Note:  This post is rather long, so I've broken it down into chapters to make
       it easier to sort through.  Chapters are separated by lines of hyphens.
 
Disclaimer:  The views expressed herein are strictly my own, and are not
             attributable to anyone else or to any organization.  These views
             are based on my observations as a dedicated and loyal follower of
             Cornell hockey.  While I either attended or listened to virtually
             every game the team played this year and have frequent contact
             with other followers of the team, I do not have direct contact
             with the players, coaches, or other people who are intimately
             involved in running the Cornell men's hockey program.  Please do
             not interpret anything which follows as anything other than the
             opinions of a private citizen, albeit one who is passionately
             devoted to Cornell and its hockey program.
 
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Table of Contents
 
Chapter 1.  Introduction
Chapter 2.  Goaltending
Chapter 3.  Defense
Chapter 4.  Offense
Chapter 5.  Coaching
Chapter 6.  Summary
 
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Chapter 1.  Introduction
 
Here are my thoughts on the performance of the Cornell men's hockey team this
past season.  I'll try to provide some comments about both the good and bad
things that happened this year, and what I think needs to be improved for next
year.  I'll also identify those players who impressed me, either as stars this
year or as players to watch over the next couple of years, and those who I feel
did not perform well.
 
Overall, this was a season filled with ups and downs.  I saw this team play
solid, exciting hockey against some top-rank opponents (BU, Harvard), but I
also saw this team play poor hockey against some mediocre opponents (BC).
Unlike last season, the team was not plagued by injuries, nor did it suffer a
complete breakdown at mid-season.  There was some understandable frustration by
the end of the year, but I think that this team showed marked improvement over
last season and gave plenty of reasons to look forward to continued improvement
over the next few years.
 
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Chapter 2.  Goaltending
 
I think that the goaltending was perhaps the most solid aspect of the team's
performance this season.  Although neither Eddie Skazyk nor Andy Bandurski
finished the year with stellar statistics, both had stretches when their
performance was excellent.  Every time it seemed that one had established
himself as the #1 goaltender, he would go out and get shelled.  All in all
though, both goalies saved the team's collective butt more times than they
should have had to.
 
In comparing the two, I believe that Eddie possesses better physical skills
than Andy, but Andy has a better mental approach to the game.  However, Andy
seemed to be more prone to mental collapses after giving up easy goals, and
several times this year he let one goal turn into 3 or 4 in the space of about
5 minutes.  (Also see my notes on coaching.) If both goalies can keep their
heads in the game, and Eddie can improve his concentration and anticipation,
this goaltending tandem could rise close to the top of the league next season.
I won't venture to predict if one will become the regular starter, though.
 
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Chapter 3.  Defense
 
In comparison to the goaltending, the defense was a big hole in this team.  All
season long, the defense could not clear the zone and consistently let
opponents set up and pepper the goalies.  The defense needs to become more
aggressive in backchecking.  Many times, opposing players were in the face-off
circle before being checked.  The defense needs to start taking people off the
puck before they cross the blue line.  On a related note, the defensemen need
to step into opponents when they get the puck, instead of immediately dropping
back into the defensive zone.
 
As far as individual players go, the combination of Steve and Chad Wilson was
the only defensive pairing which approached respectability.  Overall, both had
good seasons, but were inconsistent at times.  In particular, Steve was erratic
during the last weekend of the regular season (RPI-Union) and in the playoff
game against Princeton, but had the best season of any defenseman overall.
Hopefully Bill Holowatiuk will be back next year to provide some leadership and
punch for a young defensive corps.  Christian Felli has failed to impress me
since he arrived at Cornell, but was injured for most of this season.  If Jason
Kendall (6'3", 217 lbs) can improve his skating and learn to hit the right
people at the right times, instead of going after guys who happen to be close
to him, he could turn into a fine defenseman.
 
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Chapter 4.  Offense
 
The offense was a mixed bag this year.  While the defense was consistently
rated higher than the offense, I believe this was due to the goaltending
bolstering a weak blue-line corps.  The offense was completely ineffective at
times (vs. Harvard in Cambridge during the regular season, vs. RPI in Troy),
but also had some impressive outings (vs. Dartmouth and Yale in Lynah, although
these are admittedly weak teams).  I believe that the offense would have posted
better stats if the defense had been able to move the puck out of the zone.
Very often the offense would have no choice but to dump the puck and go for a
line change because they had been on a 3 or 4 minute defensive shift.
 
