#17 Men's Hockey Concludes Fall Semester with North Country Road Trip

Casey Jones '90
The Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey

PUCK DROP

• The No. 17-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team (6-3-0, 5-1-0 ECAC Hockey) concludes the fall semester portion of the 2025-26 season this weekend when it travels to the North Country for contests against ECAC Hockey foes Clarkson (5-11-0, 1-5-0, ECAC Hockey) and St. Lawrence (2-13-1, 1-5-0 ECAC Hockey).

• Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+ with regional coverage on SNY.

WELCOME BACK TO NORTH COUNTRY

• Friday’s contest at Clarkson marks the first time Casey Jones ‘90 will face the Golden Knights as Cornell’s head coach after spending 13 seasons leading the program. Jones compiled a 234-185-56 (.552) record at Clarkson, including winning the 2019 Tim Taylor Award as ECAC Hockey’s Coach of the Year.

• Under Jones’ guidance, Clarkson achieved six 20-win seasons — four coming during a five-year span from 2015 to 2020. The Golden Knights made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019, winning the ECAC Hockey Tournament title in 2019, and were on track for a third consecutive berth in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely. Clarkson ranked in the top 16 of the pairwise rankings for five straight seasons (2017-22) and reached the ECAC Hockey semifinals three times (2018, 2019, 2022) during Jones’ tenure.

• Saturday will also feature a homecoming as Cornell associate head coach Sean Flanagan returns to his hometown of Canton, N.Y. Flanagan, a five-year member of St. Lawrence’s men’s hockey team (2006-11), will also be coaching against his brother, Kyle, and cousin, Brendan, who are both in their first year on the Saints’ coaching staff.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

• This weekend marks Cornell’s sixth and seventh games of a 15-game stretch that will be played entirely within New York State. After opening the season with three games in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire, the Big Red won’t leave the Empire State until traveling to New Haven, Conn., to face Yale on Jan. 30.

• The 15-game stretch features 12 contests at Lynah Rink, last Saturday’s biennial Red Hot Hockey matchup against Boston University at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and this weekend’s annual trip to the North Country to face Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

• It marks Cornell’s fourth-longest streak of games played within New York in program history and the longest since an 18-game run from Jan. 20-March 18, 2017.

WALSH HEADED TO SPENGLER CUP

• Junior captain Ryan Walsh was named to the United States Collegiate Selects roster for this year’s Spengler Cup, it was announced Nov. 6. Walsh will compete Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland, in the 97th Spengler Cup, marking the first year a select team representing college hockey will participate in the prestigious tournament. Only two U.S.-based college programs — Minnesota (1981) and North Dakota (1982) — have previously competed in the event.

• Walsh is the 14th Cornell player since 1983 named to a Spengler Cup roster, joining Lance Nethery (HC Davos, 1983-89), Dan Ratushny (Team Canada, 1988, 1990, 2000), Brad Chartrand (Team Canada, 1997), Jason Elliott (TPS, 2002), Dave LeNeveu (Team Canada, 2009), Charlie Cook (HC Davos, 2010), Mike Iggulden (Team Canada, 2010), Mike Knoepfli (HC Fribourg-Gottéron, 2012), Kirill Gotovets and Ben Scrivens (Dinamo Minsk, 2016), Ryan Vesce (HC Lugano, 2016; EHC Olten, 2017), Riley Nash (Team Canada, 2022), and Alex Green (Straubing Tigers, 2024).

ALEXIS-CELLENCE BETWEEN THE PIPES

• Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer has been stellar between the pipes through his first eight collegiate games, compiling a 6-2-0 record with a 1.39 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, ranking second in both categories among qualified Division I goaltenders. He trails ECAC Hockey counterpart Emmett Croteau (0.75, .970) of Dartmouth in both metrics.

• Cournoyer is the fifth Cornell goaltender since 2005-06 with a sub-2.00 goals-against average through his first eight career games. Cournoyer’s 1.39 figure entering this weekend is 25 points ahead of Matthew Galajda (1.64, 2017-18), while Ian Shane (1.65, 2021-22), Austin McGrath (1.71, 2018-19), and Mitch Gillam (1.85, 2013-15) are the others.

