#10 Men's Hockey Travels to Yale, Brown to Open Road Stretch

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

PUCK DROP

• The 10th-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team (14-5-0, 9-3-0) begins a stretch where it plays seven of its next eight games away from Lynah Rink this weekend when it travels to play ECAC Hockey rivals Yale (7-13-0, 6-6-0) and Brown (4-16-0, 3-9-0).

• Friday’s contest at Ingalls Rink is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. while Saturday’s contest at Meehan Auditorium is slated for a 5 p.m. start. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

BULLDOGS & BEARS & WINS, OH MY!

• Cornell has dominated its southern New England rivals recently, posting an 11-0-2 record over the last 13 meetings and going 21-1-2 in 24 games against Yale and Brown combined.

• The Big Red have swept each of the last three regular-season trips to Yale and Brown, outscoring the Bulldogs and Bears by a combined 31-7. Wins in both games this weekend would give Cornell four consecutive sweeps of the Yale - Brown road trip for the first time since the travel partnership began with the 2005-06 season. The Big Red swept the road trip in the first three seasons of the partnership (2005-06 through 2007-08) and have done so eight times overall, including five times in the last decade (2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25).

• Cornell’s recent road dominance has been suffocating. Over the last 18 road games against Yale and Brown, the Big Red are 13-2-3 (.806) while averaging 3.56 goals per game and allowing just 1.44 goals per contest. Cornell has posted five shutouts and allowed one goal or fewer in 14 of the 18 contests. Yale’s three-goal output last season on Feb. 15, 2025, at Ingalls Rink marked the first time Cornell had allowed three or more goals on the road to either team since a 5-2 loss at Yale on Feb. 16, 2019.

• Dating back to 2013-14, Cornell is unbeaten in 44 of its last 48 overall games against Yale and Brown. The Big Red have posted a 36-4-8 record (.833) and hold a plus-90 goal differential (165-75). During that span, Cornell has scored at least three goals 36 times and has won 27 of its 36 games by at least two goals.

X GON' GIVE IT TO YA

• Cornell freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux enters this weekend with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) while appearing in all 19 games for the Big Red this season. Finding his stride as of late, Veilleux recorded assists in both games of last weekend’s home sweep of then-No. 10 Dartmouth and Harvard and has points in five of his last six, eight of his previous 10, and 10 of his last 12 games.

• Veilleux’s 15 points are tied with Penn State’s Jackson Smith (7-8—15) for the second-highest point total by a freshman blueliner this season, trailing only North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff (6-11—17). He is the only freshman rearguard in the country this season to register 15-plus points in his first 19 games.

• The 15 points recorded by Veilleux place him in a five-way tie for the 10th-most points by a Cornell freshman defenseman in program history. With a point this weekend, he would match Steve Wilson ‘97 (1994-95) and Sam Malinski ‘23 (2019-20) for the eighth-highest point total.

THE ‘X’ FACTOR

• All four goals scored by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux this season have come on the power play, pacing the Big Red in power-play goals.

• Veilleux’s four power-play goals are tied with Long Island’s Nick Bernardo, Denver’s Boston Buckberger and Eric Pohlkamp, Colgate’s Isaiah Norlin, 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 17 first-year players with at least four power-play goals — and one of only two defensemen, alongside Smith.

• Veilleux, who has already set a Cornell program record for power-play goals by a freshman defenseman, has already doubled the previous mark held by eight players: Larry Pierce ‘01 (1997-98), Mark McRae ‘03 and Doug Murray ‘03 (both 1999-00), Sasha Pokulok (2004-05), Brendon Nash ‘10 (2006-07), Mike Devin ‘11 (2007-08), Sam Malinski ‘23 (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 ‘05 (six in 2004-05), Ryan O’Byrne (five in 2005-06), Nick D’Agostino ‘13 (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.

SHORT-HANDED SPECIALIST

• Junior forward Jake Kraft scored Cornell’s fourth short-handed goal in the Big Red’s 2-1 overtime victory over then-No. 10 Dartmouth last Friday.

