HANOVER, N.H. – The shutout streak may have ended, but the Cornell men’s hockey team continued to roll Saturday night with a 3-1 victory over Dartmouth to clinch the program’s 22nd Ivy League title and extended its national-best unbeaten streak to 10 games.
Junior forward Anthony Angello scored the winner midway through the second period, giving him seven goals in his last five game. With the victory and Clarkson’s 2-2 tie with Brown on Saturday, Cornell (18-2-1, 12-1-1 ECAC Hockey) moved into sole possession of first place in the league heading into the regular season’s final month.
The Big Red got off to a quick start with freshman forward Cam Donaldson’s strike just 2:01 into the game. Dartmouth (9-11-2, 7-7-1 ECAC Hockey) answered less than five minutes later with Tim Shoup’s goal off a one-timed blast, ending freshman goaltender Matthew Galajda’s shutout streak ended at 227 minutes, 11 seconds – second-longest in program history and 13th-longest in NCAA Division I history.
With wins over top-five teams Clarkson and Denver earlier this season, the Big Green continued to look the part of a giant killer at times, but the Big Red staved off the spurts and gained control with Angello’s four-on-four goal.
Cornell then really clamped down in the third period, and sophomore forward Noah Bauld chipped in an empty-netter to give Cornell its longest beaten streak since Nov. 29, 2008 to Jan. 17, 2009 – which ended at 10 games.
The Big Red penalty kill was tested often, but was successful in all four tests on the night. That pushes Cornell to 19 consecutive penalty kills since a five-on-three goal Jan. 5 vs. Princeton.
Cornell improved to 7-0-1 in Ancient Eight play, which clinches the outright Ivy League title – the first for the program since 2014.
How The Goals Were Scored:
Cornell’s 1st Goal
1st period, 2:01 • Donaldson 3 (Kaldis, Yates) • Cornell 1, Dartmouth 0
• With all three forwards on the Yates line getting in on a cycle along the right wing, Yates fed Kaldis rolling off the right point toward the middle. As defenders started to clog the middle, he alertly kept sliding into the left circle before picking out Donaldson coming out of the opposite corner unscathed for an easy tap-in goal.
Dartmouth’s 1st Goal
1st period, 6:41 • Shoup 4 (Rutherford, Warpecha) • Cornell 1, Dartmouth 1
• With possession in the offensive zone, the Big Green teed up Yau for a shot from the right point – though the Big Red was in position defensively. With Mullin taking away the shot lane, Yau slapped it toward heavy traffic in the low slot. It hit a body in front, and Warpecha was first to it. He twirled a forehand along the ice that Galajda saved, then Rutherford swooped in to collect the rebound and circle around the net. With Cornell’s defense scrambling, he found Shoup open toward the top of the left circle that was bombed past Galajda’s glove inside the far post.
Cornell’s 2nd Goal
2nd period, 10:34 • Angello 12 (Nuttle, Kaldis) • Cornell 2, Dartmouth 1
• On a four-on-four scenario, Angello won a faceoff to Buffalo’s left back to Kaldis on the point, and he drifted toward the middle before slipping a pass back to Nuttle near the right point. Two Dartmouth defenders approached him, which allowed Nuttle to slide a pass into the low slot for Angello. With the defender on his heels in respect to Locke standing near one of the posts, Angello was open to whip a forehand past Buffalo’s left pad.
Cornell’s 3rd Goal
3rd period, 18:41 • Bauld 4 (Yates) • Cornell 3, Dartmouth 1
• With the Big Green pulling its goaltender in favor of an extra attacker, the Big Red created a turnover on the forecheck near the blue line. Bauld worked past a defender and chipped the puck into the net from the top of the crease.
Up Next:
• Cornell will play four of its eight remaining regular-season games against ECAC Hockey’s Capital District teams, starting with home games Friday, Feb. 2 against Union and Saturday, Feb. 3 against Rensselaer at Lynah Rink.
