The Big Red tied it in the third period and won it at the end with a power-play goal by Sullivan Mack. (photo: Megan Milewski).
TOLEDO, Ohio — Cornell just won’t let the Mike Schafer retirement tour end.
The latest entry was punctuated with Sullivan Mack’s power-play goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Big Red a 4-3 victory over regional top seed Michigan State on Thursday.
Mack scored off a cross-ice feed from Charlie Major to give Cornell its first lead of the game. Michigan State’s Matt Basgall was in the penalty box for tripping the Big Red’s Jack O’Leary in the slot with 1:39 remaining.
It was an incredible finish after the Spartans took three one-goal leads but didn’t extend them.
Cornell delayed Schafer’s planned retirement for weeks with a run to the ECAC Hockey tournament championship that gave the Big Red a spot in the NCAA tournament via the automatic qualifier. And now the Big Red will play Boston University on Saturday for a spot in the Frozen Four.
Casey Jones is due to take over at Cornell next season; Schafer announced last June that the 2024-25 campaign was going to be his last in charge of his alma mater.
The Big Red made a run at a tying goal in the third period, carving out more than 90 seconds of offensive-zone time at one point. Goalie Trey Augustine made three saves on that shift and held onto the third.
But Cornell kept coming and eventually got the equalizer. Walsh scored his second goal of the game with 7:21 remaining, putting home the rebound of Ben Robertson’s shot to make it 3-3. The Big Red rallied to tie with goals in each period.
The last comeback came after the Spartans quickly regained the lead in the second period.
Cornell (19-10-6) didn’t get its second shot on goal of the middle period until 16½ minutes had elapsed, but Major made that one count. He stopped a clearing attempt by Michigan State’s Owen West along the right boards and then got a pass back from Hoyt Stanley for a one-timer to tie the game at 2-2.
But a misplay by the Big Red let the Spartans (26-7-4) regain the lead only 17 seconds later. Goalie Ian Shane stopped the puck behind his net but neither he nor defenseman George Fegaras played it.
That left room for Karsen Dorwart to swoop in and tuck the puck in the vacated net to put Michigan State ahead 3-2.
The Spartans had the Big Red shut down earlier in the second period, eliminating rushes before they even got a chance to get going. It took Cornell almost 11½ minutes to get its first shot on goal of the second period, and that was a long-range effort by defenseman Michael Suda.
But Big Red goalie Ian Shane made some nice saves to keep the Spartans from expanding their advantage. He stopped Michigan State’s Larson from point-blank range midway through the second period.
Fast-developing plays alowed each team to hit the net in the opening period before the Spartans took the lead on a late power play.
A connection between Joey Larson and Gavin O’Connell put Michigan State ahead. Larson raced to the left wall to get to a pass from behind the net by Cornell’s Hoyt Stanley and feed O’Connell in the slot for a quick putaway.
But the Big Red’s Walsh evened things later in the opening frame. He tied up Michigan State’s Matt Basgall’s stick behind him on a chase for the puck behind the Spartans net and caught up to it before firing high into the cage from the right side.
Cornell’s Dalton Bancroft went off for cross-checking in the final minute of the opening period, and the Spartans capitalized in 20 seconds. Nice passes by Isaac Howard and Charlie Stramel set up Daniel Russell to score from the right of the net for a 2-1 lead.
The Spartans, Big Ten regular-season and playoff champions, paid for not extending their leads.
