Women's Frozen Four Thread

This definitely deserves it's own thread. As someone who remembers the days where just making the ECAC tournament field was a major accomplishment and the attendance rivaled the number of goals scored...two Frozen Fours in a row is just about unfathomable. Congratulations to Coach Derraugh and the team!

There's an interesting quote mentioning us in this magazine article about Mercyhurst. It shows how far we've come:

“Every year, we are the little train that could,” he says, comparing his team to the larger powerhouse teams of Division I schools like the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota, and Cornell. “We are the team that no one expects or wants to be there with the heavyweights of women’s hockey.

Which is funny to me, since MC was a powerhouse long before Cornell's great awakening last year. In fact, I saw Cornell's win over MC in the NCAA Semis as being a "shook up the world" moment for our program.

Unfortunately, none of the CU players named Kazmeier Finalists made it to be a ummm...Finalist. Super-Finalist. Whatever. All three "Finalists" are Senior forwards: Agosta (Mercyhurst), Duggan (Wisc.), and Stack (BC). Agosta and Duggan are the only 2 players in the NCAA scoring over 2 ppg.

As for the hosts, losing to BU had to be crushing. This article from Jan. has some choice quotes about the attendance & atmosphere in Erie being linked to MC's presence. At least we won't have to battle a large hostile crowd.

I just hope we can get by Dartmouth in the Semis to set up a highly-anticipated Final against Dartmouth.

I really hope we get a good fan turnout. It's a 4-hour drive on the Southern Tier Expressway from Ithaca, which is much easier to justify than a flight to Minneapolis last year. We're easily the closest team geographically. The only bugger is the overlap of the Women's FF with the ECAC Men's Championship weekend.

LET'S GO RED!!

RichH
Which is funny to me, since MC was a powerhouse long before Cornell's great awakening last year. In fact, I saw Cornell's win over MC in the NCAA Semis as being a "shook up the world" moment for our program.

That they were historically good is different from asking if they are a big-dog program. I'll bet Cornell's AD budget dwarfs that of Mercyhurst AND we spend more on the women's hockey program. I also would rather spout assumptions than go to Google.

I may not be a good person.

I only got to four women's games this season, but I enjoyed every one of them. (My frequent road-trip habit means I miss most of the women's home games because I'm at the men's away games.) If I didn't feel as much of a connection as I do to the players on this year's men's team, and their parents, I'd be much more willing to let the annoyances piling up with Atlantic City push me westward instead of southeast.

If the women win their semifinal, you may yet see me in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

mha
I only got to four women's games this season, but I enjoyed every one of them. (My frequent road-trip habit means I miss most of the women's home games because I'm at the men's away games.) If I didn't feel as much of a connection as I do to the players on this year's men's team, and their parents, I'd be much more willing to let the annoyances piling up with Atlantic City push me westward instead of southeast.

If the women win their semifinal, you may yet see me in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

Hey, it's only what, a 6 or 7 hour drive.

Jim Hyla

mha
I only got to four women's games this season, but I enjoyed every one of them. (My frequent road-trip habit means I miss most of the women's home games because I'm at the men's away games.) If I didn't feel as much of a connection as I do to the players on this year's men's team, and their parents, I'd be much more willing to let the annoyances piling up with Atlantic City push me westward instead of southeast.

If the women win their semifinal, you may yet see me in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

Hey, it's only what, a 6 or 7 hour drive.

Google Maps says 7:38, rink-to-rink.

David Harding

Jim Hyla

mha
I only got to four women's games this season, but I enjoyed every one of them. (My frequent road-trip habit means I miss most of the women's home games because I'm at the men's away games.) If I didn't feel as much of a connection as I do to the players on this year's men's team, and their parents, I'd be much more willing to let the annoyances piling up with Atlantic City push me westward instead of southeast.

If the women win their semifinal, you may yet see me in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

Hey, it's only what, a 6 or 7 hour drive.

Google Maps says 7:38, rink-to-rink.

But they don't drive like I do. And to be fair I'm starting from outside Philly. That is unless we lose Friday, at which point I'm leaving for Syracuse, and if I go to Erie, it'll be from there on Sunday.

Are there any parties planned for Erie?

I'll be in Erie, but with young ones so I won't be partying. I can loan out a man, but I need him back in reasonable shape. I like getting him back like this but I don't want him returned like this

For those headed to Erie, we're planning to check out:

[www.brewerie.com]

and

[www.goerie.com]

Anybody from that area have other suggestions for dining and/or entertainment? We'll be there Friday-Sunday so we've got all of Saturday to fill. Presque Isle is on our docket (weather permitting), the maritime museum, etc.

CK

Leaving Atlantic City by 6am Sunday sounds sufficiently painful that it's unlikely I'd pull it off, but it's still an option in the back of my head.

>>> I'll be in Erie, but with young ones so I won't be partying. I can loan out a man, but I need him back in reasonable shape.

Now THAT was funny and pretty original. Twice unlike a Gilbert Gottfried Tweet.

mha
Leaving Atlantic City by 6am Sunday sounds sufficiently painful that it's unlikely I'd pull it off, but it's still an option in the back of my head.

Same for me, see how I feel Sun AM.

David Harding

Jim Hyla

mha
I only got to four women's games this season, but I enjoyed every one of them. (My frequent road-trip habit means I miss most of the women's home games because I'm at the men's away games.) If I didn't feel as much of a connection as I do to the players on this year's men's team, and their parents, I'd be much more willing to let the annoyances piling up with Atlantic City push me westward instead of southeast.

If the women win their semifinal, you may yet see me in Erie on Sunday afternoon.

Hey, it's only what, a 6 or 7 hour drive.

