Cornell opened the 1998-99 campaign with a dramatic come-from-behind win
against the Niagara Purple Eagles, with Larry Pierce notching the game-winner
with just 19 seconds left in regulation.  Cornell clearly looked like a team
seeing its first on-ice action of the season, as there was some sloppy play and
several turnovers, but there were signs that the greater emphasis on offense
during practice this year will pay off.  Goaltender Ian Burt had a great game,
though. The last time anybody saw Burt, he was being pressed into service at
the end of the regular season last year when then-starter Jason Elliott went
down with a knee injury.  Burt played pretty well in his four starts, but had
four one-goal losses to show for his efforts.  Against Niagara, he showed some
quick reflexes, particularly on the afore-mentioned turnovers, many of which
occurred right in front of him.  His first win as a starter was well-earned.
 
Niagara served notice that it was not going to be an easy home opener for the
Big Red two and a half minutes into the game, when the Purple Eagles steamed
into the Cornell zone on a quick 2-on-1 break.  Defenseman Rick Sacchetti was
able to break that one up, but it foreshadowed what was to come less than a
minute later.  While the Lynah Faithful were still busy cheering a thunderous
hit along the boards in the Niagara end, the Eagles were busy with another
breakaway, this one a 3-on-1.  Todd Elliott centered the break and blasted a
30-footer from the left circle that beat Burt to the glove side at the 3:15
mark.
 
Cornell was not without offensive opportunities of its own, as Doug Stienstra
demonstrated a minute later, eluding a defender and skating in all alone on
Niagara goalie Greg Gardner.  Gardner stayed with him nicely, though, sliding
and blocking Stienstra's shot with his arm.  David Hovey also got by an Eagle
defenseman at the six-minute mark and fired a low shot past Gardner, but the
puck rang off the right post.
 
The Big Red appeared to tie the score at 7:20 of the first, off a long slapper
by Krzysztof Wieckowski that deflected into the net off Mike Rutter's skate,
but referee Alex Dell waved the goal off, ruling that Rutter had kicked the
puck in. A long pass found Cornell's Frank Kovac all alone on the left side
about thirteen minutes in, and he fired a low shot that Gardner just managed to
get a pad on.  Niagara had another big opportunity with 1:17 left in the first,
when Big Red defenseman Danny Powell lost the puck right in front of his own
net, but Burt made the quick save and smothered the rebound.
 
The second period was played a little more conservatively than the first, but
the Purple Eagles had yet another opportunity to increase their lead at the
2:20 mark.  Elliott harrassed Pierce into a turnover at the Cornell blue line
and skated in alone on Burt.  This time, however, Burt snagged the backhander
with his glove.  Niagara almost had another breakaway attempt six minutes into
the period, but Hovey managed to get the puck away from his man and then headed
back the other way, eluding a couple of Niagara defenders.  The play was
eventually offside, but it was a solid effort nonetheless.
 
Hovey, however, almost cost the Big Red their only power play of the second
period when he gave a retaliatory shove to Niagara's Chris MacKenzie, who had
grabbed him around the neck and dragged him down at the 15:22 mark.  But Dell
didn't call him for it, and Cornell proceeded to tie the game.  Pierce dumped
the puck into the corner, where Stienstra dug it out and worked his way in from
the right circle, beating a screened Gardner low at 16:20 of the second.
 
Niagara had another 2-on-1 break with 8:40 left in the third, but once again
Burt was equal to the task, stopping the initial shot and the follow-up.  But
the Purple Eagles would retake the lead at the 12:02 mark, when Colin Rows took
a pass from Peter DeSantis and unleashed a slapper from the point that beat
Burt to the stick side.  The Big Red, however, would make it 2-2 just 59
seconds later.  Powell kept a bouncing puck in the Niagara zone and wristed a
shot that Gardner seemed to have a bead on, but David Francis got his stick on
the puck and redirected it off the goalie's shoulder and into the net.
 
With 2:41 left, David Kozier had a great chance to put Cornell ahead, but his
15-footer found Gardner's glove instead of the back of the net.  It was left to
Pierce to get the Big Red's third and final goal.  Hovey won a faceoff in the
Niagara end, and Pierce got the puck at the blue line.  Working his way toward
the slot, he let loose with a low slapper through a screen.  Gardner got a
piece of the shot, but the puck trickled past him and over the goal line.
 Niagara called time out, but Gardner stayed in the game for the faceoff.
 Cornell got control of the puck, and except for some pushing and shoving after
the final whistle, that was pretty much it.
 
Gardner stopped 27 shots, and Burt had 32 saves.  Cornell opens ECAC play next
weekend with a trip to arch-rival Harvard Friday night and Brown on Saturday.
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95                                             DJF  5/27/94
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  JCF  12/2/97
"This can't be right.  Terry Felton started the game, and now they've got him
 relieving himself on the mound."
-- Fred White, Kansas City Royals radio announcer, on a wire-service report
   that erroneously listed the same pitcher starting and coming in from the
   bullpen
 
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