#11 Men's Hockey Set to Close Out Regular Season Against St. Lawrence, Clarkson

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

PUCK DROP

• Concluding the regular-season portion of the schedule this weekend, the 11th-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team (18-8-1, 13-6-1 ECAC Hockey) returns to Lynah Rink for the first time since Feb. 7, when it hosts Empire State rivals St. Lawrence (7-22-3, 6-13-1 ECAC Hockey) and Clarkson (14-15-3, 8-9-3 ECAC Hockey).

• 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 scheduled for 7 p.m., pending the completion of the women’s hockey team’s quarterfinal games against Colgate.

TIME FOR A BREATHER

• Cornell officially secured one of the four opening-round byes for the 2026 ECAC Hockey Championship after defeating No. 5 Quinnipiac, 6-1, last Friday in front of a sold-out crowd in Hamden, Conn.

• The Big Red have earned an opening-round bye in eight of the last nine tournaments, dating back to 2017. Since 2005-06, the first season under ECAC Hockey’s current alignment, Cornell has secured a league-leading 15 opening-round byes, three more than the second-place holder, Quinnipiac (12). The Big Red and Bobcats are the only two ECAC Hockey programs with at least 10 opening-round byes.

• Having won each of the last two Whitelaw Cups, Cornell is vying to become the first-ever program in ECAC Hockey history to win the Whitelaw Cup in at least three consecutive seasons multiple times. After winning four straight between 1967 and 1971, Boston University (1974-77) and Union (2012-14) are the only other programs who repeated as Whitelaw Cup champions in at least three successive seasons.

WE DON'T FEEL SHAME

• Cornell has gone penalty-free in each of its last two Friday games — at RPI on Feb. 13 and at Quinnipiac last Friday — marking the first time in program history the Big Red have gone without an infraction twice in the same season. Overall, Cornell has now had eight penalty-free games since 1958, four of which have come in the last three seasons.

• Last Friday’s game at Quinnipiac was only the second contest in program history in which neither team was called for an infraction, joining a 3-2 road win against Princeton on Jan. 4, 2019.

• Entering this weekend, the Big Red are one of four Division I programs with multiple penalty-free games this season, accompanying Mercyhurst, Minnesota and St. Cloud State. Since 2002-03, there has been only four instances where a team has had three games where it was not penalized once, all of which have come in the last three-plus seasons, done by Minnesota twice (2022-23 and 2024-25) and Bemidji State and Dartmouth last season.

COURNOYER NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR RICHTER AWARD

• Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer was named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2026 Mike Richter Award, it was announced by the Hockey Commissioners Association on Feb. 13.

• Cournoyer is Cornell’s third goaltender to reach the semifinal stage of the Mike Richter Award, which has been presented annually to the top goaltender in men’s Division I hockey since 2014. He is the first since Ian Shane ‘25 in 2024 and also joins two-time finalist Matthew Galajda (2018 and 2020).

• Joining Cournoyer on the list of semifinalists includes Michigan State’s Trey Augustine, Dartmouth’s Emmett Croteau, UMass’ Michael Hrabal, Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic, Augustana’s Josh Kotai, UConn’s Tyler Muszelik, North Dakota’s Jan Špunar, Minnesota State’s Alex Tracy and Northeastern’s Lawton Zacher.

• Cournoyer has been stellar through his first 22 collegiate games, posting a 15-7-0 record with a 2.06 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. His 15 wins make him one of nine goaltenders in Cornell’s modern era (since 1957-58) with at least 15 wins in his first 22 career appearances, joining Ken Dryden ‘69 (21), Brian Cropper ‘70 (19), Dave LeNeveu (18), Brian Hayward ‘82, Corrie D’Alessio and Matthew Galajda (16 each) and Dave Elenbaas ‘72 and Steve Kelleher (15 each).

• Three finalists will be selected and announced in early March, setting up the announcement of the winner during the weekend of the Men’s Frozen Four in Las Vegas in April.

THE ‘X’ FACTOR

• Freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux (5-18—23) enters this weekend with the second-highest point total by a freshman defenseman this season. He is one point behind Penn State blueliner Jackson Smith (11-13—24) for the nation’s lead and is one of eight first-year rearguards with at least 16 points.