Google Maps says 7:38, rink-to-rink.

I'm headed to Erie from Boston leaving very early Friday morning. Plan to stay through Sunday and probably head up to Buffalo/Niagara Falls on Saturday since the honey has never been. It will be a typical three-day jam packed weekend where I play beat the Monday crack of dawn home. I have not ruled out driving from Erie to Atlantic City on Saturday if the men win Friday and the women don't make it to Sunday.

It's about 400 miles from Philly, which makes it about 450 from AC. Even averaging 70 mph, that's 6½ hours. More likely closer to 7.

The next 2 are in Minnesota, and I'd guess conflicts with ECAC again, so this is a good one to try to get to.

And I love it. I click on the ECAC tournament link "All About AC" to see if dates for next year are up, and up pops:

ATLANTIC CITY FISHING, GOLF AND MORE!

How nice in mid March.

CornellBigRed announces free, live streaming of the women's games, via the NCAA.

Jim Hyla

mha
Leaving Atlantic City by 6am Sunday sounds sufficiently painful that it's unlikely I'd pull it off, but it's still an option in the back of my head.

Same for me, see how I feel Sun AM.

Some of us are taking the 6am flight out of ACY on Sunday... Do it for the team(s)!

ebilmes

Jim Hyla

mha
Leaving Atlantic City by 6am Sunday sounds sufficiently painful that it's unlikely I'd pull it off, but it's still an option in the back of my head.

Same for me, see how I feel Sun AM.

Some of us are taking the 6am flight out of ACY on Sunday... Do it for the team(s)!

And then what do I do with my car?

Ithaca Journal article notes that Hayley Hughes sat out the end of last season for financial reasons. Interesting.
[www.theithacajournal.com]

Jim Hyla
CornellBigRed announces free, live streaming of the women's games, via the NCAA.

According to this press release, there is free WiFi at Boardwalk Hall, so if any enterprising fans were to bring laptops with them to the rink in AC, tabs could be kept on the women's game. (Unfortunately, the timing doesn't work out as well as it did last year, when the women's team played their semifinal after the men's team had won theirs.)

I hope that posters can just let this one go; a player's family financial situation should be a private matter.

dag14
I hope that posters can just let this one go; a player's family financial situation should be a private matter.

Not that I'm going to discuss it, but the player seemed to have no qualms talking about it to the IJ

scoop85

dag14
I hope that posters can just let this one go; a player's family financial situation should be a private matter.

Not that I'm going to discuss it, but the player seemed to have no qualms talking about it to the IJ

Agreed, it's no longer private once you talk to the newspaper.

cornellbigred.com reports 3 Women's All-Americans.

First Team 			
Pos. 	Player 	        School 	        Year
G 	Molly Schaus 	Boston College 	Sr.
D 	Laura Fortino 	Cornell 	So.
D 	Jocelyne Larocque Minn-Duluth 	Sr.
F 	Meghan Agosta 	Mercyhurst 	Sr.
F 	Meghan Duggan 	Wisconsin 	Sr.
F 	Hilary Knight 	Wisconsin 	Jr.
			
Second Team 			
G 	Noora Raty 	Minnesota 	So.
D 	Lauriane Rougeau Cornell 	So.
D 	Catherine Ward 	Boston U 	Sr.
F 	Brianna Decker 	Wisconsin 	So.
F 	Rebecca Johnston Cornell 	Jr.
F 	Kelli Stack 	Boston College 	Sr.

Wisconsin and BC are tied 2-2 with about 8:30 to play 3rd period.
edit: Badgers take a 3-2 lead with 48 seconds left in the game.
edit: And that's how it ends.

BU 3 - CU 1 after 2. C'mon ladies.

Just got home from Ithaca...what happened 2nd period?

Dead

Unfortunately, Cornell was just completely out of sink. Overall, it was a great season. It's to bad the last game wasn't a much more positive one. The good news is Cornell will be even better next season. It'll be a very long summer...

BU was clearly the better team after the 1st 10 minutes of 1st period. Perhaps the less than stellar competition during the season (that many people have commented on) caught up with them tonight. They just didn't seem able to handle how quickly BU got on top of them, especially on the forecheck

Bummer. I was looking forward to watching the championship on TV.

Kyle Rose
Bummer. I was looking forward to watching the championship on TV.

Sadly, even the championship isn't televised.

Well, that was a bit . Probably shows how weak the ECAC was this year.

scoop85
BU was clearly the better team after the 1st 10 minutes of 1st period. Perhaps the less than stellar competition during the season (that many people have commented on) caught up with them tonight. They just didn't seem able to handle how quickly BU got on top of them, especially on the forecheck

First, Thank you to the team for a great year and a special thank you to the Seniors

Your observations were pretty much the same as mine. We got beat to the puck and the BU Defense was stifling. I hope we will be playing stronger teams in the regular season next year. We need to be playing teams from the WCHA and HE if we are going to be in shape for the tournament.

But, this is a young team with a great future.

LGR

Towerroad
I hope we will be playing stronger teams in the regular season next year. We need to be playing teams from the WCHA and HE if we are going to be in shape for the tournament.

Absolutely. Mercyhurst was our only non-conference opponent this year that finished in the top 20. Even if WCHA teams don't want to come out to Ithaca (or we don't want to travel there), we should be able to work something out to play one or two of the top teams in HE.

[cornellsun.com]

This is the first in a three-part series of diary entries from junior goalie Amanda Mazzotta detailing the women’s hockey team’s journey to the Frozen Four. In this entry, Mazzotta discusses the days leading up to the Red’s opening round match with Dartmouth.

Rebecca Johnston going to World Championships.