Cornell 3 Union 0 ECAC championship 2010 photo recap

Closing night for the ECAC hockey tournament's eight-year run in Albany. It was about the best fan expeience in five years of Cornell hockey, dating back to the 2005 Cornell-Harvard title game, which Cornell also won. Union finally made it to Albany for a final four round and was a worthy opponent although they did not play as well as they could have. Even with a local team in the playoffs, attendance was just 6505 announced (which seemed accurate, not padded) and maybe that's why we're off to Atlantic City for the 2011 ECACs. Below, photo highlights of the game as I saw them. This sucker's long, so maybe you don't want to {quote} the whole thing in replies. (A simple genuflection from Ugarte would be nice.) Cornell now has 12 (most in the ECAC) titles and Mike Schafer has five (tied with SLU's Joe Marsh). This is Cornell's first since 2005. Please correct me on an stats that need fixing.


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Cornell fans, Cornell players celebrate jointly. How mamy other schools would have this kind of mutual affection? (Either that or the players haven't been fed in a while.) Now, the game photos in chronological order ...


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Cornell 1, Union 0 (5:09, first period). Joe Devin (somewhere in the pack) celebrates Cornell's first goal, a power play. Cornell will go 2x8 on PP.


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The Cornell band reminds Union goaltender Keith Kincaid (32 saves) of his culpability.


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The Cornell band was the best (and only) band at the game. It played pretty loud for a band that's also covering the basketball tournament.


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CSI Albany? Kincaid sprawls in net. This one was a save.


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Possible vertigo sufferer Riley Nash is held upright by the firm but gentle grasp of Union's Josh Simpson. Union will draw eight penalties to Cornell's five. Union coach Nate Lehman says it was a key to the outcome.


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17:25, second period, Union's sixth penalty: Colin Greening and Riley Nash attack the goal and the puck squirts out as Sean Whitney waits ...


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... and Cornell celebrates.


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Nothing else works. Union tries the tickle-bug defense.


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Blake Gallagher with a near-breakaway.


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Dan Nicolls on one leg just inside the Cornell blue line.


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Late in the third, Cornell packs in around Ben Scrivens. Union maintains pressure.


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Shots were close, 34-32 Cornell, but more Cornell attempts came from in close while Union took more shots from the blue line.


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Greg Coburn and the Union defense battled Colin Greening (here) and Riley Nash throughout the day. Statistically it was a success, allowing the two only one point, an assist by Nash on the second goal. Nash and Greening, if I heard it correctly, were on the all tournament team along with Justin Krueger and (I definitely got this righ) Ben Scrivens.


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Greening receives another push ...


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... but it's Coburn who winds up on the ice.


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2:10 to play, Union pulls its goaltender, Elie Bilmes '10 (one of the guys in the middle in white) strikes up the cowbell.


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17 seconds to play, Union believes it has scored on a 6-on-5. Cornell believes the net is not in regulation position. You be the judge; answer below ...


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Was a goal? Referee Peter Feola views instant replay, declares: NFW. Scriven's 200-plus-minute shutout string remains intact.


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Patrick Kennedy launches a clearing pass from the far corner that soars straight to the Union net for Cornell's third goal with enough velocity to bounce out ...


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... Cornell celebrates from the launch point of the shot / clearing pass.


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Buzzer sounds. Cornell wins 3-0, the gloves come off. Blake Gallagher, mindful of the misplaced goal-medal-winning Olympic puck, grabs this one for posterity ...


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... Teammates mob Ben Scrivens ...


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... the celebration continues behind the net ...


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... and reaches critical mass ...


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... gloves and sticks litter the ice.


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Brendon Nash shakes hands with Luke Cain.


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Ben Scrivens skates over to to receive the MVP award and ponders, "Is it okay to pat a Bank of America exec on the butt?" ...


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... ever the gentleman, Scrivens goes for the more formal arm on the shoulder, unlike others in the photo.


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Union skates off the ice disappointed (an ECAC title was probably Union's only way into the NCAAs) but still successful: For the first time in school history, the Dutchmen make the final round of four, go all the way to the title game, and keep it close for most of the first two periods. Union is let down by uncharacteristically poor play for the 2009-2010 team (IMO) and a defense that cannot handle Cornell's power play. Despite anything you read on other boards or from arena reporters, the Cornell applause for Union was long and sustained. The fans may have been sarcastic during the game but not after.


