Harvard 6 Cornell 3
 
Cornell played an excellent game for most of the evening, but Harvard
wouldn't forgive them when they made mistakes in their own end.
 
P.C. Drouin's third period goal was the prettiest I've seen all year.
With Cornell on power-play and set up in the Harvard zone, P.C. hung
out on the doorstep at the right post completely uncovered for at
least five seconds before one-timing a pass past Israel. This is
EXACTLY the kind of execution that Cornell has lacked all season
long. It was also SO reminiscent of about three dozen Nieuwendyk
goals that it brought tears to our eyes.
 
 
Brown 4 Cornell 2
 
You know every once in a while when you get a brief glimpse of the
utter futility of existence - just a barely perceptible motion at the
periphery of your awareness, the memory of which quickly reduces to
the staggering disquiet caused by even the most ephemeral exposure to
The Hopeless Void?
 
Well, Saturday night was a full sixty minutes of staring that
Ultimate Darkness right in its facelessness.
 
I'd pick this one game to typify what another intimate spectator has
rightly called "the nightmare that has become this year's Cornell
men's hockey season".
 
Let me emphasize that Brown looked TERRIBLE. Coming off a strong 5-2
victory against Colgate, and involved in a nailbiting battle for the
final ECAC home ice slot, maybe they were emotionally and/or
physically drained, but they had nuthin'. Backstopping this, their
goaltender looked unsteady all night, appearing an absolute sieve for
much of the first forty minutes. Cornell would have to concentrate
very hard if they were going to lose this game.
 
They did, and they did.
 
Needing at the very least three points to vault over Princeton (and
probably 5, since the Tigers are playing well and still have Union at
home), it will be a Miracle if the Big Red can capture more than four
points in their final four games (at RPI and Union, hosting Dartmouth
and Vermont). It's time to lay it on the line, sports fans: if
Princeton can get one win in their final four (Clarkson, SLU, Union,
RPI), the Cornell season is over.
 
 
Brown women 5 Cornell 0
 
Actually, perhaps I should overtly state that that's the Cornell
women's team - the men may not have done much better. This is just
the second women's game I've seen at Cornell, and a few stray
thoughts occur to me:
 
1. Cornell goalie Christine Toth is good enough to play with the boys.
She's quicker and demonstrates a better understanding of her position
than Ed Skazyk, the men's backup goalie. Look out, Manon Rheaum. (sp?)
 
2. The no-checking rule is stupid. It's still hockey, but it's a lot
less interesting. No one is more opposed to the prohibition of
checking than the women themselves, at least according to a good
friend who played Cornell varsity back in 1982. I assume the rule
persists due to equal parts NC$$ idiocy, neanderthal sexism, and
liability insurance.
 
3. The women's game is considerably slower. This probably has a lot
to do with the no-checking rule - if you really get moving you might
kill yourself just trying to be a "good neighbor" and avoid all the
opponents. I actually saw several times a player make a wrenching
turn to avoid heavy contact - personally, I think the prohibition may
be more dangerous than the checking would be.
 
4. The difference between the best and the average player is much
greater. There were a couple dominant players on each team, capable
of stick-handling through the clots of less-talented players to
emerge practically untouched on top of the goalie. It makes the
best of them look like Jagrs or Federovs; in other words, like very
good high school boys playing against the normal field.
 
5. All of the above combine for very weak fan support at Cornell,
there were at most two hundred people in the 3,400 seat building, and
most of them seemed to be personal friends and family. Perhaps, with
the initiation of an NC$$ tournament next year, the women can sell
Cornell AD Laing Kennedy on better facilities, ice time, and
equipment by pointing out that they'll have a far greater chance of
bringing a National Championship to Ithaca than will the men over the
next few years.
 
 
Greg
Somerville, MA
Let's Go Red!
Onwards to the title:
 
1. 4-0 RS run for tenth seed in the ECAC tournament.
2. Defeat #7 Vermont in the ECAC preliminary round.
3. Defeat #1 Harvard 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
4. Defeat #2 Yale in the semifinal.
5. Defeat #3 RPI in triple overtime to become the 1993 ECAC Champions!
 
And after a 9-0 run, what would be their record? 14-16-1. Look out
Maine!