They say history repeats itself.
Men’s hockey’s last battle with Quinnipiac was under the lights at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 30. After going up 2-0 in score in New York City, Quinnipiac scored three second-period goals to take a 3-2 lead into the third, and the Red ultimately had to settle for a 3-3 tie.
A similar situation unfolded in Hamden, Connecticut on Saturday night — the Red scored first after a strong first period, but a shaky second led to a pair of Bobcat goals and a one-goal deficit for the Red heading into the third. Cornell found the tying goal, just as it did at Madison Square Garden, and ultimately won the shootout — just as it did back in November.
That time, the shootout didn’t count as the matchup was held on neutral ice and had no points to be earned. This time, the shootout win delivers Cornell an important extra point for the ECAC standings and wraps up a weekend in which the Red secured 5/6 points.
Cornell (7-5-5, 4-3-3 ECAC) came out of the gates strong, earning the first chances of the game and keeping at its strong forecheck that brought it success the night before against Princeton. The pressure resulted in the game’s first penalty, as Andon Cerbone of Quinnipiac (14-7-2, 9-3-1 ECAC) was sent off for slashing.
And then the Red did something it has only done five times in its 16 games — score the game’s first goal.
Sophomore defenseman George Fegaras got the score, but it came after an onslaught in Quinnipiac’s defensive zone. Cornell hit two posts before Fegaras beat Quinnipiac goaltender Dylan Silverstein for his first goal of the season.
Not only did the Red find comfort in scoring first — something it has so rarely done — but the opening tally came on the power play, which has consistently ranked within the bottom third of the NCAA all season. After junior forward Dalton Bancroft’s man-up goal against Princeton the night prior, Cornell has scored power-play goals in consecutive games for the second time all season and now sits with seven power-play goals overall.
Cornell wouldn’t find the back of the net again in the period, but not for a lack of trying. Sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson, sophomore forward Ryan Walsh and junior forward Nick DeSantis each took shots that hit posts in the first 20 minutes, a period where the Red outshot the Bobcats 7-6.
Senior goaltender Ian Shane, getting his first action since being pulled against Sacred Heart last weekend, looked comfortable between the pipes in the opening period. Shane deterred all six Bobcat shots in the first, including a flashy glove save with 3:59 left.
Cornell didn’t have much time to relish its lead as the Bobcats evened things up 1:17 into the second period. A turnover against the boards behind Shane’s net led to a perfect pass that hit the tape of Tyler Borgula, who ripped a hard shot past Shane for Quinnipiac’s first goal.
It was all Bobcats from there. Quinnipiac’s second-period resurgence was reminiscent of the last meeting between these two teams at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 30. After a shaky first period, the Bobcats came alive in the middle frame on Saturday night, evident in its outshooting of the Red, 15-6.
Quinnipiac took the lead much like how it scored its first goal — a pass from behind the net found a Bobcat skater in the slot, as Chris Pelosi sent M&T Bank Arena into a frenzy with a perfectly placed shot that beat Shane 8:03 into the second.
Cornell attempted to weather the Quinnipiac storm, but struggled to complete clean zone exits while the Bobcats were quick off the rush. The overwhelming pressure culminated in Quinnipiac’s first power play of the night, as Bancroft was sent to the box with 6:22 left in the middle frame.
Tasked with killing the nation’s second-best power play, Cornell stood tall and kept most of Quinnipiac’s chances to the outside. And before time ran out in the middle frame, Cornell earned a man-up opportunity of its own, but that chance would bleed into the third as the Red couldn’t net one in the final moments.
The Red quickly saw its power play come to an end, and Quinnipiac retaliated with a grade-A chance just atop Shane’s crease, which the senior netminder kicked away.
But 2:34 into the third, junior defenseman Jack O’Brien was hit hard and drew a subsequent Quinnipiac interference penalty.
The result? Another post. Robertson rang the iron, Cornell’s fourth hit pipe of the evening.
But despite its persisting power play struggles, Cornell would find its long-awaited equalizer. Junior forward Nick DeSantis, whom head coach Mike Schafer ’86 praised to WHCU before the game for his strong play against Princeton the night prior, deflected senior defenseman Tim Rego’s shot past Silverstein to even up the score.
Both teams would earn a point in this one, as the final 9:03 after DeSantis’ goal elapsed without any changes in score. After Quinnipiac held possession for the first two minutes of the extra frame, Cornell took charge for the final three, including a flurry of point-blank chances in the final minute of overtime.
Silverstein, the Quinnipiac netminder, was the main reason neither team would get the win, as his six overtime saves kept the Bobcats alive and aided them to the shootout. The Red outshot Quinnipiac 6-0 in the five extra minutes.
Bancroft and senior defenseman Michael Suda scored in the shootout to earn the extra point, while Shane allowed one goal and made two stops in his 100th game with Cornell.
Cornell will return home for what is set to be a raucous weekend at Lynah Rink. The Red hosts Harvard on Friday night at 7 p.m. before a bout with Dartmouth on Saturday at 7 p.m.