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Cornell players (including some who didn't dress Saturday) hoist the Scotty Whitelaw Trophy ...


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... and parade it over to ground zero of the Cornell section ...


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... and follow with a salute to the fans. (Note to outsider journalists with limited familiarity with Cornell traditions: When the team turns 180 degrees and continues the salute, it is NOT taunting Union.)


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Colin Greening greets coach Mike Schafer's son ...


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... Take Your Children to Work Day: Mike Schafer poses with family.


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Real men do too hug: Mike Schafer and Colin Greening.


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All hail Ben Scrivens:
Three straight 3-0 shutouts. ECAC tournament GAA average: 0.25. Only back to back shutouts in the final two rounds. Ties the ECAC record for most career shutouts in the tournament. Most shutouts in Cornell history. ECAC tournament MVP. 230:30 shutout string, longest in ECAC history, seveneth longest in NCAA history. Was this the guy we were dissing two months ago as unworthy to be spoken of in the same breath as McKee and Leneveu?

Great job catching the essense of last night. And your right, the Cornell crowd gave Union a stirring round of applause when they were announced as the runners-up.

Great again, thanks.

Great photos Bill. Glad you made it back in time for the title game!

Great pictures Bill. Thanks for posting them!

Thank you for the pictures! Here's a couple of pictures from my point and shoot:

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The Lynah Faithful let it known that despite the greater distance traveled, the Times Union Center is our house.


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Cornell Captains receive the trophy...

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...and celebrate with the rest of the team.

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The team then takes turns showing off its new hardware to the fans.


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A different angle for the team picture.

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A final stick salute before heading to the NCAAs.

See you all in Albany next week!

billhoward
Despite anything you read on other boards or from arena reporters, the Cornell applause for Union was long and sustained. The fans may have been sarcastic during the game but not after.

But it wasn't during the game. And it was poor and lame. Also sucked.


(Duplicate of post in the "hate Cornell Thread)

Gotta tell ya - I'm as rabid a Red fan as anyone here, but I didn't like it either, and I think that our later applause as Union was announced as runner up was probably unnoticed by simultaneously cheering Union (and other) fans.

The winning team/losing team thing is OK during regular season, but in a championship it's just shitty. Some of those players were skating off the ice for the last time, and some parents were watching with tears in their eyes. Maybe you have to be an athlete who takes off his jertsey for the last time to understand that feeling. I wish we didn't do it.

Awesome pictures and great commentary. I watched on TV but wasn't able to be there this year. I appreciate you sharing the experience with us.

Cool stuff. I forgot about getting the banners. Maybe we can extend the now-boring thread on color balance from varpor-discharge-lamp arenas.

Genuflect. Genuflect.

TimV

billhoward
Despite anything you read on other boards or from arena reporters, the Cornell applause for Union was long and sustained. The fans may have been sarcastic during the game but not after.

But it wasn't during the game. And it was poor and lame. Also sucked.


(Duplicate of post in the "hate Cornell Thread)

Gotta tell ya - I'm as rabid a Red fan as anyone here, but I didn't like it either, and I think that our later applause as Union was announced as runner up was probably unnoticed by simultaneously cheering Union (and other) fans.

The winning team/losing team thing is OK during regular season, but in a championship it's just shitty. Some of those players were skating off the ice for the last time, and some parents were watching with tears in their eyes. Maybe you have to be an athlete who takes off his jertsey for the last time to understand that feeling. I wish we didn't do it.

The problem is that we don't do it when we used to. Winning team/losing team used to be done late in the game once the outcome was assured (e.g., after the ENG), around the same time as keys/"go start the bus". It would only get done after the game if we never had a key moment, e.g., in a one-goal victory. But I guess we had a few too many of those, and now it's always done after the game. In fact, when RichH tried to start it with a 3-goal lead in the final minute of the UNH game, he was shouted down. For my part, the other night I chanted the "winning team" part but not the "losing team" part.

TimV
The winning team/losing team thing is OK during regular season, but in a championship it's just shitty. Some of those players were skating off the ice for the last time, and some parents were watching with tears in their eyes. Maybe you have to be an athlete who takes off his jertsey for the last time to understand that feeling. I wish we didn't do it.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I disagree with you 100%.

billhoward

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... and Cornell celebrates.

Nice pics Bill! I captured one nearly identical: