November 19, 2011

Cornell Win Streak Hits Four

ITHACA, N.Y. – It took sophomore goalie Andy Iles more than a year to get his first collegiate shutout, but only 24 hours to nail down his second. The Big Red men’s hockey team struck three times in the second period, then held off Quinnipiac the rest of the way behind Iles’ 32 saves on Saturday night to run its winning streak to four consecutive games with a 4-0 victory in front of another sold-out crowd at Lynah Rink.
 
Iles’ back-to-back shutouts were the first by a Cornell goalie since Ben Scrivens ’10 had three in a row in March 2010 during the Big Red’s playoff run to its 12th ECAC Hockey championship. While Iles was only called upon to make 15 saves in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Princeton, he had to make 13 saves in the first period alone Saturday just to keep the game scoreless.
 
No. 18 Cornell (5-2, 5-1 ECAC Hockey) finally broke through 3:12 into the second period on junior Nick D’Agostino’s fifth goal of the season. Sophomore forward Dustin Mowrey and freshman defenseman Joakim Ryan worked the puck around the top of the Quinnipiac (7-6-2, 1-4-2) zone to set up D’Agostino’s dash down the slot. As a defender descended to the ice to try to block the shot, D’Agostino fired the puck past the blocker of Quinnipiac goalie Dan Clarke to stake the hosts to 1-0 lead. D’Agostino continues to lead the nation in goals per game for blueliners (0.71).
 
The Big Red extended the lead at the 7:50 mark with senior alternate captain Sean Collins converted for the second straight night. Freshman forward Joel Lowry dug the puck free on the right-wing halfwall in the offensive zone, then classmate John McCarron whipped a quick shot toward Clarke that caromed to an opportunistic Collins the slot.
 
Excluding a four-second power play in the first period, the Big Red had just one opportunity with the man advantage compared to Quinnipiac’s six. But it was Cornell which clearly won the special teams battle – a key factor in the victory, according to head coach Mike Schafer.
 
The Big Red killed off all six of the Bobcats’ power plays and scored on its lone power-play chance. Brian Ferlin was the goal-scorer with just 1:25 remaining in the second period, with junior forward Greg Miller and D’Agostino drawing assists. The helper gives Miller points in all seven of Cornell’s games this season, and also pushes Ferlin’s point streak to six straight.
 
Junior forward Vince Mihalek then wrapped up the scoring with an unassisted, short-handed empty-netter in the game’s final minute – his first goal of the season and second in his collegiate career.
 
Resting on top of the ECAC Hockey standings, the Big Red takes a break from league play this week. Atlantic Hockey’s Niagara visits Lynah Rink on Tuesday night before Cornell departs for New York and the highly anticipated showdown with Boston University on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.