Just another set of comments on the games this past weekend, my first
games of the year.  I had a great tourney, as the teams I rooted for
went 0-4.  Yeah!  Seriously, the games showed me what a good team looks
like (LSSU), what a decimated team (Maine), an up and coming team
(Gophers) and a directionless team play like.  The futility of Cornell's
scoring punch was summed up in the second period of the Maine game.  As
we (Erik and I) determined after the period, the Red's lone goal came on
a shot from about 3 feet outside the crease, which is significant as it
was the only shot of the 8 or so for the period that was closer than the
top of the faceoff circles.  It does not take a genius to determine that
the chances of scoring go up the closer you get.  Cornell could not seem
to close in on the net, nor could they hit an open man with the puck.
All in all it was about the same kind of crummy hockey Cornell has been
playing the last year and a half, uninspired and unrewarding.
The other teams in the tourney provided some interesting games,
especially the final as Minnesota was all that the Lakers could handle.
Assuming that Maine can stabilize their team, it would not surprise me
to see all three of them in the running come March.  As for the Red,
with a little luck, they could make it to the ECAC preliminary round
this year, but I do not know how much Union has improved (they at least
won 2 tourney games, something Cornell has not done in about 5 years).
 
William Sangrey
Cornell '87&'94
Let's Go RED!!!
 
P.S.  Thanks to all of you who post to the list and allow me to stay
informed on College Hockey from the outreaches of Tulsa. ;-)