LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Cornell senior defenseman Tim Rego's goal at 14:39 of overtime propelled the No. 6-seeded Big Red (17-10-6) to a 3-2 victory over the No. 12-ranked and top-seeded Quinnipiac (24-11-2) in the semifinals of the ECAC Men's Hockey Championship on Friday afternoon at the 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena, securing a spot in the conference's championship game for the second consecutive season.
 
Senior forward Kyler Kovich scored the game-tying goal, a short-handed marker, with 1:39 left, firing a shot from the goal line that slipped between the legs of Quinnipiac sophomore goaltender Matej Marinov.
 
Joining Rego and Kovich in scoring for Cornell was sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna, who netted a power-play goal in the first period. Senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded 22 saves between the pipes for the Big Red. Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh also had a multi-point night, assisting on both of Cornell's power-play goals alongside Rego, who had a goal and an assist.
 
Andon Cerbone and Chris Pelosi found the back of the net for Quinnipiac, who received a 19-save performance from Marinov.
 
After both teams combined for nine shots on goal during the opening 18 and a half minutes, Cornell took a 1-0 lead with just 4.9 seconds remaining when Castagna scored a power-play goal during a scramble in front of the net. The goal marked Castagna's 16th career goal and his first while Cornell was on the power play.
 
Quinnipiac tied the game with 5:51 remaining in the second period, just five seconds into their second power-play opportunity. Cerbone tapped a loose puck at the left post after an offensive zone faceoff win by Travis Treloar, lifting the puck over Shane's shoulder.
 
With 5:20 remaining in the third period, Quinnipiac took the lead when Pelosi fired a shot into the top of the net while Shane was sprawled out in his crease, attempting a desperation save.
 
After winning a defensive zone faceoff due to an interference penalty against the Big Red, Kovich seized the puck in the neutral zone, skated down the left side of the boards, and took a shot at Marinov. The Quinnipiac goaltender was caught off guard as the puck slipped between his legs, tying the game with 1:39 remaining in regulation.
 
A slashing penalty against Quinnipiac with less than seven minutes remaining in the first overtime gave Cornell a man advantage. After a tussle for the puck in the corner, Walsh emerged with it, delivering a pass to junior forward Dalton Bancroft, who set up Rego's game-winning one-timer goal from the bottom of the near-side faceoff circle.
 
GAME NOTES
• Friday was the 55th meeting between Cornell and Quinnipiac as the Big Red increased its lead in the all-time series to 28-21-6.
 
• The Big Red is now unbeaten in its last three games against the Bobcats (1-0-2), its longest string without a loss against Quinnipiac since winning five straight contests between Jan. 14, 2017, and March 10, 2018.
 
• It was the 15th time Cornell and Quinnipiac had met in a postseason setting and the 14th time they played in the ECAC Hockey Championship. The Big Red has won the last three playoff contests and are winners of three of the previous four postseason matchups.
 
• With Friday's win, Cornell has won its last eight games within the ECAC Hockey Championship, the second-longest win streak in the conference playoffs in program history, trailing a 13-game win streak that spanned between March 7, 1967, and March 9, 1971.
 
LONGEST WIN STREAKS IN ECAC HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Cornell Program History
• 13 games, March 7, 1967 – March 9, 1971
• 8 games, March 15, 2024 - Present
• 7 games, March 11, 2005 – March 17, 2006
• 6 games, March 10, 1979 – March 13, 1981
• 5 games, March 14, 2003 – March 12, 2004
• 5 games, March 12, 2010 – March 11, 2011

• Cornell registered its first overtime victory in a postseason game since defeating Union, 2-1, in the opening round of the 2016 ECAC Men's Hockey Championship at Lynah Rink.
 
• Kovich's short-handed goal late in the third period marks Cornell's second consecutive game with a short-handed goal. The last time the Big Red has netted short-handed goals in successive games was by Mitch Carefoot (Feb. 9, 2007, at Union) and Mark McCutcheon (Feb. 10, 2007, at RPI). It is the seventh time the feat has been accomplished under Mike Schafer '86's tenure as the Big Red's head coach.
 
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH SHORT-HANDED GOALS
Mike Schafer '86 Era (Since 1995-96)
• 1995-96 – Matt Cooney (Feb. 24, 1996, vs. RPI) & Brad Chartrand (March 1, 1996, at Clarkson)
• 1995-96 – Mike Sancimino (March 8, 1996, vs. Colgate) & Geoff Lopatka (March 9, 1996, vs. Colgate & March 15, 1996, vs. Clarkson)
• 1998-99 – Frank Kovac (Nov. 24, 1998, at Northeastern) & Jeff Burgoyne (Nov. 28, 1998, vs. Colgate)
• 2001-02 – Doug Murray (March 8, 2002, vs. Yale) & Travis Bell (March 9, 2002 vs. Yale)
• 2004-05 – Mike Iggulden (Feb. 11, 2005, at Princeton; Feb. 12, 2005 at Yale)
• 2006-07 – Mitch Carefoot (Feb. 9, 2007, at Union)& Mark McCutcheon (Feb. 10, 2007, at RPI)
• 2024-25 – Dalton Bancroft (March 15, 2025, at Colgate) & Kyler Kovich (March 21, 2025, vs. Quinnipiac)
 
• With his 22-save performance, Shane increased his career total to 2,241, surpassing Brian Hayward (2,225) and Corrie D'Alessio (2,228) for fifth all-time in Cornell program history.
 
GOALTENDERS WITH 2,000 SAVES
Cornell Program History
1. Andy Iles (2010-14) – 2,988 saves
2. Ben Scrivens (2006-10) – 2,872 saves
3. Jason Elliott (1994-98) – 2,462 saves
4. Mitch Gillam (2013-17) – 2,403 saves
5. Ian Shane (2021-Present) – 2,241 saves
6. Corrie D'Alessio (1987-91) – 2,228 saves
7. Brian Hayward (1978-82) – 2,225 saves
8. David McKee (2003-06) – 2,208 saves
9. Darren Eliot (1979-83) – 2,143 saves
10. Matt Underhill (1998-02) – 2,052 saves
 
UP NEXT
Cornell will return to 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena on Saturday night to take on second-seeded and No. 18-ranked Clarkson (24-11-3) in the championship game of the 2025 ECAC Men's Hockey Championship.

The ECAC Hockey championship game will have a 5 p.m. puck drop and be broadcast on ESPN+ and carried over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).

It will be the seventh time Cornell will be playing Clarkson in a championship game setting, having played in the finals of the 1966, 1970, 1986, 1997, and 2019 ECAC Hockey Championships. Cornell also defeated Clarkson, 6-4, at Jack Shea Arena (now called the 1932 Rink) in Lake Placid, N.Y., to win the national championship in 1970.