• The Big Red’s four short-handed goals — led by junior forward Jonathan Castagna’s three short-handed tallies — are tied with Air Force, Augustana, Bentley, Lake Superior State, RPI and St. Cloud State for the eighth-highest total this season. Only St. Thomas (10), Boston University and Michigan (7 apiece), Maine, North Dakota, Penn State and UMass Lowell (5 apiece) have more goals while down a man than Cornell.

• Castagna enters this weekend tied with Michigan’s Josh Eernisse and St. Thomas’ Alex Gaffney and Nathan Pilling for the second-most short-handed goals (three). Penn State’s Dane Dowiak (four) paces the country in short-handed goals.

• After also scoring four short-handed goals last season, Cornell’s eight short-handed goals over the last two seasons matches the combined output between the 2014-15 and 2023-24 seasons (eight).

• With its next short-handed goal, Cornell will have its highest single-season short-handed goal total since 2011-12, when it tallied six goals while on the penalty kill.

COMPLETE PACKAGE

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna is one of six Division I players who have multiple game-winning, power-play and short-handed goals this season, joining Boston University’s Jack Harvey, Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante, North Dakota’s Dylan James and St. Thomas’ Nathan Pilling and Lucas Van Vliet.

• Castagna, who has tallied two game-winners, two power-play goals, and three short-handed goals, is just the fourth Cornell player to accomplish the feat since 1996-97 and the second to do so in as many seasons, joining Dalton Bancroft (2024-25). Mike Knoepfli ‘05 (2004-05) and Riley Nash (2008-09) are the only others to do so in the last 30 years.

• 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.

JONNY-ON-THE-DOT

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna boasts the nation’s top faceoff win percentage among players with at least 200 faceoff wins, going 244-of-374 (65.2 percent). His percentage is three-and-a-half percentage points higher than St. Cloud State’s Tyson Gross (61.7 percent). Castagna is one of six players this season with at least 200 wins and a success rate of at least 60.0 percent, while also having the second-highest faceoff wins per game nationally (12.84), only behind Gross’ 14.08 average.

• Since Jan. 1, 2025, Castagna has won 63.4 percent of his draws (451-of-711), making him one of two active Division I players with at least 400 faceoff wins and a 60.0 percent win rate, joined by Colorado College’s Klavs Veinbergs (60.8 percent, 496-of-816).

• In the Big Red’s win over No. 18 Princeton on Jan. 16, Castagna won a career-high 22 faceoffs, going an impressive 22-of-29 (.733) at the faceoff circle. The 22 faceoff wins were the most by a Big Red player since Gabriel Seger ‘24 won 23 faceoffs in an overtime victory on Jan. 20, 2024, against No. 3 Quinnipiac. It was the most faceoff wins by a Cornell player in a game ending in regulation since Sean Collins ‘12 also went 22-for-29 against Ferris State on March 24, 2012, in the Midwest Regional Final of the 2012 NCAA Tournament in Green Bay, Wis.

• Castagna’s faceoff wins matched Bowling Green’s Jaden Grant (Oct. 31, vs. Bemidji State) and Veinbergs (Nov. 29, vs. Providence) for the most in Division I hockey this season. He has won at least 13 faceoffs in 10 games this season, tied with Veinbergs, Dartmouth’s Hank Cleaves and Michigan’s T.J. Hughes for the fifth-most games with at least 13 faceoff wins this season. Only Gross (14), Western Michigan’s Owen Michaels (13), Army’s Barron Woodring and Michigan State’s Charlie Stramel (12 each) have more such games.

• Since his freshman year in 2023-24, Castagna’s 59.3 percent faceoff win rate (754-of-1271) is second among all active players with at least 500 faceoff wins, trailing Veinbergs (693-of-1167, 59.4 percent) by six ten-thousandths of a percentage point.

(BIG) RED MEANS STOP

• Cornell enters this weekend with the second-best scoring defense in Division I, allowing just 1.842 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.

• 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 1.976 goals allowed per game, joining Minnesota State (1.914) 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 15 collegiate games, posting an 11-4-0 record with a 1.82 goals-against average and .925 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 14th in save percentage.

• Cournoyer is one of seven goaltenders in Cornell’s modern era (since 1957-58) to register at least 11 wins in his first 15 career appearances.