• The .947 save percentage posted by Cournoyer ranks as the best mark by a Cornell goaltender through their first eight games since 2005-06, ahead of Gillam’s .938 clip. Cournoyer is one of five Big Red goaltenders to have at least a .930 save percentage in his first eight career games, also joining Shane (.937), McGrath (.935), and Hayden Stewart (.931).

• Among active Division I goaltenders, Cournoyer (1.39) is one of five active Division I goaltenders with a sub-1.50 goals-against average through their first eight games (minimum 400 minutes), joining Maine’s Albin Boija (1.28, 2023-24), Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser (1.35, 2025-26), Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic (1.38, 2025-26), and Michigan State’s Luca DiPasquo (1.43, 2023-25).

• Cournoyer’s .947 save percentage ranks as the highest figure posted by a Division I goaltender through his first eight career games (minimum 400 minutes) since current Montréal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš had a .950 save percentage in his first eight games with Ohio State to begin the 2021-22. Cournoyer is one of six active Division I goaltenders with at least a .940 save percentage in his first eight career games, joining Maine’s Albin Boija (.944), Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky (.943), Army’s JJ Cataldo (.942), UMass’ Jackson Irving (.941), and Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser (.940).

(BIG) RED MEANS STOP

• Cornell has allowed 13 goals through its first nine games, marking the seventh time the Big Red have surrendered 13 or fewer goals by the ninth game of a season. The program record remains with the 1965-66 squad (nine), while the teams from 2004-05 (11), 1910-11, 2002-03, and 2019-20 (12 each), and 1967-68 (13) are the others that meet the criteria.

• The Big Red’s stinginess has carried over from recent seasons, as Cornell owns the second-best scoring defense as of Wednesday morning (1.44 goals allowed per game). Cornell has ranked among the top 10 nationally in scoring defense 12 times over the past two decades — more than any other program — and is one of only three teams (Denver and Minnesota State with 10 each) to post at least 10 top-10 finishes in that span.

• Cornell has not allowed more than two goals in any of its first nine games, marking the fourth time in program history the Big Red have accomplished the feat. Should the Big Red hold Clarkson to two goals or less, it would match the 1965-66 and 2004-05 teams for Cornell’s second-longest season-opening streak without allowing three goals. If both games this weekend feature Cornell limiting its opponents to two goals or less, it would be the second-longest streak of yielding two goals or less to begin a season, trailing only a 14-game stretch that opened the 2019-20 campaign.

• Over the last nine seasons, Cornell has finished in the top 10 in scoring defense seven times, tied with Minnesota State for the most in Division I, and in the top 12 in each of its last eight seasons, the longest active streak nationally. The Big Red have also ranked in the top 12 in 10 of the past 11 seasons.

• Since 2014-15, Cornell has allowed 1.968 goals per game — joining Minnesota State (1.884) as the only Division I programs under 2.00 in that span — and has not conceded 100 goals in a season since 1997-98, a 26-year streak twice as long as any other active run (Minnesota State and Providence — 13 each). Within ECAC Hockey, Clarkson (8) and Quinnipiac (7) rank second and third, respectively.

FIVE-PIECE, PLEASE

• Since being named to the Spengler Cup roster on Nov. 6, junior forward Ryan Walsh (3-8—11) has found his scoring touch, collecting nine (three goals, six assists) of his team-leading 11 points on the season.

• In Cornell’s 6-1 win over RPI on Nov. 22, Walsh recorded a career-high five assists, becoming the 21st Big Red player (30th instance) to register at least five assists in a game and the first since current Cornell head coach Casey Jones ‘90 on Jan. 6, 1989, against Brown.

• Walsh, one of five players to register at least four assists in a game this season, became the first Division I player to record a five-assist game since Army’s Nils Forselius tallied five helpers in a six-point performance during a 13-1 win over Mercyhurst on Jan. 11, 2024.

SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIAL

• Paired with Ryan Walsh’s five-assist performance against RPI on Nov. 22, junior forward Jonathan Castagna achieved another relatively rare feat in the same game, scoring on both the power play and while short-handed.

• The last Big Red player to score on both ends of special teams was Ondrej Psenicka on Feb. 19, 2022, against Clarkson. However, Psenicka’s short-handed goal was scored into an empty net, making Castagna the first Cornell player to score a power-play and short-handed goal against an opposing goaltender since Mike Rutter on Feb. 11, 2000, at Clarkson.

• Castagna is the 17th Cornell player (24th instance) since 1960-61 to register a power-play and short-handed goal in the same game, and only the fourth player (sixth occurrence) to accomplish the feat over the last 45 years, also joining Joe Nieuwendyk, who did it three times.

• This season, Castagna is one of eight Division I players to score on both ends of special teams in the same contest. Notably, three of the eight instances have been recorded by ECAC Hockey players, including Quinnipiac’s Chris Pelosi and RPI’s Filip Sitar. The other players include Air Force’s Chris Hedden, LIU’s Brett Rylance, Maine’s Max Scott and Josh Nadeau, and Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante.

JONNY-ON-THE-DOT

• Through the first nine games, junior forward Jonathan Castagna boasts the nation’s top faceoff win percentage among players with a minimum of 100 faceoff wins, winning 108 of 169 draws (63.9 percent), and is one of 12 players with at least a 60.0 percent win percentage on faceoffs.

• In the 2025 calendar year, Castagna has been one of the nation’s most reliable players at the dot, winning 62.3 percent of his draws (315-of-506), making him one of two active Division I players with at least a 60 percent success rate on faceoffs, joining Wisconsin’s Gavin Morrissey (400-of-666 — .601).

LUCK OF THE DRAW

• The success that junior forwards Jonathan Castagna (108 faceoff wins, 63.9 percent) and Ryan Walsh (101 faceoff wins, 54.9 percent) have had at the dot has enabled Cornell to serve as the lone Division I program with multiple players averaging at least 10 faceoff wins per game this season.

• Castagna’s team-leading 108 faceoff wins have resulted in a 12.00 faceoff wins per game average, ranking ninth nationally. Walsh is right behind at 11.22 faceoff wins per game, tied for 14th nationally. Both players have the second- and third-highest faceoff wins per game totals in ECAC Hockey, trailing only Dartmouth’s Hank Cleaves (12.50).

• With Castagna and Walsh each having at least 100 faceoff wins and a 54.8 percent success rate, Cornell is one of 11 programs with two players meeting that criteria: Arizona State, Bowling Green, Colorado College, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State, Union, and Wisconsin.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ken Dryden '69, the legendary Cornell men's hockey goaltender who still holds the program record for career wins (76) and backstopped the Big Red to its first national championship in 1967, died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 78.

"Ken Dryden was not only one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of hockey, but also a symbol of excellence, intellect, and leadership who represented Cornell with unmatched distinction," said Dr. Nicki Moore, Cornell's Meakem & Smith Director of Athletics & Physical Education. "His impact on the game, on our university, and in communities throughout his homeland in Canada will endure far beyond the ice. Cornell Athletics & Physical Education mourns his passing, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who were inspired by his extraordinary life."

"Ken Dryden was the quintessential student-athlete," added Casey Jones '90, the current Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "He was a great ambassador for Cornell and hockey in general. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

"Intelligent, classy, articulate, kind, athletic, and thoughtful are just a few characteristics that come to mind," stated former Cornell men's hockey head coach Mike Schafer '86. "Ken Dryden was a legend and a trailblazer in the sport of hockey. Cornell University, Cornell Hockey, the Montreal Canadiens, and the hockey community have lost one of the greatest ambassadors for our sport. Our thoughts go out to his family, and especially his wife, Lynda."

At Cornell, Dryden compiled a remarkable 76-4-1 record with a 1.59 goals-against average and .939 save percentage, while leading the Big Red to the first three of its four consecutive ECAC Hockey Tournament titles (1967-69), two ECAC Hockey regular-season championships (1968 and 1969), and the 1967 NCAA title. His career goals-against average and save percentage still rank second in program history among eligible goaltenders.

After graduating from Cornell in 1969 with a degree in history, Dryden launched an extraordinary eight-year NHL career with the Montréal Canadiens. He won six Stanley Cups, five Vezina Trophies, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1971 as the Stanley Cup Playoffs' MVP, and the Calder Trophy in 1972 as the league's Rookie of the Year.

In 1973, Dryden earned the first of his five Vezina Trophies after leading the league in wins (33), goals-against average (2.26), and save percentage (.926). He remains one of four goaltenders in NHL history to win the award at least five times, alongside Jacques Plante (seven), Bill Durnan (six), and Dominik Hasek (six).

Dryden stepped away from hockey for the 1973-74 season, briefly retiring while earning a law degree from McGill University and working at a Toronto law firm, before returning to the Canadiens in 1974. Over the next five seasons, he anchored one of the NHL's most dominant dynasties, guiding the Canadiens to four straight Stanley Cups (1976-79) and capturing the Vezina Trophy each year. During that stretch, he posted a 150-33-30 record with a 2.13 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and 28 shutouts.

"From the moment Ken Dryden joined Montréal as a 23-year-old rookie in 1971, he made an immediate and lasting impact on the NHL, the Canadiens franchise, and the goaltending position," said NHL Commissioner and fellow Cornell alumnus Gary Bettman '74 in a statement." After playing six regular-season games during that first year, Ken proceeded to lead his team to a Stanley Cup while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player. It is almost incomprehensible to believe that he accomplished all of that the year prior to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the League's best rookie in 1971-72.

"Ken's early success was only a harbinger of what was to come. In eight years with the Canadiens, Ken would lead a team filled with future Hall of Famers to six Stanley Cup championships, quickly becoming a beloved figure in his adopted hometown of Montréal. He won five Vezina Trophies as the League's top goaltender, including four consecutive awards from 1975-76 to 1978-79. Named as a member of the League's Greatest 100, he was the NHL's dominant goaltender during the 1970s.

"On a personal note, Ken was a fellow Cornellian whose career ranks among the greatest runs in collegiate hockey and famously led the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA Championship. On behalf of the National Hockey League, we mourn the passing of a legendary Canadian and extend our sincere condolences to his wife Lynda, family, and many friends and fans all over the hockey world."

Dryden was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, both in his first year of eligibility. His No. 29 sweater was retired by the Canadiens in 2007, and his No. 1 sweater was retired by Cornell in 2010, alongside Joe Nieuwendyk's No. 25.

The Dryden family has requested privacy at this time. Those wishing to honor his memory are encouraged to make a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

SCOUTING CLARKSON

• Clarkson (5-11-0, 1-5-0 ECAC Hockey) will look to post its third victory over a ranked opponent this season, as two of the Golden Knights’ five wins have come against opponents ranked in the top 10 of the USCHO.com poll. The first victory came on Oct. 9 in a 6-4 win at No. 4 Penn State before posting a 5-2 triumph over No. 8 North Dakota in Potsdam two weeks later. Since defeating the Fighting Hawks, Clarkson has won just three of its last 11 games (3-8-0).

• Ryan Bottrill (3-13—16) leads the Golden Knights in assists and points, serving as Clarkson’s lone point-per-game player. Erik Bargholtz (4-6—10) is the only other player with a double-digit point total. Freshman Owen Van Steensel (5-3—8) has the team lead in goals.

• Shane Soderwall, a junior transfer from Division III Curry College, has served as Clarkson’s go-to goaltender this season, starting in all 14 of his appearances. He has a 5-9-0 record along with a 2.91 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Graduate transfer Keenan Rancier (0-2-0, 4.18, .836) has started in two of his six appearances.

102 YEARS, 193 MILES, 154 MEETINGS

• Friday night will be the 155th meeting between the Empire State rivals, as the Big Red own a 74-60-20 advantage in the series. Cornell is unbeaten in five of the last seven meetings (4-2-1) and nine of the previous 13 (7-4-2) against Clarkson.

• Seven of the last nine games played in Potsdam between Cornell and Clarkson have gone to overtime, with Cornell posting an 0-2-5 record in those contests.

• Cheel Arena has been unkind to the Big Red recently, as Cornell has just two wins in its last 13 games played at the venue. Despite not accumulating many victories, Cornell is unbeaten in six of the last nine contests (1-3-5) in Potsdam. A win Friday would be Cornell’s first at Clarkson since Nov. 15, 2019, when the Big Red posted a 4-2 victory.

CORNELL - CLARKSON CONNECTIONS

• Casey Jones ‘90 will face Clarkson as Cornell’s head coach for the first time after spending 13 seasons leading the Golden Knights, compiling a 234-185-56 (.552) record and winning the 2019 Tim Taylor Award as ECAC Hockey’s Coach of the Year. Jones coached three current Golden Knights: Tristan Sarsland and Erik Bargholtz (2022-24) and Talon Sigurdson (2023-24). Clarkson assistant coach Chris Brooks served in his current role during Jones’ final two seasons (2022-24), while strength and conditioning coach Tad Johnson worked with Jones for 11 seasons (2013-24). Jones also served as an assistant coach for two seasons (1993-95) when current Clarkson head coach Jean-François Houle was playing for the Golden Knights. Clarkson assistant coach Corey Leivermann spent last season as Cornell’s director of hockey operations alongside Jones and Sean Flanagan.

• Justin Katz and Rémi Gélinas played together on the 2023-24 Powell River Kings. Nick DeSantis (2021-22 Madison Capitols) and Marian Mosko (2022-23 Lincoln Stars) both played with Jared Mangan. Aiden Long, Erick Roest, and Nicholas Wolfenberg suited up with Conyr Hellyer on Canada West at the 2022 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Wolfenberg and Hellyer also played on the Okotoks Oilers for two seasons (2021-23). Parker Murray (2023-24) as well as Caton Ryan and Michael Fisher also played with Hellyer last year (2024-25) on the Penticton Vees. Luke Ashton spent two seasons with Luke Pakulak on the Vernon Vipers (2021-23). Sean Donaldson and Keenan Rancier played together on the 2018-19 Prince George Spruce Kings. Xavier Veilleux (2022-24) and George Fegaras (2022-23) played with Jack Sparkes on the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Mosko (2022-23 Lincoln Stars) and Murray (2023-24 Chilliwack Chiefs) also played with Sparkes. Connor Arseneault and Nick Avakyan played together last season (2024-25) with the Sioux City Musketeers.

PSENICKA GUIDES MEN'S HOCKEY TO SECOND STRAIGHT, ECAC HOCKEY-LEADING 14TH WHITELAW CUP

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LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (MARCH 22, 2025) — The last time Cornell and Clarkson met in the championship game of the ECAC Men's Hockey Championship in 2019, it was Casey Jones '90 who prevailed over Mike Schafer '86, with a 3-2 overtime victory that secured Clarkson its sixth Whitelaw Cup.
 
This time, united on the same bench, it was Jones and Schafer – just like 2010 – who were able to be on the same side of the title as the sixth-seeded Cornell men's hockey team (18-10-6) hoisted the Whitelaw Cup for a second consecutive season and won its ECAC Hockey-leading 14th conference championship with a 3-1 victory over second-seeded and No. 18-ranked Clarkson (24-12-3) before 5,965 on Saturday evening at the 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena.
 
Senior forward Ondrej Psenicka factored on all three Cornell's goals, scoring once and tallying two assists, to pace the Big Red's offense. Junior forward Nick DeSantis (goal and assist) also had a multi-point night. Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh tallied an empty-net goal to round out the scoring, aiding senior goaltender Ian Shane (30 saves) in recording his 65th career victory to match David McKee and Ben Scrivens for the second-most wins by a Big Red goaltender.
 
Erik Bargholtz potted the lone tally on the night for Clarkson, who had a 21-save performance from graduate transfer Ethan Langenegger.

