ITHACA, N.Y. – The Niagara hockey team dug themselves out of a two-goal hole against the No. 14 Cornel Big Red only to fall to the hosts 4-2 from the James Lynah Rink on Tuesday evening.
Dan Kolenda and TJ Sarcona both recorded tallies in the second frame to knot the contest, but right as a Niagara penalty expired Patrick McCarron buried the heartbreaker with four seconds remaining in the second frame to extend the Purple Eagles’ losing streak to three games and leave NU winless in conference play on the season. Cornell goaltender Mitch Gillam scored an empty net goal to solidify the victory.
The loss drops Niagara to 3-9-1 overall, while Cornell improves to 7-3-1 on the season.
“Our goal tonight was to limit Cornell’s time on the power play being that it’s the best in the country. Unfortunately we had two freshmen take a pair of penalties and they capitalized on them which was the difference in the game,” head coach Dave Burkholder said. “That’s our fifth game in 12 nights and I thought our play in the third period was terrific. I would say the guys deserve a couple days off to regroup and get ready for Atlantic Hockey play.”
The teams traded golden opportunities in the opening minutes of the first period, but the goaltenders made several stellar saves to keep the game scoreless heading into the later stages of the frame.
Matt Williams and Hugo Turcotte had a couple of Niagara’s best chances as Williams’ wrister from the slot was swallowed by Gillam, and Turcotte’s shot just outside the blue paint sailed just wide of the top right corner.
At the other end, Niagara’s netminder Adrian Ignagni was just as solid, making his first big stop of the contest at with 12:39 in the frame as the Big Red flew into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1, but Jake Weidner’s shot from the right faceoff circle was gloved down by Ignagni.
Despite the shot count being in favor of the Purple and White at the end of the first, 11-9, it was the Big Red that made a dent in the scoreboard at 15:54 of the initial period during 4-on-4 play. Reece Willcox picked up a pass from Dustin Mowrey in the slot and the defenseman raced in on Ignagni before stuffing a backhand underneath the pads of the goalie to make it 1-0 heading into the first break.
Ignagni showed no signs of letting up at the start of the second frame making a pair of early stops to keep it a one-goal game. He first snuffed a wide open Jake Weidner at the top of the crease, and managed to get his left pad down on the follow-up shot from Joel Lowry who had an open net.
Cornell’s play goal came at 5:14 of the second as Brian Ferlin scored via assists by Lowry and Kirill Gotovets. Lowry slipped the puck across the slot to Ferlin who ripped a shot over the shoulder of Ignagni to take a two-goal lead.
Niagara’s offense picked up steam in the later parts of the period as the Purps were able to slice Cornell’s lead in half at 15:01 of the second off Kolenda’s first goal of the season. The sophomore picked up the puck in the NU defensive zone at the far boards and skated in on Gillam before releasing a bullet under the crossbar to make it 2-1.
Immediately following the Purple Eagles’ goal, Cornell was called for diving and Niagara’s power play unit went to work for the second time in the game. Sarcona started and ended the goal that erased the two-goal deficit as the freshman won the ensuing face off, and proceeded to pick up a pass from Brock Edwards in front of the cage before roofing a backhander over the glove of Gillam to make it 2-2 at 17:13.
It looked as if the teams would head into the second intermission deadlocked at two apiece, but in the waning seconds of the period McCarron snuck in his first of the season in what would eventually hold as the game-winning tally.
Ignagni made 23 saves in the loss. The game finished with Cornell holding a 27-26 advantage in shots over Niagara. The Purple Eagles’ power play went 1-for-3, while Cornell went 1-for-5 on the man-advantage.
Niagara will enjoy a weekend off before returning to the ice Friday, Dec. 6 at the Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum to face the UConn Huskies in a pair of games. This will mark the first two of 21 straight Atlantic Hockey contests for the Purple Eagles.
