This story has been updated.
On Friday, men’s hockey and Harvard met for the 168th time.
When fans make their way into Lynah Rink for the annual Cornell-Harvard game, they are inevitably treated with another chapter in the storied rivalry between the two Ivy League competitors.
“I just think it’s so much fun. … And I think that the games, a lot of times, live up to the hype,” Head coach Mike Schafer ’86 told The Sun ahead of the matchup.
Friday night was no exception. In fact, records were rewritten.
A quick start by Cornell that included two goals within a six-second span led Cornell to a 4-1 win over its archrival Harvard. DeSantis potted two goals — the first multi-goal game of his career — in the win, while senior goaltender Ian Shane made 14 saves to extend Cornell’s unbeaten streak against Harvard to five games.
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“[It was] great. It’s always a fun environment when we come here against Harvard, the fans are into it and I think that boosts our energy levels and that makes it exciting,” DeSantis said. “But the key is to tame those nerves and just play our game, and that’s what we did for those 60 minutes.”
Most games between these two teams have been close ones, as of late. Cornell and Harvard haven’t won by two or more goals at Lynah Rink in the regular season in nearly eight years.
“I thought Ian was outstanding,” Schafer said. “He made two or three spectacular saves to keep the game a two-goal game [after the first period.”
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But before Harvard goaltender Aku Koskenvuo could make a save, and before the Crimson could muster a shot, Cornell was up by two.
Sophomore forward Jake Kraft opened up the scoring 1:17 into the first, when he cleaned up a loose puck atop Koskenvuo’s crease.
Then, it was sophomore forward Ryan Walsh who, off the faceoff, emerged with junior forward Dalton Bancroft on a two-on-one. Bancroft’s pass found Walsh, who one-timed it past Koskenvuo, practically blowing the roof off of Lynah Rink.
The two goals in six seconds were the fastest two goals scored by Cornell against Harvard in the entire 115 years of the rivalry. It was also the Red’s fourth fastest pair of tallies in program history.
Harvard finally got a shot on senior goaltender Ian Shane just over five minutes in, and play mellowed out from there, though Cornell’s looks offensively outmatched those of Harvard’s. Cornell earned a late power play opportunity after a scrum in its own zone resulted in a Harvard roughing penalty, but the Red lost the ensuing offensive faceoff and watched time tick down, not getting much going.
Seconds after the teams returned to even strength, junior forward Nick DeSantis was sent off for holding with just 24 seconds left on the clock. The Crimson power play chance would bleed into the start of the second period, but Cornell’s penalty killers stood tall and preserved the two-goal lead.
“Really happy with our penalty kill tonight. I thought they did a great job,” Schafer said.
Harvard looked to halve the lead when it got another man advantage, as sophomore defenseman George Fegaras was nabbed for interference 4:12 into period two. However, another strong performance on the kill kept Harvard scoreless. Senior goaltender Ian Shane added a highlight-reel save with 11:55 remaining, snuffing a Harvard skater at the back door with an outstretched right pad.
Holding onto its 2-0 lead, Cornell’s second power play chance came and went. But what came after that power play sent Lynah into a frenzy.
“Our crowd was awesome. … Our fans are the best in college hockey,” Schafer said. “The Lynah Faithful were outstanding.”
Junior forward Nick DeSantis made it 3-0 with 5:34 left in the middle frame, burying a shot past Koskenvuo and celebrating hard into the boards. The Pennsylvania-native’s third goal of the season came on yet another two-on-one, a result of Cornell’s signature pesky forechecking and speed on transition.
Harvard ultimately spoiled Shane’s shutout bid with 3:51 left in the second, tilting the ice slightly in favor of the Crimson as the time waned down on period two.
A third power play opportunity was dealt to the Red just 3:32 into the final stanza, but nothing would go. In fact, neither team scored with the extra skater on Friday night, both teams going 0/3 on the man-advantage.
Two seconds later, though, something would.
DeSantis notched his second of the game when he launched a nifty backhand shot over the shoulder of Koskenvuo, cleaning up his own rebound that had hit the post.
“I was just excited,” DeSantis said. “I feel like I’ve been battling a little bit in the first half of the season, so coming back [with a] different mindset it was just good to get two goals to help the team.”
Time ultimately ran out on the Crimson, which pulled its goaltender briefly to create a six-on-four advantage due to senior forward Kyler Kovich’s tripping penalty late in the third. But Koskenvuo returned to his crease shortly after the penalty expired, and the buzzer sounded on a 4-1 win for Cornell, one that will likely be the final for Schafer against the Crimson.
“I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it. … The coaching, coming to the rink, the fans, everything,” Schafer said.
Schafer added that this is his second-to-last regular season home series behind the bench, as his son will be getting married in two weeks, when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union come to town on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8.
The Red will look to earn an ECAC sweep when it takes on Dartmouth at Lynah Rink on Saturday at 7 p.m.