#13 Men's Hockey Returns to ECAC Hockey Play, Hosts #18 Princeton, #7 Quinnipiac

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

PUCK DROP

• Entering this weekend on a five-game win streak, the 13th-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team (11-4-0, 6-2-0 ECAC Hockey) begins the home stretch of ECAC Hockey play with a pair of contests against ranked opponents, welcoming No. 18 Princeton (11-5-0, 7-3-0 ECAC Hockey) and No. 7 Quinnipiac (16-4-2, 8-2-0 ECAC Hockey) to Lynah Rink.

• This weekend marks the first time since Nov. 16-17, 2018, Cornell will face ranked Princeton and Quinnipiac teams in the same weekend. It’s only the fourth time since the teams became travel partners when Quinnipiac joined ECAC Hockey in 2005-06 that both have been ranked when facing Cornell in the same weekend (Feb. 22-23, 2008, in Princeton and Hamden; Nov. 20-21, 2009, in Ithaca).

• Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) and Tony Eisenhut ‘88 (analysis) on the call. Puck drop for both contests is set for 7 p.m. Saturday’s game against Quinnipiac will also air live regionally on SNY.

PERFECT AT HOME

• Cornell enters this weekend as the lone remaining undefeated home team in Division I hockey at 8-0-0. The Big Red and Quinnipiac (10-0-2) are the only two programs that have yet to lose at home this season.

• The 8-0-0 start marks the 10th time in program history Cornell has opened a season with eight consecutive home wins and the first since 2004-05. A win Friday would give the Big Red nine straight home wins to start the season for the eighth time in program history, also the first since 2004-05. A weekend sweep would be Cornell’s eighth-ever 10-0-0 home start, also last done in 2004-05.

• Cornell has won at least nine home games in each of the last nine seasons played, the fifth-longest active streak in Division I behind Minnesota (49), Denver (26), North Dakota (24) and Minnesota State (13).

• Since 2017-18, the Big Red boast an 86-22-9 (.774) record at Lynah Rink, ranking second nationally behind Minnesota State (.790). Cornell is one of just five programs with at least a .700 home winning percentage in that span. Dating back to Jan. 1, 2024, the Big Red have posted a 25-5-2 (.813) record at Lynah Rink, tied with Quinnipiac (31-6-3, .813) for the best record.

FAITHFUL TO LYNAH

• Cornell’s current 10-game home winning streak, dating back to Feb. 22, 2025, is the longest active streak in Division I hockey and tied for the eighth-longest in program history. It marks the Big Red’s longest home win streak since an 11-game run between Feb. 9, 2020, and Nov. 20, 2021.

• A win Friday would give Cornell an 11-game home winning streak, matching a span between Oct. 29, 2004, and Jan. 29, 2005, and the 2020-21 streak as the sixth-longest in program history. It would also mark the longest home win streak by any Division I team since Boston College won 18 straight at Conte Forum between Dec. 9, 2023, to Dec. 9, 2024.

• A weekend sweep would extend Cornell’s home win streak to 12 games, its longest since winning 18 straight between Feb. 23, 2002, and March 15, 2003. Since 2000-01, there have been 27 home winning streaks of at least 12 games by 16 different programs. Cornell would become the fifth program to post multiple 12-game home winning streaks this century, joining Minnesota State, North Dakota and Quinnipiac (three each) and Ohio State (two).

RYAN ON ALL CYLINDERS

• Freshman forward Caton Ryan enters this weekend with points in each of his last five games, totaling 10 points (4-6—10) during the span. He is the 15th Big Red freshman to register at least 10 points across a five-game span in program history, becoming just the third player to do so this century, joining Ryan Vesce (10 points in 2000-01) and Nick DeSantis (10 points in 2022-23).

• Ryan’s five-game point streak is the longest for a first-year player since former defenseman Ben Robertson posted points in his first seven collegiate games in 2023-24. The last Big Red freshman forward to collect points in five straight games was Nick DeSantis (six games) in 2022-23. No Cornell freshman forward has had a seven-game point streak since Morgan Barron also began his collegiate career with points in his first seven contests in 2017-18.

• Ryan’s four-point game against Alaska last Friday (2-2—4) marked the first time a Cornell freshman had a four-point game since his current linemate, Jonathan Castagna, had four-point games against Princeton (3-1—4) and Union (2-2—4) in 2023-24.

