Team Notes: Cornell Returns to Albany for NCAA East Regional Against UNH

The following article appeared March 24 on the Cornell Web site.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- One week after winning a league-best 12th ECAC Hockey championship on the Times Union Center ice in downtown Albany, N.Y., the Cornell men’s hockey team will return to that venue to open up NCAA tournament play. Cornell, the second seed in the East Regional, will take on third-seeded New Hampshire in a 6:30 p.m. contest on Friday, March 26, in a game televised nationally on ESPNU. Cornell will be making its second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament and its 18th appearance all-time, while shooting for its third national championship. Each game from the East Regional will be televised live on ESPNU, with John Buccigross and Barry Melrose on the call of the action. Fans can also hear Jason Weinstein and Tony Eisenhut call the game on the radio in the Ithaca area on WHCU 870 AM, with live audio also being streamed through the Cornell Redcast subscription service.

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell claimed its 12th ECAC Hockey championship last weekend, a league record, when it claimed back-to-back victories over Brown in the semifinals and Union in the championship game at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The Big Red rolled through the league tournament with a perfect 4-0 record, allowing just one goal in the four tournament games. The story of the tournament was championship most valuable player Ben Scrivens, who posted three straight shutouts to backstop the Big Red to three straight 3-0 victories in earning the championship. Last weekend in Albany, N.Y., it was a balanced offensive attack that pushed Cornell to the victories, as six different players each scored one goal and 11 different skaters recorded at least one point. Only freshman John Esposito and junior Riley Nash both picked up multiple points on the weekend, with both players tallying a goal and an assist. Scrivens, meanwhile, stopped all 55 shots he faced in recording his 17th and 18th career shutouts. On the season, the Big Red is led by senior Blake Gallagher’s 37 points on a team-best 18 goals and 19 assists. Fellow senior Colin Greening has 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points, with Nash picking up 12 goals and a team-best 22 assists for 34 points. In all, the Big Red has had a balanced offense all season, with 20 different skaters scoring at least one goal and 13 players picking up double-digit point totals. Scrivens has been the driving force in goal, playing in all but 32 minutes of action this season, posting a 1.78 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage, with both numbers leading the nation. The Big Red also has excelled on special teams, ranking 10th in the nation in power-play percentage (20.9) and third in the country in penalty-killing percentage (87.8).

ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Wildcats earned an at-large berth into the field of 16 teams in this year’s NCAA tournament, and had the advantage of resting last weekend after being knocked out of the Hockey East quarterfinals in a third game by Vermont. The Wildcats are a dangerous team, however, proving that by winning the Hockey East regular season championship, though they enter the NCAA tournament without having scored in 136:54 consecutive minutes. New Hampshire is led offensively by Hobey Baker Award finalist Bobby Butler, who has 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 points on the season. Butler’s supporting cast features three other players with double-digit goal totals and 11 players in double-digits in points. In goal for the Wildcats, senior Brian Foster has played most of the time in net, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average. New Hampshire has 25 power-play goals in 148 chances (16.9 percent) while killing off 120-of-146 opponents’ power plays (82.2 percent).

Complete article can be accessed via the Cornell Web site by clicking here.