• Since 2005-06, Cournoyer is one of four Cornell goaltenders to post a sub-2.00 goals-against average in his first 15 career games. The 1.82 goals-against average posted by Cournoyer trails Ian Shane ‘25 (1.54, 2021-22), Mitch Gillam ‘17 (1.56, 2013-15) and Matthew Galajda (1.78, 2017-18).

NO BIG NIGHTS ALLOWED

• Cornell enters this weekend as one of just two Division I programs that have yet to allow a three-point game by an opposing player this season, joined by UConn.

• Entering this weekend, the Big Red have not allowed an opponent to register a three-point game in 29 consecutive contests, dating back to when Clarkson’s Ayrton Martino (1-2—3) factored on all three Golden Knights’ goals in a 3-1 win over the Big Red at Lynah Rink on Feb. 21, 2025, in Ithaca, N.Y.

• The 29-game streak by Cornell is the second-longest in Division I hockey and one of three streaks spanning 20-plus games. It trails UConn’s 36-game streak (since Feb. 8, 2025) and is ahead of Michigan State’s 23-game streak (since Oct. 9, 2025).

• So far this season, Cornell has allowed just eight of the 2,258 multi-point games in Division I hockey, four fewer than Michigan State (12).

POWER (PLAY) SURGE

• Despite being held without a power-play goal in its last three games and nine power-play opportunities, Cornell’s power play still ranks as one of the best in the nation, converting at a 25.4 percent clip, ranking eighth nationally and first among ECAC Hockey programs. The Big Red lead the conference by nearly two percentage points over Quinnipiac (23.5 percent, 14th nationally).

• Since Nov. 14, Cornell has converted at a 29.2 percent clip (14-for-48), which ranks fifth nationally and has scored 14 of its 16 power-play goals on the season during that span.

• The Big Red’s turnaround on the power play from last season has been dramatic, with Cornell already matching last year’s power-play goal total (16) in 20 fewer games (16). Last year, the Big Red converted on just 14.7 percent of its power plays (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).

FRESH IMPACT

• Cornell’s 12-player freshman class has made an immediate impression this season, combining for 68 of the Big Red’s 173 points this season (39.3 percent). The Big Red are one of just eight Division I programs — four of which are from ECAC Hockey — that are receiving at least 39 percent of its offensive production from first-year players.

• The Big Red have the seventh-highest percentage of goals scored by freshmen in Division I (43.8 percent — 28-of-64).

• Six Cornell freshmen have scored at least three goals this season: Caton Ryan (six), Gio DiGiulian, Reegan Hiscock and Aiden Long (five each), Xavier Veilleux (four) and Chase Pirtle (three). The Big Red are tied with Michigan Tech for the second-most freshmen with three-plus goals, trailing only Arizona State (seven), and is one of five programs with four first-years with at least five goals, joining Lindenwood, Michigan, Quinnipiac and RIT.

• This season marks just the second time in program history — and second instance in the last three seasons — Cornell has had at least six freshmen score three or more goals in a season, joining the 2023-24 squad (Ryan Walsh — 12; Jonathan Castagna — 11; Luke Devlin — six; Ben Robertson — five; Jake Kraft — four; George Fegaras — three).

OFF TO A GOOD START

• First-year head coach Casey Jones ‘90 has Cornell off to an impressive 14-5-0 start, the team’s best 19-game start to a season since 2021-22, when it went 13-4-2.

• It is the 15th time overall and first since the 2019-20  season (14-1-4, .842) that Cornell has at least 14 wins through its first 19 games in a season.

• Jones’ .737 win percentage through his first 19 games as Cornell’s head coach is tied with Talbot Hunter (1909-11) and Brian McCutcheon ‘71 for the second-best start in program history. Both Hunter and McCutcheon also had 14-5-0 records to begin their head coaching tenures. Only Dick Bertrand ‘70, who started with a 16-3-0 (.842) record in 1970-71, has a better win percentage through 19 games.

• A sweep of Yale and Brown this weekend would give Jones the second-best win percentage by a Big Red head coach in his first 21 games, trailing only Bertrand’s 18-3-0 (.857) mark. Jones would also become one of three Big Red head coaches with a win percentage of at least .700 through his first 21 career games coached, also joining McCutcheon (15-6-0, .714).

