AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass Hockey team fell to No. 10 Cornell 5-2 Sunday afternoon at the Mullins Center. Chris Davis and T.J. Syner both had power play goals for the Minutemen. Paul Dainton made 21 saves in net for UMass (9-8-1) while Ben Scrivens started in goal for the Big Red (9-1-3), making 26 saves. UMass will resume conference play this weekend in a home and home series with No. 15 New Hampshire. The Minutemen will host the Wildcats on Friday night before traveling to Durham, N.H. on Sunday. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 PM for both contests.
The Minutemen outshot the Big Red 28-26 for the game, and UMass was 2-for-6 on the power play. Cornell was 1-for-4 on the man advantage.
Although the Minutemen outshot Cornell 9-8 in the first period, it was the Big Red that came away with two early goals in the stanza. When Cornell went on the power play five minutes into the frame, Joe Devin netted his fifth goal of the season off a rebound. After Mike Devin took a shot from the point, Joe Devin gathered the rebound and slid the puck past Dainton for the score.
The Big Red took a two goal lead just 31 seconds after Devin's goal when Riley Nash scored his fifth goal of the year. Nash collected a pass from Evan Barlow and let a wrist shot go from the slot that beat Dainton to the left side.
UMass had some chances of its own to cut into the Cornell lead throughout the period, but Scrivens stood his ground and turned away all nine Minuteman shots. Syner nearly put UMass on the board when he was all alone in the slot, but Scrivens slid across the crease to make the save. Alex Berry and Mike Lecomte also had a scoring chance when they went in alone on goal, but Scrivens was there to deny the chance.
Massachusetts controlled the play throughout the second period, peppering Scrivens with 15 shots and netting a power play goal, giving the Big Red a 2-1 lead heading into the locker room.
After Barlow was whistled for an interference penalty with five minutes left in the period, the Minuteman power play went to work to try and cut into the Cornell lead. Davis did just that when he scored his eighth goal of the season off a deflection. After Justin Braun received a pass from Matt Irwin, Braun ripped a shot from the point. The puck found its way through the Cornell defenders before Davis redirected it home for the score. The tally was Davis' fourth power play goal of the season.
The Big Red iced the game in the third period, outshooting the Minutemen 12-4 and scoring three times. Barlow gave Cornell a 3-1 three minutes into the period when he took a pass from Colin Greening and beat Dainton for his first goal of the season. The Big Red took a commanding lead when Michael Kennedy netted his fifth goal of the year two minutes later.
Syner gave UMass a bit of life when he notched his third goal of the season eight minutes into the frame. After he took a pass from Casey Wellman, Syner let a wrist shot go from inside the blueline for the score.
Massachusetts pulled Dainton with 1:58 remaining in regulation, and Blake Gallegher added an empty net goal for his second of the year.