Cornell Gains Sweep of Niagara

Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior forward Raymond Sawada recorded three assists while junior linemate Michael Kennedy had his second straight three-point game as the Cornell men's hockey team gained a weekend sweep over Niagara with a 4-3 win on Saturday night at Lynah Rink. The Big Red improved to 6-5-2 on the year, while the Purple Eagles fell to 10-7-1 with the loss.

Kennedy got the Big Red on the board in the first period, tallying his third goal of the weekend after taking a pass from senior Topher Scott just 4:12 into the contest. Niagara evened the score midway through the first period as Kyle Rogers scored for the Purple Eagles, but Blake Gallagher put the Big Red ahead five minutes later.

Freshman Mike Devin started the play by sending a pass across the defensive zone to Evan Barlow, who hit Gallagher streaking up the middle. As Gallagher crossed the Niagara blue line, Niagara goalie Juliano Pagliero slipped getting into position and fell on his backside. With the goalie out of the play, Gallagher ripped a shot straight into the right middle of the open net to put Cornell up, 2-1, at the end of one.

Following a scoreless second period, the Big Red tacked on a power play goal with four and a half minutes gone in the period. Just 17 seconds after a penalty on Niagara's Vince Rocco for tripping in the Cornell end, Justin Krueger made a play up through the neutral zone and made a pass to the left to Scott. Scott quickly fed the puck across the goal to Sawada, getting Pagliero moving from post to post, where he ended up sliding out of position. Sawada then hit Michael Kennedy on the back post, where he was checked off the puck but it sat just in front of the crease for what seemed like an eternity before Scott ducked in and flipped the puck into the open net.

Down 3-1, Niagara fought back, cutting into the lead with a Nate Bostic goal with 9:44 gone in the third. Exactly four minutes later, Dan Sullivan added a power play goal as the Big Red gave up the lead in the third period for the third time in the last four games.

Unlike the two previous occasions, on Saturday night, the Big Red responded. Three minutes after Niagara tied the score at three, the Big Red went ahead to stay. Scott led a breakout into the Niagara zone, circled to the left faceoff dot and pulled the puck back to find Krueger streaking up the weak side. Scott laced a pass to Krueger, whose shot rang off the goalpost and dropped behind the net. Sawada went behind the goal to dig it out and hit Kennedy with a pass, and Kennedy found Krueger open again in the offensive zone. This time, Krueger made his shot count, putting the puck in the right side of the goal with just over three minutes to play.

Cornell would end up 1-for-3 on the power play on the night, while Niagara scored once in its five power-play opportunities. Sophomore goaltender Ben Scrivens picked up 26 saves in the win for Cornell, while Pagliero stopped 24 shots in taking the loss for the Purple Eagles.

With non-league play behind them, Cornell returns to ECAC Hockey action on Friday night, traveling to Rensselaer for a 7 p.m. game against the Engineers in Troy, N.Y.