Late Rally Falls Short For Big Red

Photo by DSPics.com

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team scored twice in the final five minutes to close within 3-2, but could not get the tying goal as the Big Red fell to Quinnipiac on Saturday night at Lynah Rink. Quinnipiac remains unbeaten in ECAC Hockey play at 6-0 and moves to 10-1 on the year with the win, while Cornell drops to 5-2 on the season and 4-2 in league play.

Zach Davies, Mike Atkinson and Reese Rolheiser scored for the Bobcats, while Cornell got goals from Sean Collins and John Esposito. Dan Clarke picked up 23 saves in the win for Quinnipiac, with Ben Scrivens stopping 16 shots in the losing effort. Cornell was held scoreless in five power-play chances on the night, and Quinnipiac went 1-for-7 on the power play.

Quinnipiac got on the board at the 6:41 mark of the period when, with the puck in the Cornell defensive zone, Braden Birch tried to clear it. Birch's attempt was picked off by Davies, who ripped a shot from between the circles to beat Scrivens for the early lead.

The Bobcats added to the margin at the end of the period as Atkinson took a pass from Brett Dickinson and fired off a shot through traffic that went into the net just before the horn sounded to end the period. A video review of the play upheld the goal as Cornell was dealt a crushing blow at the very end of the period.

The Bobcats made it 3-0 midway through the second period when Rolheiser scored off assists from Eric Lampe and Clay Harvey.

Cornell's rally started with five minutes left in the third period, as Joe Scali worked the puck from the side boards up to Sean Collins, who fired off a shot from the faceoff circle to the right of Clarke. The shot appeared to be saved, but Collins appeared to get a stick on it and jam it off Clarke's skate and into the net, breathing new life into the Big Red.

Nearly three minutes later, John Esposito cut the margin to one with his goal, as Riley Nash sent a puck ahead to Nick D'Agostino, who skated into the Quinnipiac end. D'Agostino fired a shot that Clarke saved, but Esposito was there to pop the rebound into the net.

With 1:56 to play, the Bobcats' Jeremy Langlois was called for a trip on Blake Gallagher, putting Cornell on the power play for the rest of the game. With 1:30 to play, Scrivens came to the bench for the extra skater, but Cornell could not beat Clarke as the Bobcats held on.

Cornell closes out the brief three-game home-stand on Tuesday when it plays host to Colgate in a 7 p.m. game at Lynah Rink. Tuesday's game will mark the final home game of the fall semester for the Big Red.