• The five multi-point games produced by Ryan through the first 15 games of the season makes him the eighth Big Red freshman to accomplish the feat and the first since Trent Andison (seven) in 1987-88.

THE ‘X’ FACTOR

• Cornell freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux enters this weekend with a team-leading four power-play goals, matching outputs by Long Island’s Nick Bernardo, Denver’s Boston Buckberger, Penn State’s Jackson Smith and Clarkson’s Tate Taylor for the most by a Division I defenseman this season.

• Among all Division I freshmen, Veilleux is one of 14 first-year players with at least four power-play goals — and one of only two defensemen, alongside Smith.

• Veilleux has already set a Cornell program record for power-play goals by a freshman defenseman, doubling the previous mark of two held by eight players: Larry Pierce (1997-98), Mark McRae and Doug Murray (both 1999-00), Sasha Pokulok (2004-05), Brendon Nash (2006-07), Mike Devin (2007-08), Sam Malinski (2019-20) and Ben Robertson (2023-24).

• His four power-play goals are the most by any Big Red defenseman since Alec McCrae ‘19 tallied five during his junior season in 2017-18. One more would make Veilleux the 14th Cornell defenseman (19th instance) with five power-play goals in a season and just the eighth to do so this century, joining McRae (five in 2000-01 and 2001-02), Murray (seven in 2001-02), Charlie Cook (six in 2004-05), Ryan O’Byrne (five in 2005-06), Nick D’Agostino (six in 2011-12) and McCrae in 2017-18.

• With a fifth power-play goal, Veilleux would be the 16th Big Red freshman in program history to reach that milestone and the first since Dalton Bancroft in 2022-23. He would become the sixth first-year player to accomplish the feat this century, joining Ryan Vesce ‘04 (2000-01), Colin Greening ‘10 (2006-07), Riley Nash (2007-08), Michael Regush (2018-19) and Bancroft.

STREAKING TO SUCCESS

• Cornell enters this weekend as one of just two Division I programs with multiple players riding point streaks of at least five games. Junior forward Jonathan Castagna (six games) and freshman forward Caton Ryan (five games) join Western Michigan’s Liam Valente and Zaccharya Wisdom (both six games) as the only active tandem in the nation with streaks of that length.

• Castagna is riding a career-long six-game point streak (5-6—11), including multi-point performances in four of his last five outings. He has posted points in nine of his last 10 games overall. Ryan has tallied 10 points (4-6—10) during his five-game streak, which includes having an assist in each game.

• The two linemates began their streaks on consecutive nights — Castagna on Dec. 5 at Clarkson and Ryan on Dec. 6 at St. Lawrence — and Cornell has responded with a 5-1-0 record since Castagna’s streak started, winning five straight after dropping the first game.

COMPLETE PACKAGE

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna is one of four Division I players this season who has registered multiple game-winning goals, power-play goals and short-handed goals, joining St. Thomas’ Nathan Pilling and Lucas Van Vliet and Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante.

• Castagna, who has two game-winners, two power-play tallies and three short-handed goals to his credit, is just the fourth Cornell player to accomplish the feat since 1996-97, joining Mike Knoepfli ‘05 (2004-05), Riley Nash (2008-09) and Dalton Bancroft (2024-25). Current Cornell head coach Casey Jones ‘90 also achieved the feat as a sophomore in 1987-88, posting two game-winners, four power-play goals and two short-handed goals.

SHORT-HANDED SPECIALIST

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna enters this weekend tied for the nation’s lead in short-handed goals with three, matching outputs by Michigan’s Josh Eernisse and St. Thomas’ Alex Gaffney for the Division I lead.

• With his short-handed goal scored into an Alaska empty net last Saturday, Castagna became the 19th Cornell player to record at least three short-handed goals in a season and just the fifth since 1980-81, joining Randy MacFarlane ‘85 (1984-85), Doug Derraugh ‘91 (1990-91), Brad Chartrand ‘96 (1995-96) and Mike Iggulden ‘05 (2004-05) — all of whom were seniors. Castagna is the first non-senior to tally at least three short-handed goals in a season since Roy Kerling ‘82, accomplished the feat as a sophomore in 1979-80.

