ITHACA, N.Y. — Dartmouth scored two goals on deflections off defenders just 37 seconds apart in the second period, the rode out a 2-0 victory over the Cornell men’s hockey team on Friday night at Lynah. The loss drops the Big Red to 11-4-3 overall and 6-3-2 in ECAC Hockey.
After a fairly even first period in which premium scoring chances were at a minimum, Dartmouth (9-8-1, 6-5) opened the scoring 2:25 into the second on Kevan Kilistoff’s first collegiate goal. Brett Patterson attempted a shot from the left circle which went off the defender immediately in front of him, then Kilistoff got the slightest piece with his swipe at the puck on top of the crease before it angled off a defenseman’s skate and over the goal line.
History repeated itself 37 seconds later when Troy Crema’s shot from the top of the left circle completely changed angles, going off the hand of a shot-blocker and into the wide side of the net to double the Big Green’s lead. At that point, four of the five last goals Cornell had surrendered entered the net directly off defenders.
Cornell, which is ranked 10th in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls, wasn’t able to generate much offense at the other end of the ice until the later stages of the third period. Anthony Angello snapped a strong shot from the top of the right circle which forced a right toe save from Dartmouth goalie Charles Grant, then Angello’s one-timer from the slot 15 seconds clanked off the base of the goal just inches outside the left post.
The Big Red pulled goalie Mitch Gillam with 3:41 left in favor of an extra attacker and had possession in the Big Green zone for a couple minutes, but Dartmouth ultimately iced the game with Patterson’s empty-netter — the first conceded by Cornell this season. Grant needed to make just 18 saves for the shutout.
Cornell gets right back to action at 7 p.m. Saturday with a highly anticipated rivalry game against #8/9 Harvard at Lynah Rink.
