Mathieu Gosselin scored the game-tying goal with 26.5 seconds left in regulation before netting the game-winner with 58.1 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Clarkson to a 4-3 victory over No. 11-ranked Cornell at Cheel Arena on Friday night.
The setback for Cornell (16-5-5, 11-5-3 ECAC Hockey) snapped the program’s 14-game unbeaten streak, marking the team’s first loss since Dec. 2 at home to Colgate.
Gosselin, who has overtime game-winning goals in the Golden Knights’ last two games, was one of three Clarkson players with multi-point efforts. Ryan Richardson had a two-assist night and Ayrton Martino added a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (16-14-1, 10-8-1 ECAC Hockey).
Sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft scored two power-play goals and senior forward Gabriel Seger added three assists in the setback for the Big Red (16-5-5, 11-5-3 ECAC Hockey).
By earning its point with the overtime loss, Cornell has officially clinched a top-four seed in the 2024 ECAC Hockey Championship and will host the quarterfinal round at Lynah Rink from March 15-17. It is Cornell’s seventh consecutive time earning a top-four seed in the ECAC Hockey Championship, the longest active streak of the 12-team conference.
Between the pipes, junior goaltender Ian Shane made 21 saves for Cornell, while his counterpart, Austin Roden, shoved aside 19 shots for Clarkson.
Cornell had to kill off a pair of penalties in the first period, including a five-minute major for boarding. The Big Red stopped all five shots on goal during the Golden Knights’ seven minutes of power-play time.
Clarkson logged the opening goal in the second period when Ryan Taylor caught Cornell off guard with a quick snapshot from the right faceoff circle.
The Big Red responded quickly, scoring less than two minutes later to bring the contest back even. Penney took advantage of a rebound on the doorstep of the goal crease to beat Roden and give Cornell its first goal of the night.
Martino pounced on a loose rebound after Shane made a blocker save on Tristan Sarsland, which gave the Golden Knights the lead back with under four minutes to go in the middle stanza.
A late Clarkson penalty allowed Cornell to tie the game up with 25 seconds left in the second period as crisp passing by Seger and freshman defenseman Ben Robertson led to a one-timed shot by Bancroft on the edge of the crease.
Bancroft netted his second power-play goal in under three minutes, giving Cornell a 3-2 lead early in the third period with a quick wrist shot following a quick toe-drag deke.
Clarkson scored a goal with an extra attacker with 26.5 seconds left to force overtime. Gosselin deflected a pass by Anthony Romano from the right faceoff circle off the shaft of his stick as he was tied up with a Cornell defender inside Cornell’s crease.
In overtime, an aggressive Clarkson forecheck led to a defensive zone turnover by Cornell, enabling Richardson to set up Gosselin for a one-timer from the right faceoff circle to give the Golden Knights the overtime victory.
GAME NOT7
• Friday was the 151st meeting between the Empire State rivals. Cornell’s record now stands at 73-59-19 against Clarkson, as its three-game win streak against the Golden Knights was snapped.
• Bancroft’s two power-play goals were the first time a Cornell player had multiple goals with the man advantage since Max Andreev (two at St. Lawrence on Nov. 11, 2022). The pair of power-play goals in 2:50 was the quickest pair by the same Big Red player since defenseman Nick D’Agostino on Nov. 11, 2011, against Harvard (0:56).
• Seger’s three-assist night was his second of the year, making him the first Cornell player to register multiple three-assist games in a season since Brenden Locke in 2017-18. He is the fourth player since 2005-06 to log multiple three-assist games in a season, joining Blake Gallagher (three in 2006-07), Dustin Mowrey (twice in 2013-14), and Locke.
• With his primary assist on Penney’s second-period goal, freshman defenseman Ben Robertson recorded his 15th assist, supplanting him into fourth place for the most assists by a Cornell freshman defenseman. Robertson also upped his point total on the season to 18, tying D’Agostino for the fourth-most points by a first-year blueliner in program history.
MOST ASSISTS BY A FRESHMAN DEFENSEMAN
Cornell Program History (Since 1975-76)
• 19, Chris Norton (1984-85)
• 18, Bruce Frauley (1987-88)
• 16, Mark McRae (1999-00)
• 15, Ben Robertson (2023-24)
MOST POINTS BY A FRESHMAN DEFENSEMAN
Cornell Program History (Since 1975-76)
• 23, Chris Norton (4-19—23 in 1984-85)
• 21, Mark McRae (5-16—21 in 1999-00)
• 19, Bruce Frauley (1-18—19 in 1987-88)
• 18, Nick D’Agostino (4-14—18 in 2009-10)
• 15, Ben Robertson (3-15—18 in 2023-24)
• Junior defenseman Tim Rego blocked a team-high six shots which was the most by a Big Red player since Sam Malinski also had six blocks against Quinnipiac on Feb. 25, 2022.
UP NEXT
Cornell will travel south on Route 11, where it will play St. Lawrence (10-17-4, 8-9-2 ECAC Hockey) at Appleton Arena in Canton on Saturday night. Puck drop between the Big Red and Saints is scheduled for 7 p.m. Game action will be broadcast on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, whcuradio.com)
St. Lawrence is coming off a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory over Colgate on Friday. The Raiders opened a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but the Saints responded with one goal in the second and two in the third to force overtime. Tyler Cristall recorded his second goal on the night when he potted the game-winner 40 seconds into overtime.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].