• The three short-handed tallies also make Castagna only the second Cornell player to score at least three short-handed goals through the first 15 games of a season. The only other Big Red player to accomplish the feat was Jim Stevens ‘64, who notched three short-handed goals in the first 11 games of the 1961-62 season en route to four for the year.

• Should Castagna net another short-handed goal, he would become only the seventh Cornell player in the modern era (since 1957-58) with four short-handed goals in a single season, joining Stevens (1961-62), Doug Ferguson ‘67 (four in 1964-65), Daniel Lodboa ‘70 (four in 1969-70), Jim Vaughan ‘77 (five in 1975-76), Lance Nethery ‘79 (four in 1977-78) and Iggulden (2004-05).

JONNY-ON-THE-DOT

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna boasts the nation’s top faceoff win percentage among players with at least 150 faceoff wins, going 190-of-290 (65.5 percent). He’s one of seven players this season with at least 150 wins and a success rate of 60.0 percent or better.

• Since Jan. 1, 2025, Castagna has won 63.3 percent of his draws (397-of-627), making him one of two active Division I players with at least 300 faceoff wins and a 60 percent win rate, joined by Colorado College’s Klavs Veinbergs (60.3 percent, 473-of-784).

• Castagna’s 190 faceoff wins translate to 12.67 wins per game, second nationally behind St. Cloud State’s Tyson Gross (14.50). Combined with junior forward Ryan Walsh (158 wins, 10.53 per game), Cornell is the only Division I program with multiple players averaging at least 10 faceoff wins per game.

• Since his freshman year in 2023-24, Castagna’s 58.97 faceoff percentage (700-of-1187) ranks third nationally among players with at least 500 faceoff wins, trailing only Ferris State’s Josh Zary (59.14 percent) and Veinbergs (59.03 percent).

(BIG) RED MEANS STOP

• Cornell enters this weekend with the second-best scoring defense in Division I, allowing just 1.867 goals per game. The Big Red and Michigan State (1.750) are the only two programs in the nation averaging under two goals allowed per game.

• The 28 goals allowed through 15 games marks the fewest for Cornell since 2019-20, when the Big Red yielded just 22 goals through the same span. It’s the 11th time in program history Cornell has averaged under 1.90 goals allowed after 15 games.

• Cornell’s defensive excellence has been a consistent hallmark of the program, having finished in the top 12 nationally in scoring defense in each of the past eight seasons — the longest active streak in Division I. The Big Red have ranked in the top 12 in 10 of the last 11 seasons overall.

• Since 2014-15, Cornell has averaged 1.979 goals allowed per game, joining Minnesota State (1.908) as the only Division I programs under 2.00 in that span. The Big Red haven’t allowed 100 goals in a season since 1997-98, a 26-year streak twice as long as any other active run in the nation (Minnesota State and Providence each at 13 seasons).

ALEXIS-CELLENCE BETWEEN THE PIPES

• Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer has been stellar through his first 11 collegiate games, posting an 8-3-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. Among Division I goaltenders who have played at least 33 percent of their team’s minutes, Cournoyer ranks fifth nationally in goals-against average and 12th in save percentage.

• Cournoyer is one of seven goaltenders in Cornell’s modern era (since 1957-58) to register at least eight wins in his first 11 career appearances, joining Ken Dryden ‘69 (won first 11, went 29-0-1 in first 30), Dave LeNeveu (nine in first 11) and Brian Cropper, Dave Elenbaas, Dave Chrastina and Matthew Galajda (eight in first 11).

• Since 2005-06, Cournoyer’s 1.84 goals-against average through his first 11 career games ranks third among Cornell netminders, trailing only Mitch Gillam (1.48, 2013-15) and Ian Shane (1.84, 2021-22). Cournoyer’s .927 save percentage also ranks third in that same span, also trailing Gillam (.951) and Shane (.928).

• Among qualifying Division I freshman goaltenders this season, Cournoyer ranks second in goals-against average, only behind North Dakota’s Jan Špunar (1.67), and has the fourth-best save percentage off the pace of Penn State’s Joshua Fleming (.938), Northern Michigan’s Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (.934) and Špunar (.929).

POWER (PLAY) SURGE

• Cornell’s power play has been one of the nation’s best this season, converting at a 29.4 percent clip that ranks sixth nationally and first among ECAC Hockey programs. The Big Red lead the conference by nearly six percentage points over second-place Quinnipiac (23.6 percent, 12th nationally).