There are two key areas in which the offense as a group performed poorly--
forechecking and the power play.  Once the opposing team had possession of the
puck, our team cleared out and headed for the defensive zone, rather than
trying to disrupt them as they moved up ice.  And the power play remained
anemic for most of the season after a zero for fortysomething start.  All too
often, the offense spent a power play aimlessly passing the puck around rather
than setting up effective shots.  These two factors badly hindered our
offensive production this year.
 
Despite these group deficiencies, there were a number of offensive players who
impressed me this year.  Vinnie Auger demonstrated superb skating and puck-
handling skills this season, and I expect him to develop into a team leader and
dominating scorer over the next few years.  The combination of Auger and P.C.
Drouin was extremely effective, as P.C.'s physical presence allowed Auger to
work and Vinnie's skills as a "go-to man" greatly increased P.C.'s scoring
figures from last year.  Mike Sancimino impressed me as a skater and as a
playmaker, although he had some trouble staying out of the penalty box.  Marc
Scollan and Jamie Papp both showed deft scoring touches at times, and should
turn into offensive weapons in future years.
 
On the other hand, some players on the offense did not overly impress me.
Although senior Geoff Bumstead led the team in scoring, he often seemed to be
out of sync with his linemates.  Jake Karam also was erratic, but showed
indications that he can play well if he keeps his head in the game.  And while
the rest of the offense was in the middle ground, many of them are young
players who will hopefully improve with experience.
 
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Chapter 5.  Coaching
 
In noting the comments I have made above, I believe that there is still one
unifying factor which accounts for the vast majority of the problems which this
team had this season--coaching.  The bottom line is that Coach McCutcheon is an
ineffective leader for the team both on and off the ice.  In turn, I will focus
on the impact of the coaching on the problems with each of the three areas
addressed above.
 
With respect to the goaltending, I believe that Coach McCutcheon has sometimes
pulled a goaltender too readily.  While I certainly do not fault him for
pulling the goalie after he has given up 3 or 4 goals in as many minutes, there
are times when I feel that he has pulled a goalie who was performing
adequately.  This is very bad for the confidence of the goaltender, and this in
turn can have a negative impact on the confidence of the team as a whole.
 
The team's overall lack of aggressiveness and poor strategy on the power play
are both areas which should be taught in practice.  It is not due to any lack
of ability on the part of the players which causes these areas to be weak, but
that these areas are evidently not emphasized by the coaching staff.
 
In addition to these strategic problems on the ice, I rarely had the feeling
that the players were motivated to go out on the ice and perform well.  While
there were some good individual performances and some games where the team as a
whole played well, I feel that many of the team's losses resulted from a lack
of desire to win.  It is essential that the coach motivate the players to
perform well.  The mood set by the coach in practice and team meetings is key
to establishing a good rapport between the coach and the players and among the
players, and this rapport is what motivates the players to work together as a
team and to perform their best every time they step on the ice.
 
Based on my own observations, and what I have heard from people closer
to the hockey team than I am, Coach McCutcheon is not an effective motivator,
does not engender the respect of his players, and does not foster a positive,
team-oriented environment.  The single biggest improvement that this team needs
to be successful next year and to continue to improve in future years is to
find a coach who can motivate the players off the ice and can provide solid
strategic guidance on the ice.
 
(Maybe we can get Frank Serratore, Denver's former coach.  Based on what I've
read about him, he's a fine strategic coach who can motivate his players with a
good sense of humor, and who shares the Ivy League philosophy of emphasizing
academics in conjunction with athletics. :-))
 
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Chapter 6.  Summary
 
Here are the key points of my above comments:
 
-- The goaltending and offense are reasonably talented, and I expect them to
   improve by virtue of added maturity and experience.
-- The defense is full of question marks.  This must be a focus of the team's
   recruiting efforts if we are to see a decent blue-line corps in front of the
   goaltenders next season.
-- Coach McCutcheon must be replaced by someone who can motivate the team and
   provide better strategic guidance.
 
Once again, these views are my opinions and mine only.  If you have criticisms
or comments, please keep them civil.  I am perfectly willing to hear and
discuss viewpoints which differ from my own, provided that they are presented
in a polite and constructive manner.
 
Howie
Cornell '91 (Pep Band, Marching Band, etc.)
I'm older, but I still don't know better.
 
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Howard Stein                                    AC Technology, Inc.
Software Engineer                               Warren Road Business Park
e-mail: [log in to unmask]                       31 Dutch Mill Rd.
                                                Ithaca, NY 14850