After the Cornell men’s hockey team became the first ECAC Hockey program to ever sweep a two-game series at North Dakota since the program’s inception in 1946, the Big Red was honored by the league on Monday with freshman Ian Shane being named the MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week and freshman forwards Kyler Kovich and Ondrej Psenicka splitting Rookie of the Week honors.
Making his first two collegiate starts in one of the most hostile visiting environments in college hockey, Shane backstopped the Big Red to a sweep of fifth-ranked North Dakota by scores of 4-3 and 3-1. Shane made 23 saves on Friday to become the third Cornell goaltender to win his first collegiate start this season after the Big Red rallied for three third-period goals. The Fighting Hawks scored on their first shot of Saturday’s rematch, but Shane slammed the door from there. Among his 32 saves was a first-period penalty shot, and the Big Red once again rallied for three unanswered goals for the victory.
It’s the second straight week in which Shane has captured the league’s top weekly goaltending honor, and it’s the third time this season that Cornell has laid claim to the award (senior Nate McDonald won it on Nov. 22). Through three collegiate appearances, Shane boasts a 2-0 record and .951 save percentage.
Kovich was the Big Red’s only scorer of multiple goals over the weekend, headlining Friday’s game by potting the winner with 5:49 left in the third period. He scored a similar goal to get Cornell on the board Saturday, sweeping in a rebound during the first period.
Psenicka factored into three of the Big Red’s seven goals against North Dakota. He had assists on two of Cornell’s three goals in a span of less than five minutes during Friday’s third-period surge to victory, then he scored the winning goal Saturday on a redirection of a point shot from freshman defenseman Hank Kempf.
Cornell returns to league play when it visits Yale at 7 p.m. Friday and Brown at 7 p.m. Saturday to wrap up a stretch of nine straight games away from home.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].