ITHACA, N.Y. — Dartmouth was in control from the onset on Saturday night and cruised to a 5-2 victory over Cornell at Lynah Rink thanks in large part to a four-point evening from Eric Neiley.
Dartmouth wasted no time with their offensive attack as the Big Green earned a penalty shot just over a minute into the game when Holden Anderson hauled down Neiley in between the faceoff circles.
On the ensuing penalty shot, Neiley made a nice backhand-to-forehand move before slipping the puck between the legs of Cornell goalie Hayden Stewart. Although no assist was given on the play, Brandon McNally threw an accurate backhanded saucer pass up the middle of the ice to Neiley, which started the chance.
The tally also marked the first penalty shot goal for the Big Green since March 21, 2003. when Mike Murray potted one against Harvard in an ECAC semifinal game. The streak had reached 384 games before Neiley’s goal.
“That goal was huge,” said Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. “It’s a tough place to play and to get a lead is huge because then we got the next one, which forced them to press and those opportunities led to our third and fourth goals.”
Dartmouth’s rare form of goal started the offensive engine for Neiley as he would help the Big Green book end goals in the opening frame when Grant Opperman tapped in a centering feed from Neiley with just over a minute left in the first.
It only took the Big Green five minutes to extend their lead in the second period as Neiley was the benefactor of a video review goal on the power play.
The game-winning goal’s celebration was delayed as play continued for a minute or so after a mad scramble in front eventually led to Neiley’s second goal of the evening when he slipped a puck past a sprawled out Stewart.
Dartmouth extended its lead to four just five minutes later when McNally took a stretch pass from Neiley and beat Stewart through the five hole. That marked the end of the freshman goalie’s night as Mitch Gillam replaced him.
Dartmouth received big offensive games from all over the lineup.
“I liked the balance in our lineup,” said Gaudet. “We had a really quick lineup in there tonight. We’ve been down a few guys, but we had some guys step in and do a great job for us tonight.”
Cornell trailed by four entering the second intermission, but had some life in the third period.
Cole Bardreau netted a power-play goal four minutes into the closing frame and Matt Buckles notched a goal with an extra attacker on the ice with a minute left to play, but Dartmouth goalie Charles Grant played well enough to lift his team to their fourth league victory. He finished the contest with 22 saves.
Eric Robinson blocked a shot and then pushed in an empty-net goal to put the dagger in the Cornell heart with just two seconds left.
Cornell coach Mike Schafer noted a few “mental blunders” as his team’s downfall.
“It’s extremely frustrating, because it is not the way you want to start a game and to give up such an easy goal is extremely frustrating,” Schafer said.
On the other side of the ice, Gaudet had nothing but praise for his team, as the win completed a three-point road weekend for the Big Green.
“I thought we played really well from the start,” said Gaudet. “Our kids played really well offensively and defensively.”
