Well, I did pick an upset last week... just picked the wrong one. I suspect I'm
returning to my usual bad form prediction-wise, but for those who are inter-
ested, I'll weigh in with some thoughts on the ECAC semis and consolation/
championship games.
Semifinals:
#6 Princeton vs. #1 Clarkson
This season: Clarkson won series, 2-0
11/8 at Clarkson 5, Princeton 2
2/14 Clarkson 2, at Princeton 1 (OT)
ECAC playoff meetings: Princeton leads series, 1-0
1995 Semifinal #7 Princeton 2, #1 Clarkson 1
ECAC tournament records:
Clarkson 53-41-5 (0.561), three championships (1966, 1991, 1993)
Princeton 8-15 (0.348)
Semifinal records:
Clarkson 8-17 (0.320)
Princeton 1-0 (1.000)
Thoughts:
It's funny how we all look back on the Vermont-Princeton quarterfinal and
remember Vermont choking, rather than Princeton doing a solid job (particularly
with goaltending) in keeping the Catamounts under wraps in two of the games.
Don Cahoon has historically done pretty well in getting his Tiger teams ready
for the playoffs... witness his #7 seed's march to the finals two years ago,
during which they edged #1 Clarkson in the teams' only playoff meeting to date.
Certainly Mark Morris and co. remember that game, which is why there's no way
they're looking past Friday.
Princeton plays a, well, frustrating style that will probably keep the strong
Clarkson offense at bay. For a while. But Clarkson's defense and goaltending
won't be giving the Tigers much in the way of opportunities, either. Expect the
teams to battle (quite literally) into the third period, before Princeton starts
to crack... just a little, but that's all Clarkson will need. Golden Knights by
two.
#4 Rensselaer vs. #2 Cornell
This season: Series tied, 1-1
12/6 Rensselaer 4, at Cornell 2
2/22 Cornell 5, at Rensselaer 2
ECAC playoff meetings: Cornell leads series, 3-2
1990 Semifinal #2 Rensselaer 3, #3 Cornell 2
1985 Semifinal #1 Rensselaer 5, #4 Cornell 1
1977 Quarterfinal at Cornell #3 Cornell 7, #6 Rensselaer 5
1974 Consolation #4 Cornell 8, #8 Rensselaer 2
1973 Quarterfinal at Cornell #1 Cornell 9, #8 Rensselaer 3
ECAC tournament records:
Cornell 55-25-3 (0.681), eight championships (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973,
1980, 1986, 1996)
Rensselaer 29-31-3 (0.467), three championships (1984, 1985, 1995)
Semifinal records:
Cornell 12-10 (0.546)
Rensselaer 5-5 (0.500)
Thoughts:
A matchup of the last two ECAC champs, a young team versus a squad with the
experience of winning it all last year but without a good portion of the offense
responsible for that win. Both teams have been up and down for the last month
and a half, but both got some hot goaltending in the quarterfinals. Joel Laing
picked up where he left off against Princeton in Rensselaer's final regular-
season game, keeping Union from converting on several good chances while his
teammates capitalized on some Dutchmen mistakes. And Jason Elliott, once he
recovered from allowing his second Lynah-board-bounce goal of the season, was
all but untouchable.
It's tough to choose between these two, both of which look battle-ready at this
point. The edge in experience goes to Cornell, but it's a bit worrisome that
the Big Red was so tight and anxious and played so poorly against Harvard on
Friday night. The team rebounded somewhat the following night, but they still
don't resemble last year's team-on-a-mission that rolled through the second half
of the season on their way to the championship. Given the loss of nine seniors,
a repeat of that performance is probably too much to ask, but the Big Red needs
consistent play night in and night out, and hasn't gotten it recently.
I will live to regret the day I pick against a Mike Schafer-coached team, but I
just have an uneasy feeling about this one. Rensselaer by one.
