The Massachusetts hockey team let up three unanswered goals in the final period, falling 4-2 to No. 16 Cornell in the opening round of the Desert Hockey Classic tournament.
The Big Red (6-3-3, 3-3-2 Eastern College Athletic Conference) secured their victory over the Minutemen (8-8-2, 2-5-2 Hockey East) with the game-winning goal from Dalton Bancroft. Bancroft picked up the puck off a short pass from Ondrej Psenicka just above the blue line. Skating up the right wing, Bancroft faked out captain Linden Alger and shot the puck over goaltender Jackson Irving’s shoulder.
Tim Rego scored the equalizer for Cornell after Ben Robertson crossed the puck to Rego near the crease. Rego skated around the back of the net before placing the puck over Irving’s right skate and into the goal.
“[It’s a] fragile team that doesn’t really know how to win games right now,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “We’re not playing at a standard I think we’re capable of. I still believe in this team, but this was another tough one [Friday].”
The UMass special teams unit played strong in the second period, finishing with two penalty kills and one goal. Bancroft almost scored after beating all of the defenders, but the puck went high over the crossbar. Open on the left side of the ice, Rego attempted to put the Big Red on the board, but Irving sprawled out on the ice before Lucas Mercuri cleared the puck down the ice.
With under 20 seconds left in the second period, Ryan Lautenbach crossed the puck to Francesco Dell’Elce skating up the right wing. Dell’Elce fired a shot off, but Cornell goaltender Ian Shane blocked the puck. With the puck loose in front of the goal, Michael Cameron and Hank Kempf both went for the puck before Cameron tapped the puck into the goal.
Larry Keenan opened the game for the Minutemen, netting the first goal with 30 seconds left in the first period. Dell’Elce sent a d-to-d pass to Keenan, who took the slap shot from the point. The puck bounced off Shane’s glove and into the back to the net to give UMass an early lead.
The Minutemen struggled on transitions and entering the offensive zone throughout the game. UMass recorded 24 shots on goal compared to Cornell with 35. Lucas Ölvestad and Bancroft led their teams in shots with seven and 10 respectively.
“We’re in a situation where we have to do some deep searching here,” Carvel said. “This team is showing what they’re capable of, but too often, they’ve shown a lack of playing at a certain standard that I know this team needs to play with.”
Ryan Walsh put the Big Red on the board with three minutes left in the second period. Ölvestad failed to clear the puck, and Walsh gained control at the blue line. Skating to the right circle, Walsh ripped a shot past Irving’s shoulder going bar down in the top left corner of the net.
Irving started between the pipes for the second time this season and finished the game with 31 saves. The goaltender made big saves, especially against a hot Bancroft throughout the game. Charlie Major and Bancroft skated up the ice on a transition through the neutral zone. Major fed the puck to Bancroft in front of the net, but Irving stopped the puck.
The Minutemen will play the loser of Arizona State vs Robert Morris in a consolation game on Saturday, Jan. 4. Puck drop is TBD.
Devin Lippman can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @devinlippman.