Cornell tallied the first two goals of the game in the first 7:03 as Psenicka capitalized on quick passes in succession from DeSantis and sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna for a one-timer at the right hash mark of the left faceoff circle to give the Big Red an early advantage.

Not even two minutes later, Psenicka ignited a 2-on-1 scoring chance with senior forward Kyler Kovich and DeSantis by chipping the puck into the neutral zone up to Kovich. DeSantis snapped a shot past Langenegger that doubled the Big Red's lead.

Clarkson cut the Big Red's lead in half with under seven minutes to play in the second period as Bargholtz poked at a loose rebound at the right post that deflected off Shane's glove and into the net.

With 1:49 left in the contest, Cornell added an insurance marker with Walsh's empty-net goal to restore the Big Red's two-goal lead.

SCOUTING ST. LAWRENCE

• St. Lawrence (2-13-1, 1-5-0 ECAC Hockey) enters the weekend riding a seven-game losing streak, with its last win coming in its ECAC Hockey opener at RPI, 4-3, on Nov. 7.

• The Saints rank in the bottom six nationally in scoring offense and defense, as well as power-play and penalty-kill percentages.

• St. Lawrence leads the nation with 44.7 percent (42-of-94 points) of its scoring production from freshmen. Senior Tyler Cristall (7-8—15) leads St. Lawrence in goals and points and is the lone point-per-game player. Cristall is tied with freshman Cooper Pierson (1-8—9) for the team lead in assists.

• Mason Kucenski has started all 11 of his games, posting a 2-8-1 record with a 3.76 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. Colin Winn (0-3-0, 3.88, .904) has made four starts, while Cameron Smith (0-1-0, 3.04, .909) has made one start.

98 YEARS, 184 MILES, 128 MEETINGS

• Cornell and St. Lawrence will meet for the 129th time on Saturday night. The Big Red hold a 71-48-9 series advantage and are unbeaten in 15 of the last 19 matchups (14-4-1).

• Over the last 19 meetings, Cornell has yielded no more than two goals against St. Lawrence, marking the longest such streak against any opponent in program history.

• St. Lawrence snapped Cornell’s seven-game unbeaten streak at Appleton Arena last Jan. 31 with a 2-1 victory. The Saints have not won consecutive home games against the Big Red since Jan. 9, 2015 (3-1), and Jan. 30, 2016 (2-1 OT). With a win or tie, St. Lawrence would be unbeaten in three straight home games against Cornell for the first time since a 4-0-2 stretch from Feb. 11, 2006, to Nov. 5, 2010.

CORNELL - ST. LAWRENCE CONNECTIONS

• Brent Brekke served as an assistant coach at Cornell from 1999-2008 and with Casey Jones ‘90 at Clarkson in 2018-19 during the Golden Knights’ 2019 ECAC Championship season. Sean Flanagan returns to his hometown and Appleton Arena, where he played 121 games over five years (2006-11), serving as an alternate captain in his graduate season. Flanagan played two seasons with his younger brother, Kyle, who is in his first year as a St. Lawrence assistant coach after five seasons as an amateur scout with the Ottawa Senators (2018-25). Flanagan is also coaching against his cousin, Brendan, who is in his first season as the Saints’ coordinator of hockey operations.

