I've been on this list for about a year and this in my first real report
about a game, but in light of all the talk about people not wanting to post
for fear of criticism, I decided to just do it.  On that note, I would love
to get some constructive criticism on what I say and its appropriateness,
especially from people who actually saw the game.
 
Oh by the way, I'm a math major and I can't spell for my life.  Deal.
 
 
As a member of the Cornell Big Red Pep Band, I road tripped out to Harvard
to see the game last night.  (It was part of an insane weekend involving
Hockey at Brown Friday, Football at Yale Saturday, and Hockey at Harvard
Sat. Night.)  I was also at the ECAC champ. game back in the spring.
 
I was scared.
 
We thought we were watching the same game again.  Because we always play "Oh
Canada" at games, but Harvard never does, and neither did they play it at
Lake Placid, the Cornell Band sings it as play starts.  For the second
straight time Harvard scored before we finished.  Hmm.. Let the crazy
superstitions begin.  Cornell scored about mid-way through the first period
and then mid-way through the second period, which is about when the Cornell
goals were scored at Placid.  Then both teams defense tightened.  With no
more scoring well into the third period, I was experiencing serious deja vu.
While Friday night against Brown the penalty kill was downright sad, last
years #1 penalty kill with the most amazing Jason Elliott in goal, showed
up, killing off 8 penalties.
 
It was only when Cornell scored again with about five minutes left in the
third that I sighed relief realizing at was at a different game.  If Cornell
had scored a goal off a Harvard defender, I may have just died.
 
Harvard scored a goal with 15 seconds left to pull back within one, but the
Big Red held them off.  That goal was ALL the fault of Cornell  as three
different Cornell players took a swing at the loose puck to clear it, all
missed, and a Harvard player just slammed it home.
 
Other Comments:
 
In Saturday nights win, the reffing seemed poor during the first period.
The penalties really broke up play, the game didn't flow, and both teams
seemed unhappy.  One ref had a talk with Schaffer after the first period,
but we didn't catch why.  However, in the second period it seemed much
better.  There weren't really less penalties, but it ran more smoothly,
didn't break up the playing, and calls seemed better.  Also after the first
period both coaches seemed to get control of their teams and prevent a major
conflict which was brewing in the first.  Man is it nice to be part of a
bitter rivalry and not always on the losing side.  (See '86-'95 Cornell
losing streak vs. Harvard)
 
I thought that this game was about 800 times better than the Friday night
5-4 win against Brown.  The defense just wasn't there Friday night.  It was
a huge penalty fest.  The reffing was bad.  (Brown seemed to hate it too)  I
seem remember both teams having 3 power play goals.  It wasn't well played
by either team.
 
Friday night senior defenseman Jason Dailey had a coast to coast goal that
was absolutely amazing.  He shock off basically the whole Brown team on his
trip from one end of the ice to the other.  It was just a nice goal.  With
Cornell's tendency to get lots of very ugly goals it's good to see them
getting nice ones.
 
Also, I like Cornell's new strategy of putting Tony Bergin in front of the
net.  Our checking line is contributing so much.  As a fellow Pep Band
member and Hockey-ler Larry Weintraub said, "He sits in front of the goal
and says, 'Just try and move me.  I dare you.'" No one can.
 
Question:  What's up in the ECAC?  Or I guess even in college hockey?
Having heard this weekends scores, I'm wondering, do we just not have teams
on the same caliber as in the past, or as the general field improved to the
point that so many more teams can be competitive.  Is college hockey finally
drawing more all around talent that used to end up in the Juniors?  It just
seems to me that no game at all this year is  a sure thing, or really no
game is even a pretty good bet.  If I was predicting who would win games
this weekend, I would have failed miserably,  and I suspect I'm not alone.
I've only been following college Hockey for a few years, and have been on
this list for one.  What do people who have been watching longer think?
 
 
John Flint
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Cornell University Big Red Pep Band - Hooligans with Horns
 
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