Mark Anbinder posted the Cornell press release announcing Mike Schafer's appointment as head coach of men's ice hockey to the CU-SPORTS mailing list. I'm forwarding that announcement to HOCKEY-L. >Date: 21 Jul 1995 20:18:12 GMT >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >Sender: [log in to unmask] >From: [log in to unmask] (Mark H. Anbinder) >To: Cornell Sports mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Schafer named hockey head coach >X-To: [log in to unmask] >Status: RO > > >SCHAFER NAMED CORNELL HEAD MEN'S HOCKEY COACH > >ITHACA, NY -- Mike Schafer, 32, an associate hockey coach at Western Michigan >University, will return to his alma mater as the head men's hockey mentor at >Cornell University. The announcement was made today by Charles H. Moore, >director of athletics at the University. Schafer replaces Brian McCutcheon >who has held the position since 1987. > >In making the announcement, Moore said, "All through the interview process, >Mike Schafer showed his passion for the game of college hockey and working >with student-athletes. Mike is a caring coach who represents the quality, >character, and excellence we want for Cornell hockey. As a former Big Red >player and assistant coach, he knows what our institution and hockey program >is all about. He also brings a varied and successful background in Division I >recruiting and we look forward to his leadership in that area. Mike has the >credentials to lead the men's hockey team into the 21st century." > >The new Red head coach is extremely pleased to be returning to his alma >mater. He said, "When I left Cornell, I had mixed emotions because I loved >the hockey program and the Ithaca community meant a great deal to me. On the >other hand, it was a tremendous opportunity to go work with Coach Bill >Wilkinson in a new environment. I felt that coaching in a different league >would benefit my professional development. Being a head coach has always been >a goal of mine and now it has become a reality. And it's even better -- >returning to a great university such as Cornell. It's like returning home." > >A 1986 graduate of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a >major in business management and marketing, Schafer was a four-year letterman >on defense for the Big Red and a two-year captain. He capped his collegiate >career by leading the skaters to the ECAC championship and a No. 5 ranking in >his senior year. > >After graduation, Schafer was named a Big Red assistant coach in September >1986. He was instrumental in recruiting 14 players who were National Hockey >League draft choices, two of whom became All-Americans. He also handled the >Cornell junior varsity skaters from 1986 to 1988. During Schafer's coaching >tenure with the Red, the skaters had ECAC final four appearances in 1989 and >1990. > >The new Cornell head coach left his alma mater in 1990 to become an assistant >at Western Michigan of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and he was >promoted to associate coach in 1994. At Western, he was recruiting >coordinator, handled team administrative responsibilities and had on-ice >duties of working with the defensemen. Four of his recruits were named to the >CCHA All-Rookie team, including the only Rookie of the Year the Broncos have >ever had. In 1993-94, Western received an NCAA bid for the first time since >1986. > >During his playing career at Cornell, the Big Red won a share of the Ivy >League crown for three straight seasons. Schafer appeared in 107 games for >the Big Red, scoring 70 points on 10 goals and 60 assists. He was the >recipient of the team's Ironman Award for two seasons, and was the winner of >the Cornell Hockey Boosters Award as a sophomore. Mike also served as >president of the Red Key Society, Cornell's athletic honorary society, and >was the recipient of the ECAC Medallion for academic excellence and athletic >prowess. > >A Durham, Ont., native, Schafer played junior hockey with the Guelph Jr. A >Holody Platers, finalists in the Centennial Cup for the national championship >in 1982. > >Schafer is married to the former Diane Composti, and they have a son, Luke. > >### > >========================================================================= > Mark H. Anbinder | Director of Technical Services > Baka Industries Inc. | News Editor, TidBITS > 200 Pleasant Grove Rd | [log in to unmask] > Ithaca, New York 14850 | Phone 607-257-2070 >========================================================================= > Public Communications, Inc. -- 607-277-1685 -- Fax 607-277-0801 >========================================================================= > ---------- Arthur C. Mintz [log in to unmask] (607) 255-1487 Operations Officer (Acting) Cornell Information Technologies / Information Resources "There's only two things in life, but I forget what they are." - John Hiatt