LAKE PLACID, NY — The Massachusetts hockey team opened up the Adirondack Winter Invitational with a shootout loss to Cornell on Friday.
Hoyt Stanley shot a wrister past UMass goaltender Cole Brady on a Ryan Walsh pass to start the second period after Cornell (7-4-1, 3-4-1, ECAC) skated around UMass (11-5-1, 4-3-1 Hockey East) to start.
“The first period [Cornell] were the better team,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “We woke up and were pretty good the last two periods. I’ve seen this a couple times, we had to play a full 60 [minutes] to beat a good team.”
Michael Cameron answered just three minutes later for the Minutemen to tie the game up at a goal apiece. Ryan Lautenbach skated swiftly through the zone before passing to Cameron who finished off the play for the first goal of the game for UMass.
“That was a great play by [Lautenbach], he kind of did all the work,” Cameron said.
Lautenbach continued to play a strong game all evening, eventually netting a goal of his own.
“[Lautenbach] was a difference maker tonight,” Carvel said.
Down 2-1 late in the third period, Carvel pulled Brady with just over two minutes remaining in the game, allowing UMass to play a skater up. At the two-minute mark, Ryan Ufko shot a puck hard at the net, but it was too high, hitting off the goal post. Jack Musa recollected the puck before getting the puck to Lautenbach. The junior did not take long, quickly putting the puck in the net from the right post.
“It was a good job by Liam Gorman, getting in front of the net,” Lautenbach said. “Our [defense] did a good job. Ryan Ufko made a good play as well and then just got lucky enough to get it on my tape.”
Despite going down a goal, UMass came into the third period with energy, generating multiple scoring opportunities. Taylor Makar had multiple chances in third period but came up unlucky with his shots.
“We’ve kind of done that all year,” Cameron said. “Obviously it’s not ideal to be down going into the third period a lot but it’s a situation we’ve been in but we’ve always found a way to turn it up in the third period.”
The Minutemen struggled in the first period which cost them chances to take the first lead on Cornell. After both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first period, Nick VanTassell squeezed a puck by goaltender Ian Shane. After VanTassell celebrated what he thought was his first career goal, it was overturned for goaltender interference.
With the goal overturned, the teams went into the second period knotted at 0-0. In the second, the Big Red came out hot and scored three minutes into the period.
In the third period UMass was put on an early power play, but quickly allowed a a breakaway to Cornell forward Gabriel Seger. Cole Brady made a big save to keep the Big Red from jumping out to a two-goal lead, but the power play remained ineffective.
The Minutemen were without forward Dans Locmelis and goaltender Michael Hrabal due to the World Juniors. With Locmelis out of the lineup, Greg Carvel inserted Liam Gorman into the fourth line, while Lucas Vanroboys slotted at center on the third line with Aydar Suniev and Jack Musa. Gorman was important on the backcheck all game, constantly pressuring Cornell players as they entered the neutral zone.
As regulation ended in a 2-2 draw, 3-on-3 overtime gave UMass a chance to qualify for the Championship game but it came up empty-handed. In the shootout round, Brady allowed two straight goals and Cameron and Aydar Suniev could not get a goal to keep the Minutemen’s chances alive.
UMass will take on the loser of the Clarkson vs Arizona State game in the consolation game on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
Kayla Gregoire can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Kaygregoire.