• Among the 11 Division I programs playing under first-year head coaches this season, Cornell’s .737 win percentage through 19 games trails only North Dakota (15-4-0, .789) for the highest mark. Michigan Tech (11-6-2, .632) and RIT (11-8-0, .579) are the other programs with winning records through their first 19 games under new leadership.

MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

• With its next victory, Cornell will extend its streak of having at least a 10-win season in ECAC Hockey play for a ninth consecutive season, remaining as the third-longest streak in program history behind spans of 19 seasons (1964-83) and 13 seasons (1999-2012).

• A win Friday would mark the 15th time in program history the Big Red have won its 10th conference game by the 13th conference game and would be the quickest to 10 conference wins since 2022-23 (10-3-0). It would also be Cornell’s 25th time since Mike Schafer ‘86 became head coach in 1995-96 that it recorded at least 10 conference wins.

• Should Cornell sweep this weekend’s road trip, it would give the Big Red 11 conference wins by its 14th conference game for the first time since 2017-18 (11-1-1).

• The Big Red’s active streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Division I with North Dakota and Quinnipiac and trails Minnesota State (14 seasons), Boston University (11) and Western Michigan (10).

ON THE PLUS SIDE

• Senior forward Nick DeSantis enters this weekend with a career plus-minus rating of plus-47, tied with former Cornell and current Michigan defenseman Ben Robertson and Denver’s Eric Pohlkamp for seventh 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-55) and Victor Czerneckianair (plus-48), Michigan State’s Daniel Russell (plus-52), Boston College’s Andre Gasseau (plus-44), Denver’s Rieger Lorenz (plus-43) and Western Michigan’s Owen Michaels (plus-41).

• Paired with junior forward Jonathan Castagna’s plus-37 rating, Cornell is one of three teams with multiple forwards with plus-35 ratings or better, joining Denver (three) and Quinnipiac (two).

• DeSantis’ plus-47 rating is tied with Brenden Locke ‘21 for fourth in program history, behind Ondrej Psenicka ‘25 (plus-58), Greg Miller ‘12 (plus-52) and Kyle Penney ‘25 (plus-50) since the statistic began being officially tracked in 2002-03.

AVALANCHE LOCK UP MALINSKI

• Former Cornell defenseman Sam Malinski ‘23 signed a four-year, $19 million contract extension ($4.75M AAV) with the Colorado Avalanche, the team announced Tuesday.

• Malinski has already set career highs in assists (21) and points (24) through 50 games this season while posting a plus-26 rating and averaging 16:43 of ice time per game. His plus-26 rating is tied for the seventh-highest rating by an NHL defenseman this season, alongside his teammate, Devon Toews, and Utah’s Nate Schmidt.

• The 27-year-old right-shot defenseman will have a no-trade clause in the first two years of his contract, which begins next season, before moving to a 10-team no-trade list in 2028-29 and a six-team list in 2029-30.

• “Sam is a hardworking defenseman who has great skating and puck-moving ability,” said Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarlane. “His commitment to the defensive side of the game has turned him into a reliable defenseman for us.”

• “It’s well-deserved,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar added. “[He’s] continuously getting better and better year over year, month over month. The improvement of his defensive game, for me, this year, from the start of the year even to now, for a long stretch, has been really impressive.”

• Malinski has taken on an elevated role since Toews was injured in a game three weeks ago, moving from his traditional third-pairing right-side position to the top pair alongside Cale Makar on the left side. In his new role, Malinski has recorded one assist while averaging 21:03 of ice time across 25 shifts per game.

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 YALE

• Yale enters this weekend with a 7-13-0 overall record and 6-6-0 mark in ECAC Hockey play. The Bulldogs are tied with Colgate for sixth in the conference standings.

• Since snapping its six-game losing streak on Jan. 9, Yale is tied for eighth nationally in scoring offense (4.33), powered by eight-goal performances against St. Lawrence (Jan. 9) and RPI (Jan. 16).

• Ronan O’Donnell leads Yale in goals (9) and points (17), while Donovan Frias has a team-best 11 assists — all over the Bulldogs’ last eight games.

• Noah Pak (5-7-0, 2.78, .915) has started 12 of 14 games in goal, while Jack Stark (2-6-0, 3.65, .888) has eight starts in 10 appearances.