• Among active Division I defensemen, Veilleux joins Boston University’s Cole Hutson (8-20—28 in 2024-25) and Penn State’s Mac Gadowsky (4-19—23 in 2023-24 with Army) as the only defensemen who registered at least 23 points within their first 27 career games.

• After posting an assist in both games of the Big Red’s Capital Region road trip to RPI and Union (Feb. 13-14), Veilleux matched point totals produced by Chris Norton ‘88 (4-19—23 in 1984-85) and Ben Robertson (5-18—23 in 2023-24) for the most by a freshman defenseman in program history.

• Veilleux’s five goals are tied with Mark McRae ‘03 (1999-00) and Robertson (2023-24) for the second-most by a Cornell freshman defenseman in program history. Only Joakim Ryan ‘15 had more in his first campaign with the Big Red, scoring seven goals in 2011-12.

X GON' GIVE IT TO YA

• All five of freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux’s goals this season have come on the power play, pacing the Big Red in that category. His five power-play goals are tied with Long Island’s Nick Bernardo, Colgate’s Isaiah Norlin and Clarkson’s Tate Taylor for the second-most power-play goals by a defenseman, trailing only Penn State’s Jackson Smith (seven).

• Veilleux, who has already more than doubled the program record for power-play goals by a freshman defenseman, is the 14th blueliner (19th instance) in program history with at least five power-play goals.

• Another power-play goal by Veilleux would make him the first Cornell rearguard with six power-play goals in a season since Nick D’Agostino ‘13 (six) in 2011-12, while also becoming the 10th freshman overall in program history with at least six power-play goals and the first since Michael Regush (six) in 2018-19. The last Big Red player overall to record six power-play goals in a season was Dalton Bancroft (seven) in 2023-24.

FAITHFUL TO LYNAH

• Cornell has posted a 28-7-2 (.784) record at Lynah Rink since Jan. 1, 2024, the second-best home winning percentage in Division I over that span behind only ECAC Hockey rival Quinnipiac (35-7-3, .811) and one of just four programs with a mark of .750 or better at home in that stretch.

• The Big Red’s 11 home wins this season are its most since 2022-23 (12-3-1) and two victories this weekend would give Cornell its highest single-season win total at Lynah since going 15-2-0 in 2017-18.

• Cornell has won at least nine home games in each of the last 10 seasons — the fifth-longest active streak of its kind in Division I, trailing only Minnesota (49), Denver (26), North Dakota (24) and Minnesota State (13).

TRUST THE SCORING TOUCH

• Cornell enters this weekend with six players registering at least 20 points — Jonathan Castagna (14-17—31), Caton Ryan (9-15—24), Ryan Walsh (7-16—23), Xavier Veilleux (5-18—23), Charlie Major (10-12—23) and Aiden Long (9-11—20) — marking the third time in the last 30 years the Big Red have reached that threshold through 27 games. The previous two instances came in 2002-03, when Ryan Vesce (15-22—37), Stephen Bâby (8-25—33), Sam Paolini (9-15—24), Mark McRae (8-15—23), Doug Murray (4-17—21) and Matt Moulson (12-8—20) reached the mark, and 1998-99, when Kyle Knopp (9-28—37), Denis Ladouceur (14-11—25), Ryan Moynihan (9-13—24), Doug Stienstra (12-9—21), Jeff Burgoyne (5-15—20) and David Kozier (10-10—20).

FRESH IMPACT

• Cornell’s 12-player freshman class has made an immediate impression this season, combining for 101 of the Big Red’s 247 points (40.9 percent). The Big Red are one of seven Division I programs — four of which are ECAC Hockey programs — receiving at least 40 percent of their offensive production from first-year players.

• Cornell’s freshmen have also served as prolific goal-scorers this season, accounting for 44.4 percent of the team’s goals (40-of-90) — the sixth-highest rate in Division I and fourth among ECAC Hockey programs, trailing St. Lawrence (51.3 percent), Quinnipiac (47.3 percent) and Clarkson (46.4 percent), who are the top three programs.

• Leading the goal-scoring charge are forwards Gio DiGiulian, Caton Ryan and Aiden Long (nine each), making Cornell one of four teams nationally with at least three freshmen scoring nine or more goals, joining Lindenwood, Michigan State and Quinnipiac for the national lead.

• The freshman scoring depth runs even deeper, with five first-year players reaching five or more goals — forward Reegan Hiscock and defenseman Xavier Veilleux (five each) rounding out the group — placing Cornell alongside only Arizona State and Clarkson for the most in Division I hockey.