• Since Nov. 14, Cornell has been even more lethal with the man advantage, scoring 13 power-play goals over its last 11 games while converting at a 36.1 percent rate. That mark is tied with North Dakota for second nationally in that span, trailing only Minnesota Duluth (42.4 percent, 14-for-33). The Big Red have scored at least once on the power play in nine of those 11 games, including five of its last six.

• The turnaround from last season has been dramatic. Cornell has already nearly matched last year’s power-play goal total, scoring 15 times in 15 games compared to 16 in 36 games during 2024-25, when the Big Red converted at just a 14.7 percent clip (16-for-109).

• Five players have tallied multiple power-play goals this season, led by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux (four), junior forward Ryan Walsh (three) and junior forward Jonathan Castagna, sophomore forward Charlie Major and freshman forward Caton Ryan (two apiece).

OFF TO A GOOD START

• First-year head coach Casey Jones ‘90 has Cornell off to an impressive 11-4-0 start, the best 15-game opening by a Big Red coach since Brian McCutcheon ‘71 also went 11-4-0 to begin 1987-88.

• Jones assumed head coaching duties from Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame head coach Mike Schafer ‘86, who retired after 30 years (1995-2025), and his .733 win percentage is tied with Talbot Hunter (1909-11) and McCutcheon for the second-best mark through a coach’s first 15 games at Cornell. Only Dick Bertrand ‘70 posted a better record, opening with a 12-3-0 mark (.800).

• A weekend sweep would keep Jones tied with Hunter and McCutcheon (13-4-0) for the second-best win percentage through a coach’s first 17 games, still behind Bertrand (14-3-0, .824).

• Among the 11 Division I programs currently playing under first-year head coaches, Cornell’s .733 win percentage through 15 games is tied with North Dakota for the highest mark. Michigan Tech (8-5-2, .600), RIT (9-6-0, .600) and Lindenwood (8-7-0, .533) are the other programs with winning records through their first 15 games under new leadership.

ON THE PLUS SIDE

• Senior forward Nick DeSantis enters this weekend with a career plus-minus rating of plus-44, tied with Denver’s Rieger Lorenz and Quinnipiac’s Victor Czerneckianair for 10th among active Division I players.

• DeSantis is one of seven active Division I forwards with at least a plus-40 career rating, joining Quinnipiac’s Mason Marcellus (plus-52) and Czerneckianair, Michigan State’s Daniel Russell (plus-49), Lorenz and Boston College’s Andre Gasseau and Western Michigan’s Owen Michaels (both plus-42).

• Paired with junior forward Jonathan Castagna’s plus-34 rating, Cornell is one of four teams with multiple forwards with plus-30 ratings or better, joining Denver (four), Quinnipiac (three) and UConn (two).

• DeSantis’ plus-44 rating is tied with Cam Donaldson ‘21 and Sam Malinski ‘23 for seventh in program history since the statistic was being officially tracked in 2002-03.

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 PRINCETON

• Princeton enters this weekend riding momentum with an 11-5-0 overall record and 7-3-0 mark in ECAC Hockey play, winning six of its last seven since being swept at Bowling Green in late November.

• Forward Kai Daniells leads the Tigers’ offense with 25 points (13-12—25), ranking second nationally with 1.56 points per game behind only Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante (1.64). Forward David Jacobs has tallied 18 points (4-14—18), one of four Princeton players with at least 10 assists.

• In goal, Conor Callaghan (6-2-0, 2.59, .897) has appeared in nine games with eight starts, while Arthur Smith (5-2-0, 2.63, .905) has earned the starting nod in the Tigers’ last four contests.

102 YEARS, 193 MILES, 154 MEETINGS

• Cornell and Princeton will meet for the 165th time on Friday night. The Big Red owns a 102-54-8 lead over the Tigers—the 102 victories are the most against any opponent in program history, seven more than the 95 wins over Yale.

• Since a 1-0 shutout loss at Lynah Rink on Feb. 9, 2013, Cornell is 21-4-0 against Princeton with an average scoring margin of plus-2.12 (3.92-1.80). The Big Red has scored at least three goals in 21 of the last 25 meetings.

• A win by four-plus goals Friday would match a two-game streak from 1975-76 for the second-most consecutive wins over Princeton by at least four goals. The longest streak is five games (1968-70).

CORNELL - PRINCETON CONNECTIONS

• Princeton head coach Ben Syer spent 14 seasons on Cornell’s coaching staff, including 13 as associate head coach, working alongside equipment manager Sean Schmidt for 13 seasons (2011-24) and then-assistant coach Sean Flanagan for eight seasons (2016-24) ... Princeton assistant coach Shane Talarico spent three seasons as Cornell’s director of hockey operations (2019-22) ... Cornell director of hockey operations Josh Robinson and Princeton assistant coach Connor Jones were teammates on the Bridgeport Islanders in 2016-17 ... Princeton athletic trainer Palmer Trolli and Cornell assistant coach Chris Brown spent four seasons together at Alaska (2021-25).

• Princeton junior defenseman Ian Devlin is the younger brother of Cornell junior forward Luke Devlin ... Winter Wallace and David Ma played three years together at Shattuck St. Mary’s (2017-20) on both the 16U AAA and 18U Prep teams ... Jack O’Brien and Sean Donaldson played with Kai Daniells on the 2021-22 Nanaimo Clippers; Donaldson and Brendan Wang played on the 2018-19 Prince George Spruce Kings ... Justin Katz and Drew Garzone played at Deerfield Academy in 2020-21; Katz and Tyler Rubin played on the 2021-22 West Kelowna Warriors ... Jake Kraft and Nick Marciano played together at Kent School (2020-21) ... Ryan Walsh and Seamus Latta played at Salisbury School (2021-22); Hudson Gorski and Latta also played there (2022-23) ... Tyler Catalano (2020-23), Michael Fisher (2022-23) and Wallace (2020-21) all played on the Youngstown Phantoms with Miles Gunty ... Luke Ashton played on the 2022-23 Vernon Vipers with Julian Facchinelli. Marian Mosko and Carson Buydens played on the Lincoln Stars in 2022-23, while Kraft, Walsh and Josh Karnish also played with Buydens on the RoughRiders that season ... George Fegaras and Xavier Veilleux played on the 2022-23 Muskegon Lumberjacks with Conor Callaghan. Charlie Major, Gorski and Hans Martin Ulvebne played on the 2023-24 Chicago Steel; Gorski (2023-25) and Major (2023-24) also played with Chris Reiniger on the Steel ... Donovan Hamilton also played with Ulvebne on the RoughRiders (2023-25) ... Connor Arseneault, Latta and Dan Moor played on the Omaha Lancers last season ... Chase Pirtle and Reegan Hiscock played with Malcolm Green on the Victoria Grizzlies (2023-25); Hoyt Stanley (2021-23), Hiscock (2022-24) and Pirtle (2023-24) also played on the Grizzlies with Luc Pelletier ... Nick DeSantis and Arthur Smith played on the 2021-22 Madison Capitols.

WALSH, KRAFT, PACE MEN'S HOCKEY'S OFFENSE IN VICTORY OVER PRINCETON

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

PRINCETON, N.J. (JAN. 17, 2025) — Three-point nights from sophomore forwards Jake Kraft and Ryan Walsh paced the Cornell men's hockey team (7-5-4, 4-3-2 ECAC Hockey) to its 6-2 victory over Princeton (6-9-1, 3-7-1 ECAC Hockey) before a standing room only crowd at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink on Friday night.

Kraft and Walsh were two of six Big Red players to notch multi-point efforts in the victory, each recording a goal and chipped in two assists. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft was the lone player with a multi-goal outing, scoring two of the Big Red's goals. Sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna had a goal and an assist and defensemen Michael Suda and Ben Robertson each tallied a pair of helpers.

Kraft's three-point night established a single-game high for points, besting a pair of two-point outings, the most recent one coming in a 5-3 win over then-No. 6-ranked North Dakota on Nov. 2. Walsh posted his second three-point game of the season, the other also coming in the Nov. 2 victory.
 
Junior goaltender Remington Keopple made his first start of the season and stopped a career-high 23 shots between the pipes for the Big Red to earn his second career victory (Nov. 19, 2022, vs. Brown).
 
Princeton defensemen Kai Greaves and Brendan Wang each netted their first collegiate goals into the setback for the Tigers, who have now lost its last five games. Sophomore netminder Arthur Smith made 25 saves on the night.
 
Greaves opened the scoring five-plus minutes into the contest after coasting from the Tigers' defensive zone into the attacking zone on a pass from Noah de la Durantaye on a controlled breakout. The shot by the freshman defenseman was lasered from the top of the slot, beating Keopple to his high glove side.

Cornell responded with five unanswered goals, sparked by Walsh's tying tally 1:39 after Greaves' opening goal. Walsh took a chipped puck from Kraft in front of Cornell's bench, split a pair of Princeton defenders to create a quick breakaway and beat Smith to his high glove side.

The Big Red ultimately took the lead for good when Kovich deposited a loose rebound near the left post after a shot from the middle of the point by Suda was blocked by a Princeton defender.

Bancroft netted the first of his two goals on the night three-plus minutes into the second period, pouncing on a loose puck at the edge of Princeton's goal crease. Sophomore defenseman Hoyt Stanley initiated the scoring chance as his shot trickled through traffic in the mid-slot.

Kraft extended Cornell's lead to 4-1 in the final five minutes of the second period as Kraft redirected Robertson's shot from the middle of the point in the low slot.

Castagna upped the Big Red lead to 5-1 early in the third period when he wristed a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle during a 2-on-1 scoring chance.

Following a lengthy review during a media timeout, Cornell was assessed a major penalty for face masking. In the final minute of the five-minute man advantage, Princeton was able to trim Cornell's lead with a power-play goal off the stick of Wang from the left point.

Late in the third, 14 seconds following a Princeton penalty, Bancroft notched his second goal of the night, benefiting from a ricochet off a Princeton defender's stick.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC

• Quinnipiac enters this weekend with a 16-4-2 overall record and 8-2-0 mark in conference play. The seventh-ranked Bobcats, winners of their last four and 11 of their last 12, are tied with Princeton for first place in ECAC Hockey with 22 points.

• Across its last 12 games, Quinnipiac is averaging a Division I-best 4.83 goals per game, one of seven teams to average four goals per game. The Bobcats’ 58 goals also rank as the top total in Division I during that span.

• Owning the nation’s fourth-highest scoring offense (4.05 goals per game), the Bobcats are powered offensively by freshman Ethan Wyttenbach (12-19—31), who leads all Division I freshmen in assists and points while ranking fifth nationally with 1.41 points per game. His 31 points are tied for third-most in Division I hockey. Wyttenbach is one of three Quinnipiac players averaging at least a point per game.

• Quinnipiac’s power play ranks 12th nationally, converting at a 23.6 percent clip — second-best in ECAC Hockey behind only Cornell (29.4 percent).

• In goal, Matej Marinov (12-2-2, 2.49, .893) has primarily handled duties of late, starting 10 of the team’s last 12 contests. Dylan Silverstein (4-2-0, 1.81, .914) has started six of his seven appearances.

25 YEARS, 267 MILES, 55 MEETINGS

• Saturday will serve as a rematch of last year’s ECAC Hockey semifinal in Lake Placid, N.Y., where forward Kyler Kovich ‘25 scored a game-tying, short-handed goal with 1:39 remaining before defenseman Tim Rego ‘25 netted the game-winner on the power play 14:39 into overtime to lift the Big Red past the Bobcats, 3-2, en route to its second consecutive Whitelaw Cup.

• Unbeaten in its last three against Quinnipiac (1-0-2), Cornell owns a 28-21-6 lead over Quinnipiac in the all-time series, as it looks to register its eighth home win over the Bobcats in the last 10 meetings.

• Cornell has not won consecutive games against Quinnipiac since sweeping the regular-season series in 2021-22 with victories of 2-1 in Ithaca (Jan. 22, 2022) and 1-0 in Hamden (Feb. 25, 2022).

CORNELL - QUINNIPIAC CONNECTIONS

• Cornell equipment manager Sean Schmidt was on Team USA’s support staff at the 2023 World Juniors in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick, which featured Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold as head coach. The Americans won bronze with an 8-7 overtime victory over Sweden.

