Square Garden to five games (4-0-1).

Aaron Schwartz was the lone player for Quinnipiac to have a multi-point night, scoring once and assisting on another Bobcat tally. Cooper Moore and Andon Cerbone also found the back of the net for Quinnipiac.

Cornell's Ian Shane stopped 26 shots in the draw while Dylan Silverstein matched his season high for saves, shoving aside 30 Big Red shots between the pipes.

Saturday's contest was the most attended Cornell hockey game at Madison Square Garden since Red Hot Hockey on Nov. 28, 2015, when Cornell and Boston University played to a 3-3 tie in front of 17,154. It was the second-largest Frozen Apple game in the series history, trailing the inaugural contest on Nov. 24, 2012, when the Big Red posted a 5-1 win over Michigan before a sold-out crowd of 18,200, which was the last of four consecutive sellouts at the venue.

Mack gave Cornell the lead 2:12 into the contest as Castagna weaved through Quinnipiac's defense on a controlled breakout from behind the Big Red's net. Following a shot by Castagna from the bottom of the near faceoff circle, he regained control of the puck behind the Bobcats net, setting up Mack for a one-timer from the right faceoff circle.

Late in the first period, Bancroft netted a short-handed goal to double Cornell's lead. After a Quinnipiac shot that missed the net, sophomore forward Ryan Walsh chipped the puck between two Quinnipiac defenders off the boards to set up a 2-on-0 breakaway where Bancroft one-timed Walsh's pass past Silverstein.

The Bobcats retaliated with a three-goal second period to take a 3-2 lead. Cerbone potted Quinnipiac's first goal 11 seconds into the middle stanza on the power play, which carried over from the first period. Travis Treloar intercepted the puck from behind Cornell's net and quickly set up Cerbone on the edge of the crease.

Schwartz evened the game at 2-all on a delayed penalty, tipping in a pass at the near post from Jeremy Wilmer, who was at the bottom of the far faceoff circle. 

Immediately following the expiration of a 4-on-4 situation, Moore tallied a short-handed goal to give Quinnipiac a 3-2 lead, one-timing a pass by Schwartz on a quick drop pass from Chris Pelosi at the base of the right faceoff circle.

Cornell evened the game 1:12 into the third period as O'Leary pounced on a loose rebound after Mack had a shot saved by Silverstein while drawing a Quinnipiac penalty, which was quickly washed out by O'Leary's tally.

The Big Red out-shot the Bobcats in the third period, 13-6, and both netminders stood tall in goal, forcing a five-minute overtime.

Quinnipiac generated eight shot attempts during the five-minute 3-on-3 period, only three of which were on goal. Cornell's lone chance in the overtime period came with 3.2 seconds left when sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson back-handed a shot on goal that nearly beat Silverstein between his legs.

Bancroft opened the shootout with a goal and Wilmer missed his attempt. Senior defenseman Hank Kempf took Cornell's second shot and beat Silverstein with a deke but could not get the shot off in time. Treloar had his back-handed shot blockered aside by Shane to keep the advantage in favor of Cornell. Walsh had his shot stopped by Silverstein to begin round three of the shootout and Cerbone had his attempt padded away by Shane to give Cornell the shootout victory.

EARLY SCORING SURGE LEADS SACRED HEART TO WIN OVER #18 MEN'S HOCKEY

BOX SCORE | RECAP

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (JAN. 12, 2025) — Three unanswered goals over the first 20-plus minutes of action staked Sacred Heart (12-8-4) out to an early 3-0 lead, and the Pioneers successfully staved off a comeback attempt by the No. 18-ranked Cornell men's hockey team (6-5-4) as it defeated the Big Red, 4-2, at Martire Family Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Tyler Ghirardosi posted the lone multi-point game for the Pioneers, assisting on Max Dorrington's game-winning goal before tallying an empty-net goal with 32 seconds left. Cole Galata and John Jaworski also found the back of the net for the Pioneers, aiding first-year goaltender Ajeet Gundarah in recording his 10th win on the season after making 27 saves.

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh factored in both Big Red goals, netting his team-leading seventh goal and recording an assist on fellow sophomore forward Jake Kraft's third-period goal. Senior goaltender Ian Shane stopped seven of 10 shots before giving way to junior netminder Remington Keopple, who stopped all 10 shots he saw.

"I don't think we were ready to play," said Cornell men's hockey associate head coach Casey Jones '90. "We were making some progress, playing some good hockey after the holidays, then tonight, I thought we wanted to take it easy. We're disappointed in terms of execution and effort. Give credit to Sacred Heart. They made a couple of adjustments and we weren't mentally prepared to adjust."

Sacred Heart took the lead five-plus minutes into the contest for the second time in as many games. Galata tipped in a shot from the point by defenseman Hunter Sansbury while engaged with a Cornell defender in front of the net. The puck lofted over Shane's head before trickling across the goal line.

Continuing its success from Friday night, Cornell's penalty kill limited Sacred Heart's power play to just one shot attempt on a pair of first-period chances with the man advantage.

On the Big Red's first penalty kill, junior forward Sullivan Mack had a scoring chance during a 3-on-2 odd-man rush but his shot rang off the post.

The Pioneers increased its lead to 3-0 less than a minute into the second period as Jaworski and Dorrington teamed up to score twice in 32 seconds, chasing Shane out of the game.

Keopple was tested early with a breakaway by Jake Bongo but made a windmill glove save to keep the deficit at three.

"He made the breakaway save right off the bat," Jones said. "That locked us in, gave us a good chance, and gave us some juice on the bench. It got us going and got him in the game. Tough place to come in like that and he responded well."

Following Keopple's stop, Sacred Heart's three-goal lead would be short-lived as Walsh tallied Cornell's first goal on a wrist shot from the top of the slot at the 4:56 mark of the second period. Freshman defenseman Nicholas Wolfenberg made a long stretch pass from behind Cornell's goal line to Walsh in the neutral zone, leading Walsh to quickly entering the offensive zone and have his shot glance off Gundarah's glove and into the net.

The Big Red generated seven shot attempts and had five shots on goal during two power-play chances in the second period, but Gundarah preserved the Pioneers' two-goal lead heading into the third period.

Cornell cut Sacred Heart's lead to one, 3-2, with 4:11 left in the third period as Kraft one-timed a pass from Walsh behind Sacred Heart's net at the left elbow of the crease. Sophomore forward Nick DeSantis logged the secondary assist, snapping his eight-game pointless streak.

After pulling Keopple with over two minutes left, Sacred Heart had a chance to pot the insurance marker with 1:59 left but Mack blocked Bongo's shot, hoping to spark the Big Red in netting the game-tying goal. Immediately after Mack's blocked shot, the Big Red peppered Sacred Heart with five shot attempts in 32 seconds, but the Pioneers would block four of the attempts.

Following an offensive zone faceoff win by sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna with under 45 seconds left, Ghirardosi potted the insurance marker into an empty Cornell net on a clearing attempt from his own defensive zone.

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 return to Lynah Rink next weekend where it will play its first pair of home games since Dec. 6, when it welcomes ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals Harvard (5-7-2, 4-4-2 ECAC Hockey) and Dartmouth (8-6-2, 5-3-1 ECAC Hockey).

Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).