NEW YORK — Freshman forward Noah Bauld scored his first collegiate goal on one of professional sports’ biggest stages, junior forward Alex Rauter scored the Cornell men’s hockey team’s first penalty shot goal in nearly 20 years, and senior Mitch Gillam starred with 29 saves in the Big Red’s action-packed 3-1 victory over New Hampshire in The Frozen Apple on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
With the game tied at 1 in the second period, New Hampshire (6-6-2) took control of the play and earned a power play toward the middle of the frame. Gillam responded by making a trio of spectacular saves on Michael McNicholas, Jason Salvaggio and Patrick Grasso. After the power play expired, the Wildcats threatened again on a two-on-one, but Gillam shrugged off a shot from Marcus Vela to keep the game tied.
About 80 seconds later, Bauld’s goal stemmed the tide and gave Cornell (4-3-1) the lead for good. Sophomore forward Beau Starrett stickhandled out of a jam on the left wing and sent the puck to junior defenseman Dan Wedman. His pass across to sophomore defenseman Matt Nuttle set up a shot from the center point that Bauld deflected down and bounced over the glove of UNH goalie Danny Tirone at the 16:47 mark. It was Nuttle’s first collegiate point, too.
Nursing the lead in the third period, Cornell ran into trouble when penalties three seconds apart put the Big Red on a lengthy two-man disadvantage with 14 minutes left. But captain senior forward Jake Weidner outworked a UNH defender on a clear into the Wildcats’ zone, then drew a tripping penalty on the goaltender’s sweep check as he rounded the back of the net.
Cornell then killed off the ensuing four-on-three, then caught a break with 10:28 to play when Frankie Cefalu maneuvered around Gillam and scooped a backhand off the crossbar. Cefalu regained control behind the net and had Gillam beat with a wraparound, but Rauter dropped to the ice and thwarted the play at the post until Gillam could recover.
Rauter — from nearby Chatham, New Jersey and a playing on the home ice of his favorite NHL team, the New York Rangers — then took center stage at the other end of the ice when he was hooked on a shorthanded breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. He swung wide to the right side before entering the slot and snapped a shot under Tirone’s glove to give the Big Red an insurance goal with 7:14 left. It marked Cornell’s first penalty shot goal in a span of 949 games, dating back to a goal from Joe Nieuwendyk on Feb. 27, 1987.
Although Cornell ultimately won the game, New Hampshire jumped out to a quick start. Gillam made a terrific save on McNicholas’ one-timer 1:54 into the game and junior defenseman Dan Wedman sprawling to break up a three-on-one rush three minutes later. But the Wildcats finally broke through with Patrick Grasso’s 11th goal of the season, which came on a shot from his knees that squeaked under Gillam at the 5:06 mark.
Cornell responded and eventually equalized on its first power play of the game. After Weidner’s one-timer went wide, a UNH defenseman steered the puck up the wall that was cut down by senior defenseman Patrick McCarron. He waited with the puck in the left corner before feeding a puck to the top of the crease that was tipped into the roof of the net by junior forward Trevor Yates. The goal gives McCarron assists in six straight games.
The Big Red’s penalty kill was perfect 7-for-7 on the night against a New Hampshire power play that entered the night with a 22% success rate. It marked just the second time in eight games this season that Cornell did not surrender a power-play goal.
Cornell returns to ECAC Hockey action at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday when it makes its first visit to The Class of 1965 Arena at Colgate in Hamilton.
