Another Tough Night For Cornell At ECAC Championship – Harvard Wins Semi-Final 1-0 In OT
Source: 2012 ECAC Tournament Semi-Final Harvard crushed Cornell 6-1 (Photo: Bill Wolfe)
[Update: Correction! I was wrong! Cornell won an NCAA tournament slot!:
We’ve been following Cornell Big Red Hockey even before I went to graduate school there in the early 1980’s.
When I was in 8th grade, I was the water-boy for my high school hockey team (later to be named a Westchester-Rockland High School All-County defenseman in 1973-74 and 1974-75). That year, we took a roadtrip to Ithaca High School in 1970. We were trounced in a weekend series with Ithaca HS, but were treated to an incredible Cornell – Boston University game at Lynah rink, the year Cornell went undefeated and won the national championship.
Before we were Cornell fans, we hated the Cornell Big Red when I was an undergraduate at Clarkson in 1975, and skated on weekends with, served as road trip designated driver for, and roomed with and hung out with the hockey team and future NHL star Dave Taylor. (Hint to college administrators: never assign a freshman to room with varsity hockey players!)
Over the last 40+ years, we’ve attended many years at ECAC Championship tournaments, at Lake Placid and then Boston Garden (my X-wife was a varsity letter winner on Cornell women’s hockey team and we brought our son to Boston Garden in 1989 at 2 months of age). The tournament then moved to Albany and then Atlantic City and then back again to Lake Placid.
I’ve been consistently disappointed in their tournament play. I blame head coach Mike Schafer (who I saw play defense in graduate school in 1983-85).
Last night was the same old same old choke as Harvard won a 0-0 tie in overtime, after just 4:38 of overtime play.
As usual, the Cornell offense was anemic (I think they had just 15 shots on goal and 2 or 3 legitimate scoring chances) and little offensive zone puck possession, but the defense was strong.
In the typical fashion of Mike Schafer’s defensive approach, at least three times, when the Cornell offense had rare puck control deep in the offensive zone, they changed up lines and voluntarily surrendered the puck. WTF!
Ironically, on Harvard’s winning goal, the offensive line was trapped out of position deep in the offensive zone and a sophomore defenseman (#27) was caught way out of position on a 3-2 break. Harvard scored in an open net as the goal tender also overplayed the situation and was way out of position.
I doubt that Cornell, ranked #10 nationally before this game, will secure an NCAA tournament bid. So, it looks like their season is over.
Once again, there’s always next year (but at least the Big Red band again played an awesome rendition of Oh Canada! before the start of the game).
2012 ECAC semi-final (Photo: Bill Wolfe)
for photos, see