Princeton University Athletics
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Rankin Scores Twice in 4-2 Game at Cornell
February 07, 2015 | Men's Ice Hockey
Box Score
ITHACA, N.Y. (2/7/15) - Junior Kyle Rankin scored twice, his first career two-goal game, as the Princeton men's hockey team fell 4-2 to Cornell on Saturday night at Lynah Rink.
The Big Red took a 3-2 lead early in the third period and Princeton (3-17-2, 1-14-1) pulled netminder Colton Phinney with just under two minutes to play to try to force overtime but a Cornell (10-10-3, 8-7-1) faceoff win led to an empty-net goal and a Big Red win.
It didn't take long for both team's offenses to get going as three goals came in the first six minutes of the game.
An odd-man rush with Madison Dias and Jacob MacDonald put the Big Red on the board at 2:11. Off a face off win to the right of netminder Mitch Gillam, MacDonald picked up the loose puck and skated with a head of steam up ice. He fed Dias who was the man up ice on the face off and he skated past his defender and roofed a shot over the right shoulder of Phinney.
Rankin evened it up two minutes later, converting on the first power-play opportunity of the game. Gillam steadied the puck behind the goal and tried to clear it down the length of the ice but the puck was met by sophomore Quin Pompi. Pompi whipped a shot towards the net and Rankin was there to make sure it got by Gillam for the goal.
Christian Hilbrich regained the lead for Cornell at 5:35. Eric Freschi was able to gain control of the puck after two players collided at the boards deep in the Cornell zone and the puck banged out to Freschi. He centered to Hilbrich and and Hilbrich and Cole Bardreau played a give-and-go for the 2-1 lead.
Rankin ended the stalement with the only goal of the second period with help from Mike Ambrosia. Ambrosia's forecheck on MacDonald. The puck squirted into the corner and Ambrosia beat Reese Wilcox in a foot race and centered for Rankin who lifted the puck over the pad of Gilliam.
Holden Anderson's first goal of the season was the game winner, coming at 5:33 of the third period, after he and Joakim Ryan played catch along the blue line, before he cycled into towards the net and shot through traffic for the 3-2 lead.
With 1:32 remaining, Princeton called a timeout and put the extra skater on the ice to try to force the overtime period. However, the Big Red won the ensuing face off and after Freschi hit the right pipe of the empty net, Jake Weidner got the ricocheted puck and put it home.
Phinney stopped 25 shots as Princeton, while Gillam made 17 saves for Cornell.
Princeton was 1 for 4 on the power play while Cornell was 0 for 2.
The Tigers are home for the next two weekends, first hosting Clarkson and St. Lawrence on Feb. 13 & 14.