• With Ryan (9-15—24), Veilleux (5-18—23) and Long (9-11—20) each surpassing 20 points, Cornell has had three freshmen reach that threshold for just the second time in program history — and second time in three seasons — joining the 2023-24 class that featured forwards Jonathan Castagna (11-14—25) and Ryan Walsh (12-10—22) among three first-year players to eclipse 20 points. It is also the 10th time overall the Big Red have had multiple freshmen reach 20 points in a season, with Ryan, Veilleux and Long becoming the first trio to do so through just 27 games.

JONNY-ON-THE-DOT

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna boasts the nation’s top faceoff win percentage among players with at least 300 faceoff wins, going 338-of-529 (63.9 percent).

• Castagna is one of four players this season with at least 300 wins and a success rate of at least 60.0 percent. His 338 faceoff wins rank as the 12th-most in Division I hockey and 12.52 faceoff wins per game rank third in Division I hockey, trailing St. Cloud State’s Tyson Gross (13.72) and Michigan State’s Charlie Stramel (13.07).

• Since Jan. 1, 2025, Castagna has won 62.9 percent of his draws (545-of-866), making him one of two active Division I players with at least 500 faceoff wins and a 60.0 percent win rate, joined by Colorado College’s Klavs Veinbergs (60.6 percent, 592-of-977).

• Castagna, who is tied with Bowling Green’s Jaden Grant and Veinbergs for the most faceoff wins in a game this season — after going 22-of-30 at the dot against Princeton on Jan. 16, has won at least 13 faceoffs in 13 games this season. He enters the weekend tied with Veinbergs and Dartmouth’s Hank Cleaves for the sixth-most games with at least 13 faceoff wins. 

• Dating back to the beginning of his freshman year, Castagna’s 59.5 percent faceoff win rate (848-of-1426) leads all active players with at least 700 faceoff wins and is one of three players to have won at least 58.0 percent of his faceoffs, joining Veinbergs (789-of-1328, 59.4 percent) and Ferris State’s Josh Zary (910-of-1531, 59.4 percent).

(BIG) RED MEANS STOP

• Cornell enters this weekend with the second-best scoring defense in Division I, yielding 2.000 goals per game (54 goals in 27 games). The Big Red and Michigan State (1.967 — 59 goals in 30 games) are the only two programs in the nation averaging two goals or less allowed per game.

• The 54 goals allowed by Cornell entering this weekend are the lowest total in Division I hockey, five fewer than the second-place holder Dartmouth (59).

• 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 been in the top 12 in 10 of the last 11 seasons.

ON THE PLUS SIDE

• Junior forward Jonathan Castagna and senior forward Nick DeSantis enter this weekend with career plus-minus ratings of plus-46, tied with Boston College’s Aram Minnetian and former Cornell and current Michigan defenseman Ben Robertson for 11th among active Division I players.

• Castagna and DeSantis, whose ratings rank sixth among active forwards, are two of 10 Division I forwards with at least a plus-40 career rating. Cornell is one of three programs with multiple forwards having career plus-40 ratings, joining Denver (Rieger Lorenz — plus-51; Samu Salminen — plus-42) and Quinnipiac (Mason Marcellus — plus-63; Victor Czerneckianair — plus-52; Andon Cerbone — plus-41).

• The Big Red duo’s plus-46 ratings are tied for the fifth by a forward and seventh overall in program history since the statistic began being officially tracked in the 2002-03 season. Those ahead of Castagna and DeSantis are Ondrej Psenicka ‘25 and Tim Rego ‘25 (both plus-58), Greg Miller ‘12 (plus-52), Travis Mitchell ‘23 (plus-51), Kyle Penney ‘25 (plus-50) and Brenden Locke ‘21 (plus-46).

HOBEY BAKER NOMINEES

• Junior forwards Ryan Walsh and Jonathan Castagna have been nominated for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, it was announced Jan. 21.

• Voting for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to college hockey’s top player, will run through midnight on Sunday, March 8. Fans can cast their votes online at hobeybaker.com/vote, with one vote allowed per day. A second phase of fan balloting from the list of top 10 Hobey Baker finalists will begin Wednesday, March 18, and go up to Sunday, March 29.