123 YEARS, 258 MILES, 168 MEETINGS

• Friday marks the 169th meeting between the Ancient Eight rivals, with Cornell assuming a 95-63-10 series edge. The Big Red have been dominant in recent years, going 13-1-4 in the last 18 matchups, including a 10-0-2 mark over the previous 12. Over the last 18 contests, Cornell is averaging 3.72 goals per game and has limited Yale to 1.78 goals per contest.

• A victory or tie Friday would be the program’s longest unbeaten streak over the Bulldogs since going 12-0-4 from Nov. 30, 2001, to Jan. 26, 2008.

• The Big Red have won five straight at Ingalls Rink and are seeking its first six-game win streak in New Haven since a six-game span from March 1, 2003, to Nov. 9, 2007.

CORNELL - YALE CONNECTIONS

• Cornell’s director of hockey operations Josh Robinson and Yale interim head coach Joe Howe were teammates on the 2012-13 Idaho Steelheads ... Charlie Major and Jack Stark played together on the 2022-23 Chicago Steel ... Chase Pirtle (2021-22), Tyler Catalano and Winter Wallace (2020-22) all skated alongside Bayard Hall for the Youngstown Phantoms ... Donovan Hamilton and Dylan Hunt were teammates last season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Hamilton also played with Joe Blackley at the Nichols School in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2021-22 ... Michael Fisher and Tucker Hartmann spent two seasons (2018-20) together at the St. Mark’s School ... Ryan Walsh was teammates with David Chen at the Salisbury School in 2020-21 ... Luke Ashton played with Seiya Tanaka-Campbell (2021-23), Jojo Tanaka-Campbell (2021-22) and Kurt Gurkan (2022-23) on the Vernon Vipers ... Xavier Veilleux won the Clark Cup last year with Gurkan on the Muskegon Lumberjacks ... Hoyt Stanley and Kalen Szeto were Victoria Grizzlies teammates in 2021-22, with Szeto later playing with Pirtle and Reegan Hiscock in 2023-24 ... Aiden Long played with Braden Keeble on the 2022-23 Whitecourt Wolverines and Ronan O’Donnell on the 2023-24 Madison Capitols ... Justin Katz teamed up with Elan Bar-Lev-Wise on the 2021-22 West Kelowna Warriors ... Sean Donaldson (2021-22 Sioux Falls Stampede) and Parker Murray (2022-23 Wenatchee Wild) both played alongside Micah Berger.

WALSH'S TWO GOALS, RYAN'S MULTI-POINT NIGHT LEAD #20 MEN'S HOCKEY PAST YALE

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

ITHACA, N.Y. (NOV. 15, 2025) — Junior forward Ryan Walsh had a two-goal night and freshman forward Caton Ryan had a goal and an assist to help lead the No. 20-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 5-2 victory over Yale before a sold-out crowd Saturday night at Lynah Rink.

The multi-point nights for both Walsh and Ryan helped punctuate their three-goal weekends as the Big Red (4-2-0, 3-1-0 ECAC Hockey) came away with six points in its first home weekend of the season.

"It's always good to get six points in a sweep in the first home weekend," Walsh said.

Freshman forward Reegan Hiscock and senior forward Nick DeSantis also scored for Cornell, who received 27 saves from freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer.

Ronan O'Donnell and David Chen scored for Yale, and Jack Stark made 21 saves in the setback for the Bulldogs (2-3-0, 2-2-0 ECAC Hockey).

Following a scoreless opening period, Cornell exploded with a four-goal second period. Walsh ignited the offensive outburst with a one-timer on the power play 7:02 into the frame.

"I just shot the puck and it happened to go in the net," Walsh said. "Getting a power-play goal to start things off was nice."

Hiscock doubled the Big Red's lead just over two minutes later, but O'Donnell answered for Yale 27 seconds after that to cut the deficit to 2-1.

DeSantis restored Cornell's two-goal cushion before Walsh capitalized on a scramble along the goal line. Freshman forward Aiden Long backhanded the puck off the side of the net, and Walsh threw it toward the goal as Stark hugged the post. The puck deflected off Stark's glove and into the net.

"I didn't know how it went in. I just chipped it from one foot out, and I didn't even know it went in until guys started celebrating around," Walsh said.
 
Between the second and third periods, a 62-minute delay due to an ice issue created an unprecedented challenge for both teams.

