Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y.-The No. 16 Harvard men's hockey team got two power-play goals from senior Jon Pelle and a superb, 31-save performance from sophomore Kyle Richter to defeat No. 20 Cornell, 3-1, in the semifinals of the Bank of America ECAC Hockey Championship Friday night at the Times Union Center.

Dave Watters also scored on the power play for the Crimson (17-12-4), which advanced to the league tournament final for the sixth time in seven years.

Harvard seeks its ninth tournament title and fourth in seven seasons when it takes on No. 15 Princeton in Saturday's 7 p.m. championship tilt.

The Crimson defeated the rival Big Red (18-14-4) for the fourth straight time and the third time this season, Harvard's first three-game season sweep of Cornell since beating the Big Red four times in 1993-94. Cornell captain Topher Scott scored the Big Red's goal. Goalie Ben Scrivens made 30 saves as the Crimson outshot the Big Red, 33-32.

Strong goaltending was the story of a scoreless opening period. Following a successful early penalty kill by the Big Red, Richter had the game's first big save, stoning Blake Gallagher after the sophomore caught a pass all alone on the right edge of the crease.

Scrivens got his chance to shine on another Crimson power play. He stopped a shot by Junior Jimmy Fraser from the center point and then saved a rebound attempt by Watters.

Cornell got its first power-play chance later in the frame, and Richter came up big with consecutive saves on Evan Barlow on a left-to-right pass across the goalmouth and a Colin Greening bid from a crowd in front. Cornell held a 10-8 edge in shots in the period.

After failing to convert on its two first-period power plays, the Crimson took advantage of consecutive man-advantage opportunities in the early going of the second stanza. Watters struck first at 3:35. After collecting a pass across the point from Fraser, junior Brian McCafferty stepped toward the goal and fired a shot that Watters deflected past Cornell goalie Ben Scrivens. It was the seventh playoff goal of the senior's career.

The Big Red took another penalty just 57 seconds later, and Harvard once again capitalized. Following passes up top from senior Mike Taylor and sophomore Doug Rogers, Pelle took the puck near the goal line, moved toward the slot and slung a pinpoint wrist shot over the right shoulder of Scrivens for a 2-0 lead less than two minutes after Watters scored.

Less than two more minutes passed before Scott and fellow captain Raymond Sawada cut the lead back to one goal. From low on the left side, Sawada threaded a pass through the Harvard penalty killers and Richter to Scott, who finished off the play. Scrivens kept it close with some tough saves late in the period, the best coming with his left pad on a Rogers shot on the rush. Harvard held a 13-6 advantage in second-period shots and took a one-goal lead to the second intermission.

The Crimson did not sit on its lead in the final period, coming out strong and keeping play in the Cornell end for the first several minutes. Scrivens, however, made save after save following steals by Harvard forecheckers around the Cornell blue line.

Cornell then returned the favor with pressure on the other end, but Richter was repeatedly up to the task, fighting through traffic in front for make 16 third-period saves. Harvard killed two Cornell power plays in the final period.

Pelle, playing in the capital of his home state, sealed the win with less than three minutes remaining. The play once again started on the stick of Taylor, who scored a point for the 13th straight game. He pass to sophomore Alex Biega, whose point shot from straight on, was tipped up and over Scrivens by Pelle.

Harvard makes its 17th title-game appearance Saturday. A win would give the Crimson to its 22nd NCAA Championship appearance, its sixth in seven years. The Crimson and Tigers split the season series and have never met in a league final.