HAMILTON, N.Y. — Six shots off the post, two off the crossbar, 32 shots on goal, and fruitless six power play opportunities resulted a controversial overtime loss. That was the kind of night the men’s hockey team had yesterday, coming out on the short side of a 2-1 upset victory for Colgate.
The goal in question came 3:11 into the overtime period off the stick of Raider Adam Mitchell. Colgate rushed the left side of the Cornell goal, just as sophomore goalie David LeNeveu left his crease to play the puck up the boards. LeNeveu wasn’t able to handle the bouncing puck and rushed back to his goal.
Colgate’s Scooter Smith possessed the loose puck and sent it towards the pipes. The rebound ricocheted to LeNeveu’s right side, a scuffle in front of the net ensued, and Mitchell stuffed the puck past LeNeveu just as the net apparently came off its moorings.
“David told me the net was off its moorings and that’s why the puck went in short side,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86 of the play, “the head official waved it off, and the linesman called it.”
After a brief discussion at center ice between the officials, coaches, and team captains, the Colgate players threw their hands in the air signaling the final judgment. The crowd erupted, and the Raiders had their biggest victory of the year firmly in hand.
The game began well for the Red, as it posted a goal just 1:48 into the first period. Senior Sam Paolini initiated the play on an attempted wrap-around on Colgate goalie Steve Silverthorn. The attempt failed but freshman Shane Hynes was able to garner the rebound and send it through Silverthorn’s five-hole for a 1-0 lead and his sixth notch of the season.
The Red’s fortunes would soon turn, however, as junior Greg Hornby was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a check from behind.
Cornell was able to kill the extended power play for over three minutes, but at 6:24 Dmitry Yashin (brother of NHL star Alexei) scored Colgate’s first goal of the evening. Kyle Doyle sent a slap shot towards the Cornell goal and Yashin finished the play with a wrister past LeNeveu off the rebound.
“The five-minute major, especially on the road, is difficult and they got a power play goal off it, so it was a tough period for us to control,” said Schafer.
The remainder of the period was a battle of netminders, as LeNeveu and Silverthorn matched each other great save for great save.
Cornell’s best opportunity came when freshman Matt Moulson and senior co-captain Doug Murray connected on a 2-on-1 rush, only to see the chance carom off the far post.
The second period got off to an electrifying start, as both teams battled to possess the puck between the blue lines.
Cornell, which usually counts on an overbearing physical presence to dominate its opponents struggled to find itself defensively with bruiser Hornby out for the game. The Raiders were nearly able to capitalize on the lapse just 40 seconds into the second frame but a diving, behind-the-back save by LeNeveu put Colgate’s second goal on hold.
Cornell once again came close to going ahead at the end of the second period, as the first power play unit began to find its rhythm.
The two-minute span saw senior co-captain Stephen B