Cornell ventured outside the ECAC for the first time this season in hosting
8th-ranked Miami on Saturday night.  The Big Red fell behind 3-0 before
scrambling to tie the score, but ultimately wound up on the short end of a 5-4
score.
 
I don't have much on this game, since I wasn't there.  According to newspaper
reports, one of the biggest worries for Miami coach Mark Mazzoleni was that his
team, fresh off a big 14-2 win over Colgate the night before, would come out
flat... but that apparently wasn't a problem, as the Redskins put three shots
past goaltender Jason Elliott within a six-and-a-half-minute span in the first
period.  Miami was helped by some shaky defensive play on Cornell's part.  On
the Redskins' first goal, Cornell allowed Miami pretty much free reign in front
of the net, and defenseman Todd Rohloff fired a slapper from the point that beat
Elliott through a screen at the 7:21 mark.
 
It was not unusual for the Big Red to give up the first goal, as they have done
so in every game this season.  However, at 11:32 of the first, Cornell found
themselves down by two goals for the first time all year, when Rohloff rolled
the puck past Big Red defenseman Steve Wilson to a streaking Joe Budnar, setting
up a breakaway that the junior wing converted.  Then on Miami's only power play
of the night, Josh Mizerek fired a shot that Elliott got the pad on, but the
rebound came loose to Tim Leahy, who lifted the puck into the top half of the
net at the 13:56 mark.
 
At this point, it looked like Miami would enjoy its second blowout win in as
many nights, but suddenly Cornell got on the board with 3:43 remaining in the
first period.  A flubbed clearing pass at the Miami blue line wound up on the
stick of Jeff Burgoyne, who skated toward the Redskin net, fired, and backhanded
his own rebound over goalie Adam Lord's shoulder.  The goal seemed to fire up
the Big Red, who came out after intermission and almost totally dominated the
second period.  Only spectacular play by Lord kept Cornell from getting more
than the one goal they got during the middle period, which came at the 12:36
mark.  Steve Wilson skated behind the Miami net and dumped the puck out in
front, where Ryan Smart was waiting to wrist it home.  The goal was the first of
the year for Smart, who has been bothered by thigh and knee injuries.
 
Freshman center Ryan Moynihan tied the game at 3-3 1:33 into the third period,
taking a pass from Jamie Papp, deking Lord to the ice, and sliding the puck into
the empty net.  However, the apparent momentum shift didn't bother the Redskins,
who seized it right back at the 7:07 mark.  A pretty behind-the-back pass from
Tom White found Dan Boyle near the slot, and he snapped a shot over Elliott's
glove into the net.  Randy Robitaille and Adam Copeland combined on a 2-on-1
break to make the score 5-3 with 12:12 gone in the third, with Copeland wristing
the puck home from the left side.
 
Smart got his second of the game with 1:35 remaining, reaching out with his
stick to tip home a cross-ice feed from Kyle Knopp.  Elliott was pulled with 55
seconds left, but despite some good pressure in the Miami zone, the Big Red was
unable to get the equalizer.  Elliott stopped 21 of 26 shots, while Lord made 27
saves.
 
Cornell hosts Colgate in the second of four straight home games on Tuesday
night.  Colgate looks to come in with a chip on its shoulder, having to recover
from that 14-2 shellacking on Friday as well as three straight humiliations at
Lynah last season -- the last two in the ECAC quarterfinals.
 
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
              strictly those of:
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95
LET'S GO RED!!                                                  DJF  5/27/94
"A man shouldn't be an athlete after the age of 27."
-- George Foreman, in 1973
 
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