• The winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award will be announced from a field of three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists on Friday, April 10, during the weekend of the Frozen Four in Las Vegas. The award ceremony will be broadcast nationally on NHL Network and streamed live on hobeybaker.com.

• New for this season, fans can also text their vote for the 87 college hockey players nominated from 48 different NCAA Division I schools. Fans interested in utilizing the text-to-vote option can text either “26089” for Walsh or “26090” for Castagna to 844-623-9688.

JONESING FOR VICTORIES

• Casey Jones ‘90, who’s in his first season as Cornell’s head coach, enters this weekend with the third-best win percentage (.685) and third-most wins (18) through a Big Red head coach’s first 27 games. Only Dick Bertrand ‘70 (22-5-0, .815) and Brian McCutcheon ‘71 (19-8-0, .704) have better percentages and more wins.

• A sweep of St. Lawrence and Clarkson this weekend would push Jones’ record to 20-8-1 (.707), joining Bertrand (24) and McCutcheon (20) as the lone head coaches with at least 20 wins in their first 29 games as the Big Red’s head coach.

• With a weekend sweep, it would be Cornell’s 27th 20-win season and the 17th time reaching that threshold by its 29th game. It would be the earliest to 20 wins since 2019-20, when it opened with a 20-2-4 mark.

MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

• Cornell’s sweep of Yale and Brown on Jan. 23-24 extended its streak of 10-win seasons in ECAC Hockey play to nine consecutive seasons, the third-longest such run in program history behind stretches of 19 seasons (1964-83) and 13 seasons (1999-2012).

• A weekend sweep would give Cornell 15 league wins, its most victories in ECAC Hockey play since going 15-6-1 during the 2022-23 campaign. It would also be the Big Red’s 17th time winning 15-plus conference games and just the fourth occurrence in the last 20 seasons.

• Cornell’s active nine-season streak of having at least 10 conference wins is the fourth-longest in Division I, trailing Minnesota State (14 seasons), Boston University (12) and Western Michigan (10).

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 ST. LAWRENCE

• St. Lawrence enters this weekend winners of its last three as part of a recent 5-2-1 surge after going 0-15-2 between Nov. 8 and Jan. 23. After its resounding 7-3 home win over RPI (Feb. 7), St. Lawrence swept last weekend’s series with Brown and Yale by respective 3-1 and 5-2 scores, highlighted by Isaac Tremblay’s third-period natural hat trick to solidify the Saints’ win over the Bulldogs.

• The Skating Saints have been sponges on defense this season, absorbing 463 opposing shots, leading all ECAC Hockey programs and ranking sixth nationally. Freshman defenseman Andrew Brown (0-7—7) has the second-most blocked shots (71) and is one of three players with 70-plus blocks.

• Rasmus Svartstrom (15-7—22), who leads St. Lawrence in goals, is tied for seventh nationally in power-play goals (seven) and is tied with Union’s Brandon Buhr for the conference lead in the category. Tyler Cristall (10-20—30) paces the Skating Saints in both assists and points.

• Goaltending duties have been relatively split between three netminders, with Mason Kucenski  (2-11-1, 4.07, .873) leading in appearances (15) and starts (14). Cameron Smith (5-4-1, 2.96, .916) has started all 10 of his outings, while Colin Winn (0-7-1, 4.50, .883) has registered eight starts in nine appearances. Smith has been St. Lawrence’s goaltender of record in its last nine games.

99 YEARS, 184 MILES, 129 MEETINGS

• Cornell and St. Lawrence will meet for the 130th time on Friday night. The Big Red hold a 72-48-9 series advantage and are unbeaten in 16 of the last 20 matchups (15-4-1).

• The Big Red have scored at least six goals in each of its last two games against St. Lawrence. With six-plus goals on Friday, Cornell would have six-plus goals in three consecutive games against the Saints since logging victories of 8-3 (Feb. 8, 1985 in Ithaca), 7-6 in overtime (Nov. 23, 1985, in Ithaca) and 7-4 (Feb. 7, 1986 in Canton).

• Defensively, over the last 20 meetings, Cornell has not allowed more than two goals against St. Lawrence, marking the longest such streak against any opponent in program history.

• Home ice has been kind for Cornell against St. Lawrence recently as it has won seven of the last nine games at Lynah Rink by a combined 31-9 score. The Big Red are also 13-3-1 over the last 17 against the Skating Saints in Ithaca.