• Gio DiGiulian (2021-24) and Jake Kraft (2021-22) played with Teddy Mallgrave at the Kent School. George Fegaras and Xavier Veilleux played with Evan Orloff on the 2022-23 Muskegon Lumberjacks. Parker Murray (2021-22 Oakville Blades) and Alexis Cournoyer (2024-25 Cape Breton Eagles) played with Andrew Brown. Chase Pirtle (2019-21 Delbarton School), Ryan Walsh (2021-22 Salisbury School), Hudson Gorski (2022-23 Salisbury School), and Nicholas Wolfenberg (2023-24 Okotoks Oilers) all played with Sam Hall; Walsh also played with Jake Lammens at the 2020-21 Salisbury School. Donovan Hamilton and Sam LeDrew played on the 2024-25 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Marian Mosko and Jakub Kopecký spent time playing internationally with Team Slovakia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, 2022 IIHF World U-18 Division I, Group A Championship, and 2023 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Veilleux and Cooper Pierson played two seasons on the Muskegon Lumberjacks (2023-25), which included winning last year’s Clark Cup. Hamilton and Cayden Casey played on last year’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Justin Katz and Tyler Cristall played on the 2021-22 West Kelowna Warriors. Katz and Luke Devlin also played with Jake Bernadet on the 2022-23 West Kelowna Warriors. Devlin and Frankie Carogioiello played on the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks. Hoyt Stanley and Isack Bandu played on the 2021-22 Victoria Grizzlies. Luke Ashton and Isaac Tremblay played on the 2022-23 Vernon Vipers. Tyler Catalano and Michael Fisher played with Colin Winn on the 2022-23 Youngstown Phantoms. Nick DeSantis and Mason Kucenski played on the 2021-22 Madison Capitols.

BANCROFT'S HAT TRICK, SHANE'S SHUTOUT HIGHLIGHT SCHAFER'S FINAL REGULAR-SEASON HOME GAME

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ITHACA, N.Y. (FEB. 22, 2025) — Junior forward Dalton Bancroft tallied his second career hat trick, while senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded a 13-save shutout, leading the Cornell men's hockey team (12-9-6, 9-7-4 ECAC Hockey) to a commanding 6-0 victory over St. Lawrence (9-21-2, 5-13-2 ECAC Hockey) in front of a sold-out crowd at Lynah Rink on Senior Night during Mike Schafer '86's last regular-season home game on Saturday evening.
 
Bancroft's career-high four-point night showcased five Big Red players who achieved multi-point performances. Senior forwards Jack O'Leary and Sullivan Mack each recorded a goal and an assist, while freshman forward Charlie Major and sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson both notched two assists. Senior defenseman Hank Kempf also scored in the victory.
 
Shane's shutout marked his 13th career blanking, tying him with Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden '69 for the fourth-most shutouts by a Cornell goaltender in program history.
 
St. Lawrence's Mason Kucenski made 25 saves in the setback for the Saints.
 
Cornell is assured of hosting at least a first-round playoff game following Saturday night's victory and can finish no lower than the No. 7 seed for next month's ECAC Hockey Championship.
 
Scoring two goals in all three periods, the Big Red began strong by netting two goals in just 29 seconds, quickly establishing a 2-0 lead over the Saints in the first period and prompting St. Lawrence to call a timeout.
 
O'Leary opened the scoring at the 13:12 mark, backhanding a shot past Kucenski after he picked up a loose puck when Major was knocked off it by a St. Lawrence defender underneath the goal line.

Almost 30 seconds later, Cornell's lead was doubled by Bancroft's first goal of the night, firing a shot over Kucenski's glove from the right hash mark of the left faceoff circle. Robertson set up the goal with a pass to Mack along the near-side boards.

Continuing its trend of scoring goals rapidly, Cornell doubled its lead in the second period with goals from Mack and Bancroft that came just 93 seconds apart.
 
Mack scored his fourth goal of the season by diving for a loose rebound after a Kucenski save on a Bancroft slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.

The Big Red's lead grew to four when Bancroft scored his second goal of the night while Cornell was on a power play. Rego assisted Bancroft with a one-timer from the right point to the top of the left faceoff circle. Bancroft's shot struck Kucenski's pad and trickled into the net.

With less than three minutes left, Kempf scored the Big Red's fifth goal of the night with a shot from the left point that slipped between Kucenski's legs, marking the senior blueliner's first career goal at Lynah Rink.

While both teams skated with four players after coinciding penalties, Bancroft won an offensive zone faceoff and used a nifty deke to skate past a St. Lawrence defender and snap his shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to score his third goal of the night. Sophomore defenseman Hoyt Stanley and senior defenseman Jimmy Rayhill assisted on the goal, with Rayhill achieving his first career point with the secondary assist.

