Cornell men’s hockey saw its season come to a close with a 5-0 loss to No. 4 Denver in the Loveland Regional semifinal of the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Championship on Friday at Blue Arena.
The Big Red (22-11-1) generated 24 shots but were unable to solve Denver goaltender Johnny Hicks, who recorded the shutout and snapped Cornell’s 56-game goal-scoring streak. Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer made 25 saves for Cornell, but the Pioneers capitalized on key opportunities, including multiple deflections and a turnover deep in the defensive zone.
Denver struck early, scoring just over six minutes into the first period and adding a second goal late in the frame to take a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers extended the advantage in the second period after a miscue in Cornell’s zone led to a goal, making it 3-0.
Cornell looked to respond but struggled to generate sustained pressure against Denver’s defensive structure and strong goaltending. The Pioneers added another deflection goal early in the third period to push the lead to 4-0 before sealing the result with an empty-net goal late.
Luke Devlin returned to the lineup for Cornell after missing 14 games and recorded four shots on goal, providing a boost to the offense despite the outcome.
The loss marked Cornell’s largest NCAA Tournament defeat since 2017 and ended one of the program’s longest scoring streaks in recent history.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.