CORNELL - ST. LAWRENCE CONNECTIONS

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

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

#17 MEN'S HOCKEY ERUPTS FOR FIVE UNANSWERED TO POWER PAST ST. LAWRENCE

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

CANTON, N.Y. (DEC. 6, 2025) — Five unanswered goals across the second and third periods helped break open a 2-2 tie to guide the No. 17-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 7-2 victory over St. Lawrence on Saturday night at Appleton Arena.

Seven different players had multi-point nights for the Big Red, highlighted by junior forward Jonathan Castagna's team-high three points (one goal, two assists). Cornell snapped its two-game losing streak and improved to 7-4-0 overall and 6-2-0 in ECAC Hockey play. The balanced offensive attack featured goals from seven players, propelling the Big Red to its most lopsided victory of the season.

Senior goaltender Remington Keopple made his first start and appearance since the Big Red's season opener, stopping 18 of 20 shots in the victory.

Rasmus Svarstrom and Tyler Cristall each factored on both goals for St. Lawrence (2-15-1, 1-7-0 ECAC Hockey), which suffered its ninth consecutive loss. Colin Winn made 25 saves in the setback.

Cornell dominated the opening period, outshooting St. Lawrence 18-4 and building a 2-0 lead on goals by senior forward Nick DeSantis and junior forward Tyler Catalano. Catalano's goal came with 2:17 left in the frame and was his first in 41 games, dating back to Nov. 15, 2024.

"Like I said last night, I thought we started the game last night really well, and I thought our first period tonight might have been our best period of the year," said Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "I thought we came out flying."

The Saints stormed back in the second period with two power-play goals from Cristall and Svartstrom to tie the game at 2-2. But sophomore forward Charlie Major answered for Cornell on the power play and Castagna added another late in the period to restore the two-goal cushion heading into the third.

"It was good. We needed a response after Friday night," senior defenseman and alternate captain Jack O'Brien said. "I think we came out flying. We got a little stagnant in the second but then, like, all this about overcoming adversity, and I think we showed that in the third."

Cornell put the game away with three goals in the final frame. Freshman forward Caton Ryan scored on a stretch pass early in the period, freshman forward Chase Pirtle netted his first collegiate goal minutes later, and junior forward Jake Kraft capped the scoring with his first career power-play goal with 8:23 remaining.

SCOUTING CLARKSON

• Clarkson enters this weekend on a three-game winning streak — an 8-7 overtime win over Union (Feb. 7), a 4-1 win over Yale (Feb. 20) and a 4-3 overtime victory over Brown last Saturday — after going winless in seven straight contests (0-4-3) between Jan. 16 and Feb. 6, following a six-game win streak that began with its 4-1 home win over Cornell on Dec. 5.

• The Golden Knights are one of the most penalized teams in the country, averaging the seventh-most penalty minutes per game (13.78), the highest average among ECAC Hockey programs.

• Ryan Bottrill (9-26—35) ranks second in ECAC Hockey in assists per game (0.81), trailing only Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach (0.94), who leads Division I. Bottrill’s 26 assists also rank 11th nationally and second in the ECAC, again behind Wyttenbach’s Division I-best 32. Owen Van Steensel (12-13—25) is the lone Clarkson player with a double-digit goal total this season.

• Goaltending duties have been heavily relied upon junior Shane Soderwall (13-12-3, 2.77, .897), who transferred from Division III Curry College this past offseason. Soderwall has started all 29 of his appearances between the pipes for the Golden Knights this season. Keenan Rancier (1-3-0, 4.07, .841) has started just three of his 10 appearances on the season.

103 YEARS, 193 MILES, 155 MEETINGS

• Saturday night will be the 156th meeting between the Empire State rivals, with Cornell holding a 74-61-20 edge in the all-time series. Clarkson has had the upper hand of late, going 3-1-1 in the last five meetings — Cornell’s lone win coming in last March’s ECAC Hockey championship game.

• Despite Clarkson’s 3-1 victory in its last visit to Lynah Rink on Feb. 21, 2025, Cornell has won six of the last eight and eight of the previous 11 meetings on East Hill. The Golden Knights are looking to win back-to-back games at Lynah Rink for the first time since taking the final two games of a 2004 ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinal series, 5-4 (March 13, 2004) and 5-1 (March 14, 2004).

