Cornell, the ECAC’s top team, defeated second-place Harvard Saturday night in a game that will go a long way toward deciding the league’s regular season championship. The nationally ranked No. 3 Big Red eked out the 4-3 win in Cambridge, Mass., a night after tying Brown in Providence, R.I. In other action, the nationally ranked No. 13 Cantabs drubbed Colgate, while Dartmouth and Union also posted victories.
Cornell 4, Harvard 3
On Saturday, Cornell topped Harvard, avenging its loss to the Cantabs in the 2002 ECAC Championship game. After an early Crimson penalty, the Big Red took the lead when Ryan Vesce scored 31 seconds into the game. When Cornell added two more goals in the game’s first 10 minutes, the Big Red had the game in hand.
Harvard, however, thoroughly outplayed Cornell through the final two periods. Tim Pettit had a goal and an assist, and the Cantabs held the shot advantage, 28-19, in the last 40 minutes. Goalie David LeNeveu made 25 saves in the game’s latter periods to buoy the Big Red. Vesce’s second goal, with a minute left in the second period, was the game-winner.
With the victory, Cornell moves three points ahead of Harvard in the ECAC standings.
Cornell 2, Brown 2 (OT)
A night before its win in Cambridge, Cornell skated to a tie with Brown.
Two top goaltenders, the Big Red’s LeNeveu and Brown’s Yann Danis, fought to a stalemate. Danis was especially impressive, stopping 44 Cornell shots through regulation and the five-minute overtime. LeNeveu, however, gave up a soft goal with under five minutes left in regulation, allowing the Bears to tie the game.
Brent Robinson scored both goals for Brown, who defeated Colgate Saturday night to hang on to a three-way tie for the ECAC’s fourth place. The top four teams earn a bye in the ECAC playoffs, making Brown’s position critical.
Cornell completed its weekend with three points. The country’s top two teams suffered losses over the weekend, opening the possibility that the Big Red could climb from their current national No. 3 ranking.
Harvard 7, Colgate 0
Cantab captain Dominic Moore scored a hat trick and goalie Dov Grumet-Morris earned a shutout as the Crimson manhandled Colgate Friday night.
Harvard scored four power-play goals, including two in the first period. In the first 20 minutes, the Cantabs lit the lamp four times, putting the game out of reach for the ninth-place Red Raiders.
At the end of the weekend, Harvard remained behind Cornell in the ECAC standings, but kept a four-point advantage over third place Yale.
Dartmouth 3, Clarkson 1
On Saturday night, the Big Green completed a weekend sweep of St. Lawrence and Clarkson with a 3-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Hosting both games in Hanover, N.H., Dartmouth rallied with a late comeback to beat Clarkson. Dale Good scored in the first period for the Knights, who then relied on their defense and goalie Mike Walsh to hold their slim lead. Though Walsh made 33 saves, he could not stop two Big Green goals in the last five minutes of the game.
Green goalie Nick Boucher saved 23 shots, and Mike Oullette scored the game-winner for Dartmouth, who is now tied for fourth place in the ECAC. Clarkson was seventh at the end of the weekend.
Union 6, Princeton 2
After the Dutchmen lost to Yale Friday, they rebounded for a victory over last-place Princeton a night later. Kris Goodjohn had two goals and two assists for Union, while Nathan Gillies contributed two more goals and an assist. A first-period Tigers goal was answered within a minute by Union, who then scored three power-play goals to capture the win on their home ice.
With the victory, Union became the third team in a tie for the ECAC’s fourth spot.