Eddy Ferhi made 34 saves, including 18 in the third period, to lead Sacred Heart (3-1-1, 1-0-1 MAAC) over Cornell (0-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Saturday night.
In a game marked by missed opportunities for Cornell, it was the stellar play of Ferhi and the offensive efficiency of the Pioneers which earned the visitors the 5-3 victory.
It also marked the first time a team from the MAAC has defeated a squad from one of the “Big Four” conferences – the ECAC, Hockey East, CCHA, and the WCHA.
“This is the biggest win in our program[‘s history],” Sacred Heart’s captain Peter McRae said.
Sacred Heart got on the scoreboard at 2:46 of the first period as the Red was unable to clear the puck from its zone. Bryan Reilly’s shot from the point was stopped by Cornell senior goaltender Ian Burt, but Martin Paquet was able to slip the puck under the pads on the rebound.
“It was part of our gameplan to be involved early, be it a goal or a big hit,” Sacred Heart head coach Shaun Hannah ’94 said.
The Red answered less than two minutes later when the Pioneers’ Richard Naumann was whistled for tripping. Just ten seconds into the man advantage Mark McRae slid a pass to his twin Matt in front of Sacred Heart’s net, who was able to squeeze the puck past Ferhi. Stephen B