After 27 days, No. 16 men’s hockey returned to action in the first of two out-of-conference games in Tempe, Arizona, as part of the Desert Hockey Classic.
Although its first opponent, the University of Massachusetts, was unranked, it still held wins over then-No. 11 Boston University and then-No. 10 Providence and posed a tough task for Cornell looking to avenge a shaky first half.
In marquee 2024-2025 Cornell fashion, Cornell went down –– and came back –– twice.
But in a welcome turn of events for head coach Mike Schafer’s ’86 squad, the lofty comeback was completed. Cornell trailed 1-0 and 2-1, with both opposing goals coming with less than a minute left in each of the first two periods, but three unanswered goals in the third aided Cornell to a 4-2 win over Massachusetts.
Cornell (6-3-3, 3-3-2 ECAC) fired 35 shots on net in the win, scoring more than three goals for only the second time since its opening weekend against North Dakota on Nov. 1 and 2. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft led the way for the Red, scoring the game-winning third goal and firing seven shots on goal.
Before the empty-net goal, all three Cornell scores came at even-strength. Disciplined hockey was also a theme in Friday evening’s tilt, as Cornell took just one penalty compared to Massachusetts’ two.
Friday marked the second meeting between the Red and the Minutemen (8-8-2, 2-5-2 Hockey East) in as many years. Cornell had the edge in the previous matchup, upending Massachusetts in a shootout in the opening game of the Adirondack Winter Invitational in Lake Placid, New York on Dec. 29, 2023.
In all three periods, Cornell came out of the gates strong. The Red played with an early aggression that hadn’t been quite as noticeable over its first 11 games and, although it didn’t result in any early goals, it set the Red up for lengthy stays in its offensive zone.
Cornell led 9-6 in shots on goal and won all but two faceoffs in the opening frame, but ultimately let its strong start get sullied.
After some increased pressure by Massachusetts in the late stages of the period, Larry Keenan wristed a shot that took an unfortunate bounce off of the glove of senior goaltender Ian Shane and into the back of the net. The goal came with just 30 seconds remaining in the period.
Massachusetts matched its first-period shot totals in less than seven minutes of second-period action, outshooting Cornell 6-1 over the stretch. After allowing a flukey goal late in the first, Shane redeemed himself and stood tall against a relentless Massachusetts attack.
Cornell earned the first power play chance of the evening just over halfway through the second, as Massachusetts was whistled for tripping. The slumping Cornell man-advantage, after winning the first faceoff, struggled to reenter its offensive zone due to the persistent Minutemen penalty killers. The Red rattled off a couple of good chances as time waned down but couldn’t beat Irving.
A few minutes later, Cornell let another power play opportunity go amiss –– but unlike the first, generated momentum in the offensive zone.
That momentum culminated in the long-awaited tying goal, as sophomore forward Ryan Walsh made an individual effort to keep the puck in the zone before lasering a shot over the right shoulder of Irving.
The fourth-best power play in the nation boasted by Massachusetts got its first look not long after Walsh’s tally, as Walsh himself was nabbed for boarding with 1:44 left in the second.
Ultimately Cornell couldn’t escape the period unscathed –– Massachusetts tucked away a Shane rebound to take the lead, this time with just 15 seconds remaining in the period, sucking the wind out of the Red’s sails.
Both teams came out swinging in the third, but it was the Red that ultimately found the back of the net. Senior defenseman Tim Rego notched his third goal of the season on a wraparound try that beat Irving stick side. Rego’s defensive partner, sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson, picked up the lone helper on the goal, which came with 13:10 left in the third.
Despite letting the Minutemen get ahead in shots, Cornell continued to apply pressure.
Then, for the first time since Nov. 30, the Red got the lead.
Bancroft dangled through the Massachusetts defenders and roofed the puck over Irving for a highlight-reel, lead-grabbing goal with just under eight minutes remaining. The Cornell contingent at Mullett Arena let out a sigh of relief as Cornell played the comeback card once again, this time with a successful result.
Hunkering down on defense, Massachusetts didn’t get an opportunity to pull its goaltender until just about a minute left in the game. The Minutemen pressed on the gas pedal and prompted a couple of sprawling stops from Shane, who finished the game with 22 saves.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna buried an empty-netter with seven seconds to go to ice the game for Cornell.
The win advances Cornell to the Desert Hockey Classic championship game. The Red will be in action on Saturday against either Robert Morris or Arizona State, depending on Friday night’s result. Cornell will play at 9 p.m. if Arizona State wins and at 5 p.m. if Robert Morris wins.