Nash's Late Tally Gives Cornell Tie at Union

Photo by DSPics.com

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Riley Nash had a goal and an assist, including the game-tying goal, as Cornell rallied for a 2-2 tie against Union on Saturday night at Messa Rink in Schenectady, N.Y. Brendon Nash also chipped in a goal for the Big Red, which improves to 7-2-2 on the year and 6-2-1 in ECAC Hockey play.

For Union, Mario Valery-Trabucco had a goal and an assist, with Jason Walters tallying the other goal for the Dutchmen.

Cornell goaltender Ben Scrivens stopped 28 shots in the tie, while Union's Keith Kinkaid stopped 25 shots for the Dutchmen. Cornell would finish the night 1-for-3 on the power play, while Union was held scoreless in two power play chances.

Union came out aggressive early, and the Dutchmen's early surge nearly paid dividends at the 5:38 mark of the first period when Jason Walters skated in, faked around Scrivens and sent a pass in front of the goal crease, where Jeremy Welsh jammed it home, but not before Nolan Julseth-White had knocked the goal off its moorings. Officials reviewed the play and rulled that the goal came off before the puck went in, as Cornell got its first video replay break of the season.

Back to 0-0, Cornell went on the power play for the first time at the 11:29 mark of the period when Union's Mike Wakita took down Tyler Roeszler behind the Union goal, earning two minutes for interference. Union's penalty killers did their job, however, as they kept the Big Red from setting up the offense in the Union end. The period would come to a close with the two teams still tied at zero.

Union would finally break into the scoring column at the 12:56 mark of the second period when Jason Walters got credit for his sixth goal of the year. The play began with Cornell's Patrick Kennedy getting checked down with the puck in the slot in front of Union's goal, and the Dutchmen breaking out of their zone down the side to Scrivens' left. Valery-Trabucco sent the puck into the middle for Walters, who faked his way past Scrivens and slipped a shot toward the Cornell goal that glanced off the skate of Justin Krueger and into the Cornell net.

Two and a half minutes later, Cornell got a power play on a tripping call on Union's Brian Yanovitch. On the ensuing faceoff, Brendon Nash was stripped of the puck at the blue line by Valery-Trabucco, who skated in alone on Scrivens, but the senior was up to the task, making a save with his left outstretched leg. On the rush down the ice for Cornell, Riley Nash was hooked breaking into the Union zone, setting up a 1:23 5-on-3 advantage for the Big Red. Union killed off most of the penalty, but with 18 seconds left on the 5-on-3, Cornell got a faceoff in the Union end. COrnell coach Mike Schafer called timeout to rest his top line, a move that paid off when Brendon Nash ripped a one-timer from the center point off a pass from Riley Nash with seven seconds left on the 5-on-3.

The second penalty expired with the score tied at one, and Union pulled ahead with 2:34 to play in the second when John Simpson carried the puck up the side boards and laid it off to Valery-Trabucco as the trailer on a 3-on-2 rush. Trabucco's shot came just as Cornell defenseman Mike Devin stood up at the top of the crease, inadvertently screening the shot as the Dutchmen took a 2-1 lead, a lead they would carry into the second intermission.

Cornell got the tying goal with 5:44 to play in the third period on a rush started by Mike Devin. Devin carried the puck into the neutral zone and laid it off to Kennedy at the blue line. Kennedy took the puck into the Union zone and passed ahead to Nash, who tipped the puck up and over the glove-side shoulder of Kinkaid before the freshman had time to react.

Cornell will now take a break for exams and the Christmas holiday, returning to action in 24 days with the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla., on Dec. 29. The Big Red opens the tournament against Colorado College of the WCHA in a 7:30 p.m. contest.