Possible consolation and championship matchups:
#2 Cornell vs. #1 Clarkson
This season: Clarkson won series, 2-0
1/4 at Clarkson 5, Cornell 2
2/28 Clarkson 3, at Cornell 1
ECAC playoff meetings: Cornell leads series, 10-6-1
1996 Semifinal #4 Cornell 3, #2 Clarkson 0
1995 Quarterfinal at Clarkson #1 Clarkson 6, #9 Cornell 2
Clarkson 7, Cornell 2
1992 Semifinal #5 Cornell 4, #3 Clarkson 3 (2 OT)
1989 Quarterfinal at Clarkson #5 Cornell 5, #4 Clarkson 3
Cornell 0, Clarkson 0
1988 Quarterfinal at Cornell #6 Clarkson 4, #3 Cornell 3
Cornell 4, Clarkson 2
Clarkson 1, Cornell 0 (mini-game)
1986 Championship #3 Cornell 3, #5 Clarkson 2 (OT)
1985 Consolation #4 Cornell 5, #3 Clarkson 3
1977 Consolation #3 Cornell 5, #1 Clarkson 4
1976 Quarterfinal at Clarkson #5 Cornell 9, #4 Clarkson 7
1973 Semifinal #1 Cornell 9, #7 Clarkson 3
1971 Semifinal #2 Clarkson 4, #3 Cornell 1
1970 Championship #1 Cornell 3, #2 Clarkson 2
1966 Championship #1 Clarkson 6, #3 Cornell 2
#6 Princeton vs. #4 Rensselaer
This season: Series tied, 1-1
1/3 Princeton 6, at Rensselaer 0
3/1 Rensselaer 3, at Princeton 2
ECAC playoff meetings: Rensselaer leads series, 3-0
1995 Championship #6 Rensselaer 5, #7 Princeton 1
1985 Quarterfinal at Rensselaer #1 Rensselaer 7, #8 Princeton 2
Rensselaer 11, Princeton 4
#4 Rensselaer vs. #1 Clarkson
This season: Clarkson won series, 2-0
11/22 Clarkson 4, at Rensselaer 0
2/8 at Clarkson 5, Rensselaer 1
ECAC playoff meetings: Series tied, 3-3
1994 Semifinal #3 Rensselaer 6, #2 Clarkson 2
1993 Semifinal #3 Clarkson 5, #2 Rensselaer 3
1986 Quarterfinal at Rensselaer #5 Clarkson 3, #4 Rensselaer 1
Clarkson 6, Rensselaer 4
1984 Semifinal #1 Rensselaer 5, #5 Clarkson 4
1964 Consolation #6 Rensselaer 7, #4 Clarkson 2
#6 Princeton vs. #2 Cornell
This season: Cornell won series, 2-0
11/23 Cornell 3, at Princeton 1
1/31 at Cornell 4, Princeton 2
ECAC playoff meetings:
1994 Preliminary at Cornell #8 Cornell 5, #9 Princeton 4 (OT)
1968 Quarterfinal at Cornell #1 Cornell 6, #8 Princeton 1
Consolation records:
Clarkson 7-7-1 (0.500)
Cornell 5-3 (0.625)
Princeton 0-0
Rensselaer 1-2-1 (0.375)
Championship records:
Clarkson 3-5 (0.375)
Cornell 8-4 (0.667)
Princeton 0-1 (0.000)
Rensselaer 3-2 (0.600)
Thoughts:
In the consolation, I see Cornell rebounding from a disappointing loss the night
before to take the Tigers by two.
Rensselaer plays their hearts out to get to the championship game and unfor-
tunately, the young team has little left to handle the Clarkson buzzsaw. Mark
Morris gets his third (and Clarkson's fourth) championship, as the Golden
Knights win by four.
--
Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are
strictly those of:
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86 and '95
LET'S GO RED!! DJF 5/27/94
"I believe Marcel Marceau said it best."
-- Madeline Kahn, "Cosby"
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