It was quite the Red and Hot night at Madison Square Garden Saturday night, as the bustling city of New York hosted a collegiate level hockey matchup between Cornell Big Red and the Boston University Terriers. Boston University successfully reclaimed the Kelley-Harkness Cup for the first time since 2013. But what does this loss mean for Cornell’s Big Red?
Cornell entered this contest riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a dominant 6-1 win against Rensselaer.
Boston University came into this matchup following a 4-3 overtime win against No. 12 Northeastern, after opening that home-and-home series against them with a loss. Boston suffered another loss against No. 10/9 Quinnipiac University just the weekend prior.
Both teams looked to make a statement, especially with the opportunity to play on National Hockey League (NHL) ice.
While Cornell outshot Boston 29-17, their strong offensive performance was not enough to break Boston’s defense. The first period was clearly dominated by the Terriers. Boston shut down the Big Red early, including on a Cornell power play in the opening minutes. After clearing their zone, the Terriers transitioned up the ice and capitalized. Sophomore Kamil Bednarik opened the scoring with a deflection off of passes from Gavin McCarthy and Cole Eiserman.
Boston’s defense continued to shine through the rest of the first period, clearing a dangerous rebound opportunity after Cornell nearly capitalized on a shot that deflected off Boston goaltender Mikhail Yegorov.
Cornell came out piping hot in the second period, once again outshooting the Terriers 12-6. After putting up nine shots on goal and limiting Boston to three, freshman Reegan Hiscock tied the game with his third goal of the season. Assists went to Ryan Walsh and Charlie Major.
Just minutes into the third period, Boston’s Cole Eiserman extended the Terrier’s lead with an insurance goal, his seventh of the year, off a clean pass from Charlie Trethewey.
The game ended with Cornell on a 6-on-4 advantage, giving them a golden opportunity to even things up. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert.
A couple of standout players already heading into this matchup were Ryan Walsh and Charlie Major. Junior Ryan Walsh leads the team with 11 points (three goals, eight assists), while sophomore Charlie Major sits just behind him with eight points (three goals, five assists). Both players are hovering near a point-per-game pace with multiple multi-point outings in recent games. When asked about how his linemates have contributed to his success, Walsh had nothing but praise.
“Right now, playing with Charlie Major and Luke Devlin, those are two unbelievable players. Charlie’s extremely skilled and fast and Luke’s a little bit heavier, so you know, kudos to those guys,” Walsh shared. “They’re able to find the back of the net and those guys are able to score. I’ve played with a couple different guys this year, but I think we have a really good group and we’ve been lucky to find the back of the net a couple of times.”
For Cornell, which has a young and fresh roster, this loss serves as a learning moment – an opportunity to identify areas for improvement as they approach their mid-season break. The team entered the matchup with expected nerves, especially playing on NHL ice. Fortunately, they were able to settle in and put together a strong performance.
While their offensive efforts were evident, capitalizing on key moments remains a priority. Head Coach Casey Jones addressed the team’s approach in his post-game press conference.
“Our game plan was to possess pucks and get in deep and get them on their heels from that perspective,” Jones explained. “We don’t preach a lot of defense in practice, and we’re trying to execute to take that next step offensively. Because I just feel we have the right players to play the game the right way.”
This game exposed some weaknesses for Cornell. Their best chance to tie came in the final minutes on a 6-on-4 advantage, but they struggled to settle the puck and execute. A shot off the pipe came inches away from changing the narrative.
“That’s an area we can improve. We could have just settled it down and not rushed. We seemed rushed at the time,” Jones said. “We had plenty of time to take advantage of that. So that’s an area we’ll probably look at and manage the puck a little better. I give them credit. They didn’t give us much time to set up. I wanted a little bit more composure to just settle it down, take an extra second, let’s get set, and we didn’t have to rush anything there.”
This is only the team’s third loss so far this season, but it’s clear that Head Coach Casey Jones understands the young and determined group he leads. He recognizes their strengths, acknowledges their weaknesses, and knows exactly what needs refining as they navigate the rest of their season.
Cornell has two more matchups before heading into their mid-season break. They take on Clarkson University on December 5 followed by St. Lawrence University on December 6 and head into next weekend 6-3-0 on the season.