• Ryan Walsh and Chris Pelosi were both on the U.S. Collegiate Selects team at last month’s Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland ... Luke Devlin and Quinnipiac’s Charlie Leddy, Sam Scopa and Dylan Silverstein all played on the 2021-22 U.S. NTDP Juniors ... Nick DeSantis and Matthew McGroarty played together on the 2021-22 Madison Capitols; Aiden Long also skated for the Capitols with Scopa last season ... Marian Mosko and Mason Marcellus were teammates on the Lincoln Stars from 2021-23; Mosko also played with Matej Marinov on the 2022-23 Fargo Force ... Donovan Hamilton and Andon Cerbone played together on the 2022-23 Omaha Lancers; Michael Fisher and Tyler Catalano also played with Cerbone on the Youngstown Phantoms that season ... Jake Kraft and Walsh skated for the 2022-23 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with Scopa; Hamilton and Elliott Groenewold played together on the RoughRiders, along with Scopa, the following season.

REGO NETS OVERTIME WINNER, SENDS MEN'S HOCKEY TO ECAC HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (MARCH 21, 2025) — 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 its 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.

#14 MEN'S HOCKEY USES LATE HEROICS TO COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP OF ALASKA

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

ITHACA, N.Y. (JAN. 10, 2026) — Junior forward Jonathan Castagna broke a 2-2 tie with 1:19 remaining before the 14th-ranked Cornell men's hockey team added two empty-net goals six seconds apart to defeat Alaska 5-2 on Saturday night at Lynah Rink and complete a weekend sweep of the Nanooks.

Castagna tallied the latter empty-net goal as part of a two-goal night, while classmate Ryan Walsh had two goals and one assist. Junior defenseman Hoyt Stanley also had a multi-point night, assisting on a pair of goals as the Big Red (11-4-0) won its fifth straight game and 10th consecutive home contest.

Senior goaltender Remington Keopple earned the Saturday start for the third consecutive weekend and made 15 saves in the victory to improve to 3-1-0.

Peyton Platter factored on both goals for Alaska (5-13-1) and was joined in the scoring column by Jhett Larson. Calvin Vachon made 19 saves between the pipes in the setback for the Nanooks.

Picking up where it left off Friday, Cornell opened the scoring at 14:09 of the first period with its fourth power-play goal of the weekend as Walsh one-timed a cross-slot pass from freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux at the left faceoff circle. Stanley earned the secondary assist for his fourth helper of the weekend.

After Platter tied the game nearly five minutes into the second period, Cornell swiftly retook the lead 66 seconds later as sophomore forward Charlie Major, assisted by linemates Walsh and junior forward Luke Devlin, beat Vachon with a wrist shot from the base of the right faceoff circle.

Cornell carried a 2-1 lead into the third period before Alaska tied the game at 2-2 with under nine minutes remaining in regulation as Larson capitalized on a rebound of Michael Citara's shot immediately following an offensive-zone faceoff win by Platter.

Following coincidental minor penalties with 3:27 remaining in the third, Cornell capitalized on Castagna exiting the penalty box at the opportune moment. Freshman forward Caton Ryan delivered a stretch pass from behind the Big Red goal line and Castagna streaked into the offensive zone on a breakaway, backhanding a shot past a sprawling Vachon for the game-winning goal.

"I got out [of the penalty box] and I was kind of floating because the puck was stalled, hoping that it would pop out and it did exactly what I was hoping for," Castagna said. "Everything after that was just kind of like, 'This puck's coming to me, I'm on a breakaway,' and then just put it in the back of the net. I kind of blacked out there."

With Alaska pressing in the offensive zone and an extra attacker on in the final minute, Walsh poked the puck free and scored into the empty net. After Cornell was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Alaska kept Vachon on the bench for a 6-on-4 advantage, but Castagna won the faceoff back to junior defenseman George Fegaras. Fegaras' shot at the empty net went wide, but Castagna retrieved the loose puck and buried a short-handed goal just six seconds after Walsh's tally.

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 concludes its program-record eight-game homestand next weekend when it welcomes No. 10 Dartmouth (13-4-0, 7-2-0 ECAC Hockey) and Harvard (7-7-1, 5-4-0 ECAC Hockey) to Lynah Rink for a pair of pivotal ECAC Hockey and Ivy League contests on Reunion Weekend. Puck drop for both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

• The Big Green defeated the Big Red, 2-1, in Hanover, N.H., earlier this season on Nov. 8, after Cornell defeated the Crimson, 3-1, at Bright-Landry Hockey Center the night before. Junior forward Jonathan Castagna spearheaded the Big Red to the win, scoring twice in the victory, which included tallying a third-period short-handed goal.