After the game, Cornell's 10-player senior class was honored during the program's traditional postgame ceremony. Following the Senior Night festivities, Schafer and his family received gifts from various Cornell administrators. Among the gifts presented was an Adirondack chair adorned with Cornell logos, presented to Schafer by ECAC Hockey Commissioner Doug Christiansen. Additionally, a tribute video was played for those in attendance, which can be found below.

EISERMAN LEADS #19 BOSTON UNIVERSITY PAST #17 MEN'S HOCKEY AT RED HOT HOCKEY

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NEW YORK (NOV. 29, 2025) — Boston University sophomore forward Cole Eiserman factored on both goals as the No. 19-ranked Terriers defeated the No. 17-ranked Cornell men's hockey team 2-1 before 17,478 at Madison Square Garden in the 10th edition of Red Hot Hockey on Saturday night.

Eiserman assisted on Kamil Bednarik's first-period power-play goal before scoring the game-winner 5:24 into the third period on a sharp-angle shot that beat Cornell freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer through the five-hole.

The loss snapped Cornell's four-game win streak despite the Big Red (6-3-0) outshooting Boston University (7-7-1) by a 29-17 margin and holding a 52-41 advantage in shot attempts.

"We probably could have deserved a better fate tonight," said Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "Had opportunities to score, didn't take advantage of it. They got a couple breaks on their goals and it ends up being a 2-1 loss."

The Terriers struck first when Bednarik tipped in a centering pass from Eiserman at the edge of the goal crease 6:17 into the opening period, nine seconds after Cornell sophomore defenseman Michael Fisher was whistled for holding.

Cornell evened the contest late in the second period when freshman forward Reegan Hiscock finished off crisp, quick passes from junior forward Ryan Walsh and sophomore forward Charlie Major with five minutes remaining in the frame.

"On the goal, when you got a guy like [Walsh] on your line, he's going to make plays. He'll find you," Hiscock said. "For me, I was just right place, right time."

But Eiserman restored Boston University's lead early in the third period with his goal from a difficult angle.

"That's the first one I bet he wants back," Jones said of Cournoyer. "I'll be perfectly honest with you, that's pretty good for a freshman goalie in his eighth game. He wants that second one back, that's the game."

Cornell had one final chance with 1:54 remaining when Jonathan Morello was called for slashing just seven seconds after the Big Red had pulled its goaltender, creating a 6-on-4 advantage. Following a timeout, junior defenseman Hoyt Stanley ripped a shot from the point that struck the crossbar. Freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux had the only other shot attempt, which Boston University goaltender Mikhail Yegorov saved to preserve the victory.

"I'd like the shot that Hoyt took to be three inches lower and not hit the pipe," Jones said. "That's an area we can improve. We could have settled that down. We seemed rushed at the time. We had plenty of time to take advantage."

Cornell's power play, which had scored in four consecutive games, was unable to break through against Boston University's penalty kill, going 0-for-4 on the night. The Terriers, meanwhile, converted once on three power-play opportunities.

"It's a game where we lost the special teams battle, which is never good," said Walsh, Cornell's junior captain. "We had opportunities and came up short."

Yegorov finished with 28 saves for the Terriers, who earned their first Red Hot Hockey victory in five tries. Cournoyer made 15 saves in the setback.

Despite the result, Jones remained focused on his team's process-oriented approach with two games remaining before the winter break.

"We won't lose sight of the fact that we played pretty good in a lot of spurts tonight," Jones said. "We're trying to be a three-and-a-half, four-goal-a-game team. That's what we want to be."

2025-26 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 resurrected 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 action on Friday, Jan. 2, when it welcomes Omaha to begin an eight-game homestand, which will be the longest single-season homestand in program history. The previous record was six games that previously occurred five times prior (1958-59, 1960-61, 1965-66, 1974-75, and 1976-77).

• Puck drop for both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

• The Big Red and Mavericks will be meeting for the first time since Cornell opened the 2014-15 season against Omaha at Lynah Rink. Cornell is 2-1-1 all-time against Omaha, which included the Big Red sweeping the first-ever series between the programs in 2013-14.