CORNELL - CLARKSON CONNECTIONS

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

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

CLARKSON'S THIRD-PERIOD FLURRY LEADS GOLDEN KNIGHTS PAST #17 MEN'S HOCKEY

BOX SCORE | RECAP

POTSDAM, N.Y. (DEC. 5, 2025) — Three goals in a span of two minutes helped break open a 1-1 tie and lead host Clarkson to a 4-1 victory over the No. 17-ranked Cornell men's hockey team on Friday night at Cheel Arena.

Rémi Gélinas, Owen Van Steensel, and Shawn O'Donnell each scored as part of the third-period outburst by the Golden Knights (6-11-0, 2-5-0 ECAC Hockey) to snap their five-game conference losing streak. Junior transfer Shane Soderwall backstopped Clarkson to the victory, making 32 saves.

Junior forward Jonathan Castagna tallied the lone goal of the night for the Big Red (6-4-0, 5-2-0 ECAC Hockey), who saw its four-game conference win streak come to an end. Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer made 25 saves in the setback for Cornell.

Cornell dominated possession in the opening six minutes, generating the game's first 11 shot attempts with four being stopped by Soderwall. Sophomore defenseman Michael Fisher appeared to have given Cornell a 1-0 lead 4:54 into the game with a shot from the point that deflected off a Clarkson defender, but the Golden Knights challenged for goaltender interference and the goal was waved off.

"I thought we started great and had the disallowed goal," said Casey Jones '90, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "We didn't handle any adversity tonight, took bad penalties. As the game wore on, they won the 1-on-1 battles. We didn't handle composure and I thought they were the better team as the game wore on."

Clarkson took the lead 6:33 into the game as an aggressive forecheck resulted in a neutral-zone takeaway and Jace Letourneau's shot from the right faceoff circle beat Cournoyer short-side to put the Golden Knights ahead.

Cornell made quick work of a Clarkson interference penalty and tied the game just 100 seconds after Letourneau's tally. Castagna scored on a loose rebound of a shot by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux, bringing the Big Red level with the Golden Knights just 16 seconds into the man advantage.

The game grew a bit testy over the final five-and-a-half minutes, as there were two instances of coincidental minor penalties being called, including four infractions split evenly with 1.2 seconds left in the first period. Clarkson doubled up Cornell in shot attempts in the remaining 14 minutes of the first period, 14-7, and had a 9-5 edge in shots on goal.

After neither side could find the back of the net in the second period, Clarkson unleashed a decisive flurry in the third, scoring three times in a span of 1:53 to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Gélinas gave the Golden Knights the lead again as he pounced on a loose puck following a pass from behind the net at the bottom of the right faceoff circle. Van Steensel beat Cournoyer to his near-side shoulder to double Clarkson's lead before O'Donnell tacked on an insurance marker to give the Golden Knights a three-goal cushion.

"We got rattled a bit and it snowballed pretty quick on us," Jones said. "It was just, bang, bang. It got away from us and it's going to have to be a lesson learned. We haven't looked young a lot this year, we looked young tonight."

Despite outshooting Clarkson 34-29, Cornell couldn't solve Soderwall after Castagna's first-period tally as the Golden Knights' netminder stopped the final 28 shots he faced to preserve the victory. The Big Red went 1-for-3 on the power play while killing off all six of Clarkson's power-play opportunities.

"I thought we had offense 5-on-5, I just didn't think we got around the net enough," Jones said. "We got to take eyes away. I thought he saw everything. I thought he was good tonight, but we made his job pretty easy by allowing him to see every puck."

PRINCETON NETS THREE UNANSWERED GOALS TO DEFEAT #11 MEN'S HOCKEY

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

PRINCETON, N.J. (FEB. 21, 2026) — Three unanswered goals helped Princeton erase a 2-1 deficit and hand the 11th-ranked Cornell men's hockey team a 4-2 defeat before a standing-room crowd of 2,192 at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink on Saturday night.

Brendan Gorman tied the game on a fortuitous bounce in the first period, David Jacobs added a short-handed goal in the second and Malcolm Green potted his first collegiate goal in the third to put the game away for the Tigers (15-11-2, 11-8-1 ECAC Hockey), who improved to 12-2-1 at home this season.

