I.  Overview
 
For the first time in three years, Cornell played well in their trip to the
Capitol District and even captured a win, beating Union 4-1 before succumbing
to RPI by the same score.  The total goals of 5-5 compared to 3-14 last years
and 5-13 the year before.  What a difference a goaltender makes!
 
What follows is general observations; I'll leave the play by play to Bill's
excellent ministrations.
 
II.  Union
 
Through the first period, I was frankly glad that Cornell didn't find
themselves down by three goals as they have so frequently this year.  The
Dutchmen greatly outplayed the Big Red, and Jason Elliott had to make several
good saves.  The second period saw Cornell's only powerplay of the night
(compared to Union's four, all of which were unsuccessful), and a continuation
of the Worst Man Advantage in Hockey.  Lopatka's goal at the tail end of the
second was indeed the key to the game, since the Big Red then could unashamedly
play to protect their lead in the third.  But Cornell was extremely effective
in the final stanza, clearly outplaying Union at both ends of the ice for the
first time all night.  The emotion was definitely there, and the victory quite
deserved.  My Cornell stars:  3.  Geoff Lopatka,  2.  Jake Karam,  1.  Jason
Elliott.  Note that Karam's hat trick was the first on the road for Cornell in
at least three years, and likely more.
 
III.  RPI
 
The Big Red came out psyched up, forcing a lot of pressure in the RPI end and
developing several strong chances with crisp passing and hustle.  Too bad RPI's
goalie Massota picked the previous night to have his bad game, or this could
well have been a blow-out for Cornell.  But Massota came up big on the early
rushes, and Cornell's momentum gradually broke down throughout the rest of the
game, impeded immeasurably by some of the worst officiating I've seen this
season (it was lousy against both sides, but the result was to slow the game
down at points at which the Big Red were flying).  The key to this game was the
penalty called on Cornell after they had fought back to a one goal deficit,
1-2.  This proved the death of the Big Red, as RPI tallied their third
powerplay goal of the evening.  The play was evenly matched at even strength,
but RPI generated *a lot* of good PP chances, and this proved the difference.
 The Cornell D was burned numerous times in the third, but Elliott came up
huge, stopping 4 of 5 clean breakways.  My three Cornell stars:  3.  Mark
Scollan,  2.  Mike Sancimino,  1.  Jason Elliott. (Perhaps we should just
pencil him in as the #1 star for the rest of the year?)  The two late goals on
Elliott (when he was bereft of defense) likely cost him ECAC Rookie of the Week
honors, but he had an outstanding weekend, as the reviews from Union and RPI
fans have already attested.  I haven't completed a circuit of the ECAC yet
(missing 'Gate and the North Country squads), but so far I'd say Jason has a
very good chance to be the Freshman of the Year.
 
 
IV.  Miscellaneous
 
Ned Harkness was in the crowd at RPI.  He got a semi-standing ovation, though I
suspect 3/4 of the Houston crowd didn't know who he was.  The crowd was dead
all night, only waking up for Engineer goals; quite a change from the past few
years when the place was rocking.  I assume this had to do with intersession;
Lynah's pretty quiet in January as well.
 
Cornell coach Brain McCutcheon got his 100th win for the Big Red.  He will
suffer his 100th loss sometime later this season, having already amassed 95.
 
There was crappy weather after the Friday game, but haven't we led a charmed
life so far this winter?  Weather has been as unseasonably good this year as it
was hideous last year.  It's still early, but perhaps we can go through an
entire season without seriously endangering our lives on the highway.
 
This was the most consistently good I've seen Cornell since their sweep of
Princeton and Yale at home last year.  Look at the Colgate home-and-home series
as an important indicator of this team's potential.  The Red Raiders are waking
up at the same time (doesn't this seem to happen every year?), and what looked
like a battle of the league's weakest just a week ago is now shaping up as a
chance for one team to vault back to the conference equator and perhaps mount a
good second half.
 
I have said in the past that Dartmouth is the coldest building in the ECAC, but
I will ammend that: Achilles Rink at Union takes the prize.  Sure, I've nearly
frozen to death in Hanover, but usually when it was -8 outside.  Friday was not
an especially cold night in Schenectedy, but Achilles was the proverbial
witch's... well, you know.
 
 
 
Greg Berge
Malden, MA
Let's Go Red!
Beat Army!  ("Go start the tank...")
 
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