"It's one of those things where it's hard to prepare for almost an hour between the second and third," Walsh said. "There's also uncertainty if we were even going to play. Guys were trying to stay loose because it was a two-goal game and that easily could have flipped."

Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey, emphasized the mental challenge the delay presented.

"Both teams are going through it. We just talked about being mentally sharp," Jones said. "We started pretty good, managed the game early, but I thought we got a little loose as we went. It's a tough situation to be in. Let our guys handle it, get the three points, and let's get out of here."

Jones was particularly appreciative of the Lynah Faithful who stuck around during the lengthy delay.

"I really appreciate the fans sticking around, big time," Jones said. "A large percentage of the crowd hung tough, and that means a lot to us. Our guys were talking about it on the bench — the loyalty of the fans to stick around meant a lot to us."

After play resumed, Yale nearly made things interesting. O'Donnell blocked a shot by junior defenseman Michael Fisher at the point, creating a 2-on-1 rush. Chen used a toe-drag deke to get around senior defenseman Jack O'Brien's shot-block attempt, and after Cournoyer made the initial save, Chen buried his own rebound to cut the lead to 4-2 six minutes into the third period.

Ryan answered more than eight minutes later, redirecting a shot from the left point by O'Brien for his third goal of the weekend to restore the three-goal cushion and ultimately put the game out of reach.

SCOUTING BROWN

• Brown (4-16-0, 3-9-0) enters this weekend’s slate on a three-game losing streak, having won just once in its last 12 games (1-11-0).

• Ivan Zadvernyuk leads Brown in points (15) and assists (10), while Ben Poitras (6 goals) and Ryan St. Louis (6 goals) are tied for the team lead in goals. Tyler Shea has started 13 of 15 games in goal (2-12-0, 2.97, .919), while Fred Halyk has seven starts in eight appearances (2-4-0, 3.85, .890).

• Brown’s power play ranks last in Division I at 5.8 percent (3-for-63) and hasn’t scored since Nov. 22 at Yale (0-for-27). On the other end of special teams, the Bears’ penalty kill ranks third-worst nationally at 70.6 percent, allowing at least one power-play goal in 17 of 20 games this season — including each of its last 10.

66 YEARS, 326 MILES, 142 MEETINGS

• Saturday marks the 143rd all-time meeting between the Ivy League rivals, with Cornell holding a 90-44-8 series lead. The Big Red have dominated in recent years, going unbeaten in 24 of the last 25 meetings (21-1-3) and outscoring Brown 88-30 during that span.

• The Big Red have limited Brown to two goals or fewer in 12 straight games; another such effort Saturday would be the fourth-longest streak against a single opponent in program history.

• Cornell has won the last seven meetings by a combined 33-5 margin and a victory Saturday would be the longest win streak in program history over Brown, besting its current seven-game streak and spans between 1988-90 and 2007-10. The Big Red have captured 11 of the last 12 contests with a plus-40 goal differential (50-10), including 10 victories by at least two goals.

• The Big Red have won three straight at Meehan Auditorium and are seeking its first four-game win streak in Providence since a six-game span from Jan. 7, 2005, to Nov. 14, 2009.

CORNELL - BROWN CONNECTIONS

• Luke Ashton, Ryan Shostak and Zackary Tonelli were teammates on the 2021-22 Vernon Vipers ... Justin Katz (2022-24) and Luke Devlin (2022-23) suited up alongside Michael Salandra for the West Kelowna Warriors ... Aiden Long and Brendan Tighe were teammates on the Madison Capitols for two seasons (2023-25) ... Pirtle, Reegan Hiscock and Charlie Gollob were all members on the 2023-24 Victoria Grizzlies ... George Fegaras, Xavier Veilleux and Owen Dyer played together for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2022-23 ... Caton Ryan, Michael Fisher and Matthew Cataldo were teammates on the last year’s Penticton Vees ... Jack O’Brien, Sean Donaldson and Ethan Mistry all skated for the 2021-22 Nanaimo Clippers ... Fegaras and Jack Hewitt were teammates on the 2021-22 North York Rangers ... Tyler Shea played with both Nick DeSantis (Madison Capitols) and Parker Murray (Wenatchee Wild) during the 2021-22 season ... Chase Pirtle and Trip Pendy spent two seasons (2019-21) together at the Delbarton School ... Ryan Walsh played at the Salisbury School with and Ben Poitras (2020-22) and Dean Bauchiero (2020-21).

