Looking to stop its streak of split weekends, Cornell men’s hockey hopes to notch wins over Clarkson and St. Lawrence at Lynah Rink on Friday and Saturday. Here’s the lowdown and what you need to know about the home series.
How to watch or listen:
The Red will play Clarkson on Friday and St. Lawrence on Saturday. Puck drop both nights is 7 p.m. Both games will be available on ESPN+ (subscription needed, international stream here). Radio in Ithaca on WHCU 97.7 FM/870 AM. Updates available online at www.cornellsun.com and on Twitter via @DailySunSports.
Series with the Golden Knights:
All-time, Cornell leads the series against Clarkson 65-55-18, but the Golden Knights are itching to pull ahead — Cornell went scoreless against Clarkson last season. Those two most recent matches resulted in a 4-0 loss and a 0-0 tie.
Series with the Saints:
Cornell’s 92-year history with St. Lawrence favors the Red, with a record of 62-45-8. Both games against the Saints in the 2017-18 season fell into Cornell’s win column. In each game, a Red skater stepped up to ensure a Cornell victory — then-sophomore forward Noah Bauld scored a hat trick in the first contest and then-freshman goalie Matt Galajda dominated in a 1-0 shutout in the second.
Cornell last time out:
The Red continue to struggle against mediocre ECAC teams as they tied Rensselaer last Saturday in Troy. Unlucky of late, the Red has run into some hot goaltending. However, Cornell dominated ranked Union, 4-0, in Schenectady on Friday.
Clarkson last time out:
The Golden Knights held an eight-game winning streak up until a couple of weekends ago, when they were foiled by Harvard, 3-2, in overtime. Since then, they’ve gone 2-1, with their most recent game being a 3-1 win over Princeton.
St. Lawrence last time out:
In their last 11, St. Lawrence is 1-10 — they broke a losing streak last Friday against Princeton before losing again the next night to Quinnipiac, 7-2.
Scouting the Golden Knights:
One of only two ECAC teams ranked above Cornell in the most recent USCHO poll, Clarkson poses a significant challenge this weekend. Their strong offense includes junior forward Nico Sturm, who possesses a league-best plus-20 rating.
Keeping with the theme of hot goalies, Clarkson goaltender Jake Kielly is a notably tough backstop — and was named ECAC Goaltender of the Month for January. Kielly, as earlier mentioned, shut out Cornell twice last season.
Scouting the Saints:
St. Lawrence can’t commit to a goaltender, with three different backstops starting at least six games this season. With only four wins, the Saints have had more than their fair share of struggles. That being said, St. Lawrence’s win earlier this season against Clarkson shows the Saints can beat a team of high caliber.
Cornell beats Clarkson if:
… its bad luck on offense reverses. The Red has been taking a lot of quality shots that goalies somehow find a way to stop. Kielly in net for the Golden Knights, there’s even more to worry about when it comes to scoring. Cornell needs to keep at it until the puck finds its way into the back of the net.
Cornell beats St. Lawrence if:
… it plays the way Red fans know it can. There’s no reason that the Saints should take down Cornell Saturday unless the Red skaters get frustrated or too much in their heads. They need to maintain focus and just do what they do best.
What they’re saying in Ithaca:
Sophomore forward Tristan Mullin on finding ways to score: “If the goalie’s hot, you just gotta get in front of him…He can’t stop what he can’t see … Get in front of him [and] take away his eyes.”
What they’re saying in Potsdam:
Clarkson head coach Casey Jones on his team’s recent victory over Princeton: “We persevered, that was the most important thing. We came back after a hard game [Friday] night, sometimes it’s hard to get the energy level back up. We ended up with a good third period to salvage the two points and get the weekend.”
What they’re saying in Canton:
St. Lawrence head coach Mike Morris in the preseason on ameliorating his team’s performance: “We aim to improve in all areas; the players are working diligently at producing goals and defending better. Our leadership group has been meeting regularly to address how we can improve and become a tight bunch.”
Injury report:
Max Andreev’s status is unchanged as he is, in all likelihood, out until the postseason with a broken clavicle. Senior defenseman Brendan Smith and junior forward Noah Bauld are both also likely sitting out for the weekend, with no known timetable for their return.
Sophomore defenseman Alex Green, however, is back after a three-month-long hiatus due to a concussion sustained Nov. 2.
Fun fact:
Cornell alumnus and former associate head coach of Cornell men’s hockey Casey Jones ’90 is the current head coach of the Clarkson Golden Knights.