"We were very well prepared to play with regard to the way Cornell plays," Mazzoleni said. "But tonight we just didn't execute it."

Barely three minutes in to the first, Big Red's captain Doug Stienstra gave Cornell a 1-0 lead with a shot in the top right shelf. Stienstra netted the rebound from Ladouceur while Prestifilippo was flopping around in front of the net.

Less than two minutes later, the Crimson battled back to even the score 1-1 at 3:57 with a classic backhand shot from Bala.

In one of the stronger power play units the Crimson has demonstrated this year, junior winger Harry Schwefel worked the puck down low and sent a pass up to freshman center Dominic Moore perched in the left circle. Moore slid a pass across to Bala who backhanded a shot past Big Red goaltender Ian Burt.

The tide turned at 16:51 as Cornell's Larry Pierce put the Big Red ahead again by one. Despite senior winger Scott Turco's sliding attempt to block the shot, Pierce lifted the puck over Prestifilippo's right shoulder, putting Colgate ahead 2-1.

Harvard demonstrated no offense in the second period, posting only four shots on net the entire period--effectively handing Cornell the victory. With 19 shots on goal in the second period alone, the Big Red nearly doubled Harvard's total attempts.

With the Crimson desperately and unsuccessfully trying to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, Cornell proceeded to light the lamp four times in 10 minutes, beginning with McRae's game-winning tally. Stienstra had a hand in each of the next three goals, scoring one and assisting on two.

Stienstra sending a dribbler off of Prestifilippo's stick in front of the crease at 4:50, putting the Big Red up 4-1. Cornell center Ryan Moynihan increased the Big Red's lead to five with a breakaway shot on another power play at 9:42.