ITHACA, N.Y.-Matt Buckles scored 3:18 into overtime to lift No. 18 Cornell to a 2-1 win and a series sweep over the Union College men's hockey team, Saturday night at Lynah Rink in the ECAC Hockey first round.
Goals proved to be hard to come by for both teams, as the game turned into a goaltender dual for second consecutive night.
Alex Sakellaropoulos stopped 26 of 28 shots he faced for the Dutchmen (13-14-9), while Gillam made 32 saves on 33 shots for the Big Red (15-9-7).
Union looked to have scored its first goal of the series at 6:12 of the first when
Ryan Scarfo poked home a rebound after a goalmouth scramble, but the goal was waved off.
Sakellaropoulos came up big for the Dutchmen just over five minutes later, kicking away Patrick McCarron's low wrist shot on a short-handed odd-man rush.
Union had another opportunity with a 1:12 two-man advantage midway through the first, but the Big Red, which finished the frame with nine blocked shots, allowed just three shots on goal, killing both penalties to keep the game scoreless after one.
Cornell broke the deadlock at 10:25 of the second, as Ryan Bliss sent a point shot through traffic that caromed off a Union defenseman and past Sakellaropoulos, giving the Big Red a 1-0 lead.
Matt Wilkins provided the response for the Dutchmen with a power-play tally at 10:56 of the third, finally snapping Gillam's postseason shutout streak at 109:04.
Gillam made a blocker save to turn away Brett Supinki's wrister from the right faceoff circle, but Wilkins was there to clean up the rebound in the slot, tying the game at 1-1 and forcing overtime.
Buckles sent the Big Red through to the ECAC Hockey quaterfinals just 3:18 into extra frame, driving in on goal from the right wing before sliding a backhand inside the far post to seal the 2-1 win.
The Dutchmen, who set a program record with 14 overtime games this season, finished 1-for-5 on the power play for the game and 1-for-8 for the series. Gillam was nearly perfect in goal for Cornell, stopping 59 of 60 shots he faced in the series.