FRESHMEN SHINE AS #20 MEN'S HOCKEY TOPS BROWN TO WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT HOME OPENER

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

ITHACA, N.Y. (NOV. 14, 2025) — Freshmen forwards Caton Ryan and Gio DiGiulian each recorded the first multi-point games of their collegiate careers as the No. 20-ranked Cornell men's hockey team defeated Brown 4-1 in its sixth consecutive home opener victory before a sold-out crowd Friday night at Lynah Rink.

Ryan scored the first and third goals of the night for the Big Red, who improved to 3-2-0 overall, 2-1-0 in ECAC Hockey play. DiGiulian assisted on the first goal before scoring the game-winner 10:18 into the second period. Junior defenseman George Fegaras was the only other Cornell player with a multi-point night, assisting on both of Ryan's goals.

Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer continued to shine between the pipes for Cornell, stopping 27 of 28 shots he faced. Brown's Brian Nicholas broke up Cournoyer's shutout bid with 3:32 remaining in the third period, scoring after cycling the puck and benefiting from multiple screens in front of the Big Red netminder.

The game held special significance as Cornell honored legendary goaltender Ken Dryden '69, who passed away this past September. Cournoyer's composed, 27-save performance seemed a fitting tribute to the Hall of Famer, as the freshman netminder stood tall in the Cornell crease much like Dryden did during his storied career that began at Lynah Rink.

"It was very nice. It was special from the start," Cournoyer said. "The ceremonial puck drop was my first one too, so it was kind of cool to do it for him. We played our game for him tonight."

Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey, noted the unique connection between his goaltender and Dryden.

"It was pretty special that they did the two goaltenders," Jones said. "Alexis is a Quebec guy. It was kind of neat to see that."

Cournoyer, who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens this past June — the same team Dryden backstopped to six Stanley Cups — said the tribute held special meaning.

"It's more about the person he was," Cournoyer said. "What he did after hockey and what he did for Cornell — he's such a great person. I talked with a lot of people in the Canadiens organization and they all said when you were talking to Ken Dryden, you could feel the aura."

After a sluggish start to the game, Cornell benefited from a late penalty called against Brown. Ryan took a pass from Fegaras at the point, lasering a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to break the ice with 55 seconds left in the first period, igniting the first of four unanswered goals for the Big Red.

"We've been in a bit of a cold streak, so we thought we'd switch things up," Ryan said of the power play. "I just thought I'd put one on the net, and good things happen from there."

DiGiulian doubled the Big Red's lead, pouncing on a loose rebound after Brown goaltender Tyler Shea could not corral a shot taken by sophomore defenseman Michael Fisher from the left point.

Cornell quickly extended its lead to 4-0 early in the third period as Ryan and junior forward Ryan Walsh tallied goals 55 seconds apart. Ryan deflected a point shot by sophomore defenseman Luke Ashton in the low slot.

"Ash had a really nice shot and I was able to deflect it," Ryan said. "I think the goalie thought it was going low and it went high."

Walsh tallied his goal on a rebound after Shea couldn't hold onto a wide shot taken by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux.

Shea finished the night with 21 saves in the setback for the Bears (1-4-0, 1-2-0 ECAC Hockey).

A neutral zone giveaway from Cornell led Nicholas to gain control of the puck, carrying it all the way behind Cornell's goal before beating Cournoyer with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. The Big Red netminder was screened by numerous players on the play.

With six of the team's 11 points on the night coming from freshmen, Jones was pleased with the contributions from his young core.

"DiGiulian has a scoring touch and certainly took advantage of his opportunities," Jones said. "It's very important for Caton to get going — he's an offensive player that can get hot. We need to get our depth going in scoring. That's going to be our strength."

CASTAGNA, LONG LEAD #12 MEN'S HOCKEY TO VICTORY OVER HARVARD

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | PHOTO GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (JAN. 24, 2026) — Linemates Jonathan Castagna and Aiden Long each had a goal and an assist to lead the 12th-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Harvard before an over-capacity crowd at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Junior forward Jake Kraft and junior defenseman George Fegaras joined Castagna and Long in the goal-scoring column, scoring 26 seconds apart to give the Big Red (14-5-0, 9-3-0 ECAC Hockey) a 2-0 lead following a scoreless first period.

"I talked to our guys, that's close to 120 minutes of our identity, of how we want to play, that we've seen this year," said Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "Last Saturday put us in our place. We had a really nice week of practice and they carried it into the weekend. I thought we executed pretty well tonight."

After a relatively even first period, which featured no scoring and Harvard having a slight 21-20 edge in shot attempts with both teams registering nine shots on goal, Cornell had a considerable jump coming out of the dressing room from the first intermission. The Big Red dominated the period, owning advantages in shot attempts, 27-6, and shots on goal, 12-4.

The Big Red's second-period surge was a product of relentless pressure and sustained offensive zone time.

"We sustained so much offense in their zone. That was exciting for me," Jones said. "I thought it was as close to 120 minutes [of our identity] that we've had all year long. In a big weekend, you'd kind of expect that. But just the physicality, our intensity on pucks and in terms of managing the game, it was one of our best weekends."

Picking up where he left off from Friday night's win against Dartmouth, Kraft netted the first goal of the night at 11:27 of the second period before Fegaras added a marker 26 seconds later, pouncing on a loose rebound at the right faceoff circle.

Long capped Cornell's three-goal second period with a tally with 1:05 left in the frame. An indirect clearing attempt out of Harvard's defensive zone was corralled by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux in the neutral zone and Long squeezed between a Harvard defender and the boards to gain separation. Once at the bottom of the faceoff circle, he wristed a shot that beat Harvard goaltender Ben Charette to his five-hole.

For Long, a freshman experiencing his first Cornell-Harvard game at Lynah Rink, the goal — his fifth of the season — capped a memorable evening.

"I just kind of saw their D was tired — we'd had them in [the zone] for a while," Long said. "Next [Veilleux] gave me a pass up the wall. I thought I could beat the D and did and I thought I'd try to take it to the net and kind of just put it on net. I saw Jonny [Castagna] go in there and luckily it snuck in."

The atmosphere wasn't lost on the freshman forward.

"Obviously, being a freshman and my first taste of the Harvard rivalry at home, it definitely didn't disappoint," Long said. "The energy in the building was awesome and to come out with the win is huge."

Long, who had never played before a crowd like Saturday's, fed off the Lynah Faithful's energy.

"Obviously, MSG was probably close to that, but I've never been in an environment like that," Long said. "To have the Lynah Faithful behind us is huge and we build off that energy."

Harvard thwarted Cornell freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer's bid at his first collegiate shutout early in the third period, beating him to his high blocker side after Lucas St. Louis fanned on a pass from the top of the blue line just two seconds after the expiration of a Big Red penalty. Cournoyer finished the night with 17 saves.

Cornell retook its three-goal lead just 47 seconds later as a battle for the puck in front of Cornell's bench resulted in freshman forward Reegan Hiscock playing the puck to Castagna, setting up a 2-on-1 scoring chance with senior forward Nick DeSantis. Slowly entering the offensive zone, Castagna lasered a shot that beat Charette to his short side to restore the three-goal lead.

Castagna, who has been on fire lately with points in 11 of his last 14 games, savored the moment of scoring against Harvard at Lynah.

"Everyone's dream is to score a goal in the Harvard game, so it's nice to finally get to do that at home," Castagna said. "It was a 2-on-1, so I just tried to stay calm and slow it down a little and take what was given."

Harvard appeared to have scored a goal with an extra attacker with under three minutes left, but Cornell challenged for a potential missed offside call, which the Big Red won.

The Big Red had a pair of chances to score into a Harvard empty net, but both went wide of the goal.

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 plays its annual home-and-home series against Colgate (9-13-2, 6-5-1 ECAC Hockey) next weekend, beginning Friday at the Class of 1975 Arena in Hamilton, N.Y., before returning to Lynah Rink on Saturday.

• Friday's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., while Saturday's puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

• After splitting last season's regular-season series with the home team winning each game, sixth-seeded Cornell swept third-seeded Colgate in the 2025 ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinals en route to its second consecutive Whitelaw Cup title.