Bittersweet would be a perfect description of the results that the men’s hockey team earned during Spring Break.

Supported by a tremendous defensive performance during a six-game unbeaten streak, Cornell was able to win the last ECAC title of the Albany era and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, the Red lost 6-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a disappointing fashion to the University of New Hampshire last Friday at Albany, N.Y., to end a season that was filled with higher expectations.11:11 make a wish: A power-play opportunity was given to Cornell with 11:11 to go in the game, but the Red, down by four, was unable to capitalize on it. UNH scored two more times by the end of the game. - By: Beth Spergel

Cornell struck first in the game with 48.5 seconds left in the first period when junior forward Tyler Roeszler scored from a rebound play, caused by junior forward Joe Devin when he shot the puck to the Wildcats senior goaltender Brian Foster.

Although the Red went ahead in the score before its opponents, the Wildcats dominated the offensive game for the entire first period.

New Hampshire had 14 shots during the first period of regulation; Cornell, on the other hand, shot the puck in the direction of the goal on five occasions.

The Wildcats held the puck for the majority of the time and controlled the tempo of the game, but the team could not capitalize on its scoring chances.

After the goal, the Red held tight to its lead until New Hampshire senior captain Bobby Butler scored with 3:13 remaining in the second period. Before it was ruled a goal, the play was reviewed for nearly nine minutes –– something that Cornell head coach Mike Schafer believed unnecessary and marked as a big turning point in the game.

Butler’s initial goal snapped senior goalie Ben Scriven’s personal best shutout streak at 267:11, the third longest in the history of the NCAA.

With 2:47 remaining, junior forward Mike Silso tallied a goal to give the lead to the Wildcats and spark an offense that was not taking advantage of its numerous scoring chances.

“We were winning going into the third period, and then they suddenly took the lead,” said senior captain Colin Greening.  “We could see that they had something going on.”

New Hampshire outscored Cornell four goals to one in the last period of regulation to end the game with a score of 6-2 in favor of the Wildcats.

The loss is Cornell’s worst in the NCAA Tournament since a 6-2 defeat to North Dakota in 1997.

“UNH was a great hockey team in that game, they played very well against us,” said Schafer. “They capitalized on our mistakes and it was a terrible way to end our season after such a great year we had.” 

With this somewhat disappointing finish, the men’s hockey season of 2009-2010 comes to a close before the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament.