October 19, 2007

Cornell Showcases Defense in Exhibition Opener

ITHACA, N.Y. -- For fans of Cornell hockey used to solid, physical defensive play, Friday's night's exhibition opener was a dream come true as the Big Red skated to a scoreless tie with Trois-Rivieres at Lynah Rink.

The Big Red, which completed its first week of practice today, looked exceptionally solid on defense as they held a skilled Patriotes squad scoreless on 25 shots. Sophomore netminder Ben Scrivens picked up 25 saves in the shutout, while Trois-Rivieres goaltender Sylvain Michaud made 33 stops.

The game was a physical one, as the two teams were assessed for 50 minutes in penalties, with 11 going to the visitors and 10 being whistled on the Big Red. Cornell killed off a 5-on-3 during the third period, with the Patriotes ripping off several shots, each turned away by Scrivens.

The first two periods were relatively tame as both teams were called for three penalties each in the two frames, but in the third, a bit of scrappy play broke out with both teams getting into skirmishes after the whistle. With 13:14 to play in the third period, one such scrap led to three double minors being called, two on Cornell, along with a 10-minute misconduct on Trois-Rivieres' Samuel Beland.

Following the lengthy delay to sort out all of the penalties, both teams settled in for an entertaining stretch of hockey that carried over into the five-minute overtime session. In the extra period, Scrivens made one save to preserve the shutout.

Cornell returns to action on Sunday when it plays host to Ottawa in another exhibition contest at Lynah Rink. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will follow the Cornell women's contest against Vermont, which will begin at 1 p.m. at Lynah Rink.