Junior forwards Ryan Walsh and Tyler Catalano staked Cornell to a 2-1 lead with first-period goals, but the Big Red (18-8-1, 13-6-1 ECAC Hockey) were held scoreless over the final 40 minutes despite registering 21 shots on goal in that span. Tigers goaltender Arthur Smith finished with 26 saves, including 22 straight to close out the game. Freshman netminder Alexis Cournoyer stopped 24 shots in the loss.

Cornell wasted little time getting on the board, with Walsh converting just six seconds into the team's first power play of the night five-plus minutes into the game. Taking a pass from sophomore forward Charlie Major at the half wall, Walsh's attempted pass from below the goal line to freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux at the opposite faceoff circle ricocheted off a Princeton defender and found the back of the net.

Princeton pulled even with 8:18 remaining in the first period when Joshua Karnish beat Cournoyer to the high glove side on a breakaway. The Big Red answered swiftly, reclaiming the lead just 37 seconds later as freshman forward Reegan Hiscock fed Catalano at the near-side post for a backhand finish.

Only 1:45 after Catalano's go-ahead tally, Gorman's errant shot rattled off the stanchion behind the net, caromed off a Cornell defender on the edge of the crease and trickled past Cournoyer for a power-play goal to even the score at 2-2. Junior forward Jonathan Castagna had threatened moments earlier on a short-handed breakaway, but Smith turned him aside.

The Tigers took their first lead of the game in the second period after Jacobs denied Cornell an offensive zone entry while on the power play, carrying the puck from his own blue line and skating in alone on Cournoyer, beating him to the high blocker side.

Green put the game out of reach just past the midway point of the third, winning a foot race to a loose puck, beating two Big Red defenders and burying his first career collegiate goal to extend the Princeton lead to 4-2.

Cornell pulled Cournoyer for an extra attacker with roughly four-and-a-half minutes remaining, generating eight shot attempts — four of which Smith turned aside — before an interference penalty with 27 seconds left ended the skater advantage and sealed the outcome.

2025-26 Roster

If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped in line to get season tickets and ensure your spot as one of the raucous and devoted "Lynah Faithful." But most importantly, if you’ve never been to Lynah, you’ve never experienced all the best that college hockey offers.

Lynah Rink, which enters its 68th year serving as the home of Big Red hockey this season, was formally dedicated on April 6, 1957, a month after its opening to the public on March 4, 1957. The facility, which was built following a $500,000 anonymous donation (approximately $5.59 million in 2024), honors the late James Lynah '05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

The donation to build Lynah Rink resurrected the Cornell hockey program following a 10-year hiatus, ensuring hockey returned as a varsity sport for the 1957-58 season.

Cornell began sponsoring hockey as a varsity sport with the 1900-01 season, which featured all Big Red home games played on the university’s outdoor rink on Beebe Lake. Due to a series of abnormally mild winters, the program was left — literally — on thin ice, causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.

Since its opening in March of 1957, Lynah Rink has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural event on March 21, 1957, a 7-3 victory for the NHL’s New York Rangers in an exhibiton against the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Gump Worsley stopped 44 shots in the victory for the Rangers.

Among the renovations, Cornell spent nearly $1 million in the summer of 2000, to replace the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection and refrigeration piping and adding new boards and seamless glass.

During the summer of 2006, a 16,700-square-foot expansion added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, new athletic training space and approximately 450 new seats in the seating bowl.

Over last season’s winter break, updated Cornell branding on the façade and south concourse brought a more modern look to the facility.

Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over time, the crowd remains constant. Lynah Rink can hold 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans, who provide unwavering support for the Big Red while creating an unparalleled atmosphere in college hockey.

Although many rinks in the nation are bigger in capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the "Lynah Faithful," stream into every home contest, making themselves as much a part of the game as the players do. Whether they’re cheering for the Big Red or joining the pep band in their rendition of "Give My Regards to Davy," the Lynah Faithful reaffirms the old saying, "There’s no place like home."

Since the doors opened on Lynah Rink, the Cornell men's hockey program has won a pair of NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships in 1967 and 1970, garnering an ECAC Hockey-record 13 tournament championships (1967-70, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996-97, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024) and 26 Ivy League titles, 22 of which have been won outright.

• Cornell will have next weekend off as it prepares to host a best-of-three quarterfinal series March 13-15 at Lynah Rink. The Big Red will play one of the winners from the four opening-round games that will take place next weekend. All games of the quarterfinal series will be streamed live on ESPN+.