First Period

Second Period

Third Period

Shots on goal

Power Plays

Goaltending

Attendance

Officials

Cornell Lineup

Bill Fenwick's Game Report

The play of the Cornell defense was a big factor in this one, as the Big Red was able to limit a high-flying Colgate team to nine shots on goal over the final two periods, and 18 overall. Matt Underhill's outstanding play between the pipes also sealed the Cornell victory, as he stopped all 18 shots in recording his first collegiate shutout. I'm not sure whether Underhill was slated to start both Colgate games or not, but the question became moot when goaltender Ian Burt suffered a concussion, either during the Ohio State game or in practice. Burt was dressed for both games but obviously wasn't going to play. The Big Red's third-stringer, Nathan Hicks, was unavailable due to the fact that he had graduated in December.

Anyway, Underhill got his first major test of the night in the first minute of play, as Colgate winger Pat Varecka came loose in the slot and unleashed a point-blank slapper that the goaltender blocked. It was Colgate goalie Shep Harder's turn to be tested a minute later, as Jeff Oates steamed into the Red Raider zone on a breakaway; Harder denied him with a great glove save.

The game may have turned during Colgate's first power play, which came about when Cornell's Krzysztof Wieckowski was whistled for tripping at the 6:06 mark. The Red Raiders had several big chances to light the lamp with the man advantage, the biggest of which came at about the 7:40 mark. Underhill had already made two saves during a scramble when the puck squirted out to a Colgate player in the slot. Underhill was out of position and the net was wide open, but the goaltender dove across the crease and stretched out his glove to stop the shot. The Red Raiders, thinking they had scored, raised their sticks in celebration, but referee Dan Murphy ruled that Underhill had kept the puck from crossing the line.

Cornell went on its first power play a couple minutes later, but it was Colgate getting the best opportunity midway through it when leading scorer Andy McDonald intercepted a pass near the Cornell blue line and went up the ice on a short- handed breakaway. McDonald shifted to his forehand and appeared to have some net to shoot at, but Underhill stayed with him and stretched out the right pad to make the save.

Cornell's forecheck began to take its toll on Colgate later in the period, as the Big Red started spending more and more time in the Red Raider end generating chances. Harder was matching Underhill's heroics for a while, but the Big Red finally broke through at 15:34 of the first period. Kyle Knopp sent the puck ahead for Jeff Burgoyne, who skated over the blue line and let one fly from high in the slot. Harder stopped the low shot, but the rebound trickled to his right, and team-leading goal-scorer Denis Ladouceur skated up and flipped the puck into the net.

Knopp and Ladouceur combined again on Cornell's second goal, which came at 5:55 of the middle period. Knopp took a pass at the Cornell blue line and weaved his way through the Colgate defenders, eventually putting himself and Ladouceur on a two-on-one. With Ladouceur breaking up right wing, Knopp slid the puck over, and Ladouceur snapped a tough-angle shot over Harder's shoulder, catching the net just behind the crossbar. The Big Red had another good flurry about nine minutes in, but Harder came up with a couple great saves, including a sliding stop of a point-blank Ryan Moynihan slapper.

The rivalry between Cornell and Colgate has intensified over the last several years, so it really wasn't much of a surprise to see a shoving match/fight break out in front of the Cornell bench at the 10:23 mark. It seemed to start when Colgate's Chad MacDonald hit either Jeff Oates or Rick Sacchetti in the back well after the whistle had sounded. Sacchetti and MacDonald went at it tooth and nail (well, glove), and while the officials were trying to get that one under control, Andy McDonald got into a shoving match with Cornell's David Kozier. MacDonald, Sacchetti, and Kozier each got roughing minors, while McDonald got off scot-free. The partisan Lynah crowd was of course incensed by that, but I suspect what happened is that Murphy, busy with the Sacchetti- MacDonald main event, didn't take note of the undercard until Kozier had the end of his stick up in McDonald's face.

Colgate showed some fast puck movement and good passing later in the second, as they did pretty much all game, but they were usually unable to get that crucial pass to set up the quality shot, thanks to the pressure put on by the Cornell defense. With 5:40 left in the second, the Red Raiders were threatening a 2-on-1 break, but before it could develop, Burgoyne made a terrific play, sliding along the ice and actually taking the puck right off the Colgate forward's stick. A few minutes later, a Colgate player took the puck between two Big Red defenders at the Colgate blue line and almost had a breakaway, but defenseman Larry Pierce stayed with him, managing to avoid tripping him up (and drawing the penalty) but bothering the guy enough that he couldn't get off a good shot. Underhill did the rest, stacking his pads and making the save.

Cornell controlled the third period for the most part, outshooting the Red Raiders 11-4, but Harder was able to keep the Big Red from doing any further damage. The Colgate offense wasn't able to do much of anything, though, as they had only two shots in the period until Harder was pulled with a minute left. And those Cornell fans who fondly remember former Colgate backup goalie Matt Weder will be happy to hear that the "We want Weder!" cheer is alive and well, though it didn't make its appearance until there were less than three minutes remaining.

Harder stopped 25 shots. Cornell defenseman Brian McMeekin suffered a separated shoulder during the game, was out of the lineup Saturday, and I understand is day-to-day.