An eLynah Engagement

A little over eight years ago, a newly-minted Cornell alum and devoted member of the Lynah Faithful who had recently moved to the Boston area learned about the eLynah Forum. That user's second post ever, in the (now epic, but then-only-a-few-hours-old) "HARVARD SUCKS" thread, sought information on how to find tickets to the away Harvard game. Someone suggested asking a friend who attends Harvard, even after it was clear to me the user didn't have one, so I jumped in:

You're assuming that everybody has a friend at Hahvahd - which, from reading dss28's posts, I infer that he does not.

dss28 quickly replied:

Pssst.... she. I'm a she.

Over the years from 1999 to 2009, Daina and I attended literally dozens of the same Cornell hockey games both home and away, including ECAC and NCAA tournament games. We had many of the same friends, and hung out with many of the same people both before and after the games, often in the same places, but somehow we didn't meet. She moved to New York City in 2005, right around the time I finished law school. Eventually we each started showing up in the CC fields of respective mutual friends' emails about roadtrips, and somehow I even agreed to include her when I bought tickets several months in advance for the second edition of Red Hot Hockey, but we still hadn't met.

Then, on March 29, 2009, Daina and I both went to Ship of Fools on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to watch the NCAA Quarterfinal against Bemidji State. I was there to meet friends; she was there with her uncle, also a Cornell alum. The outcome of the game was a disappointment, but the rest of the evening was not. A month later, Daina and I were dating. We moved in together four days before the third edition of Red Hot Hockey.

This past Saturday, a few hours before the home Harvard game, at the top of Libe Slope as the sun began to set, I asked Daina to marry me.

She nodded vigorously and said, "UH HUH!"
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Photos are courtesy my friend Matt Kall '93, whose marriage proposal I surreptitiously photographed for him in 2002, returning the favor.

Since Daina and I live in Brooklyn, I also needed help with the logistics from my brother Mark '89 ("mha" on this forum), who then also secretly arranged for the Lynah scoreboard operator to do this during the Harvard game afterwards:
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I'm pretty sure the Harvard game ended in a tie, but neither of us was able to pay much attention.

I introduced Daina to Coach Schafer at the Boatyard Grill after the game, where he offered his congratulations. Although I think at least a few marriages have resulted from Cornell hockey fandom over the years, as far as we know, this is the first one "resulting from" eLynah.

Thanks for all your well-wishes thus far. And Let's Go Red!!

Congratulations!

Our first date, I took Gwen to a Cornell NCAA regional game. Her friends thought it was so incredibly romantic, Gwen being swept away to dinner and a sold-out arena (maybe they envisioned NCAA basketball).

There must be others for whom Cornell hockey played a part in who they're with now.

For some reason I can't "+1" this, which is okay, because "+1" doesn't do it justice. Congratulations!

What a cheap ploy to move up the Top Users board.

Congratulations!

Our second date was a Cornell Club event to go watch a Dallas Stars game - that's pretty close to a first date, and pretty close to a Cornell hockey connection, but maybe falls just short of the criteria...?

Congratulations! A match made in eHeaven.

Congrats! Good to hear something good eventually came from that damned Bemidji game.

ugarte
What a cheap ploy to move up the Top Users board.

Funny - but if I'd wanted to use it to move up the Top Users board, I would've had someone else start the thread. A moderator can't get any +1 votes on any thread-starting posts, only on replies.

EDIT: Strike that. Although the original post doesn't show any rating, it's certainly counting +1 votes. I've moved up 11 in the past hour or so.

Beeeej, for today, you're the Mayor of eLynah. Use the power wisely.

I must be getting old and soft, but as much as I (usually) enjoy the snark that typically permeates the Forum, no posting here has ever put such a smile on my face.

Congratulations on a match made in [eLynah] heaven!

Robb
Our second date was a Cornell Club event to go watch a Dallas Stars game - that's pretty close to a first date, and pretty close to a Cornell hockey connection, but maybe falls just short of the criteria...?

The criteria is to marry the girl before she comes to her senses and finds better prospects.

Congrats Beeeej!

billhoward
Beeeej, for today, you're the Mayor of eLynah. Use the power wisely.

Is Age the Justice of the Peace?

Congrats to both of you!

Congratulations! This is a great story!

I met my husband online, and fessed up to Cornell hockey mania in an early email, before I'd laid eyes on him. He responded favorably -- suggested a date for the Princeton game -- which helped me decide to meet him. He promptly became a Cornell hockey fan, and has now been one for eight years.

Not as good as your story though!

Sweeeet!

Best wishes to both of you!!

My fiancee proposed to me on that very spot on a very cold night just before Christmas this year as the chimes had just finished playing. John and I really needed Cornell Hockey to be our bright spot this season, as he lives in Owego and the September flooding took a major toll on us.

I love having a memory that is also connected with so many other Cornellians, past, present and future. I wonder how many proposals Libe Slope has witnessed over the years...

Mazel Tov - Beeeej and Daina. I'm glad to have gotten introduced to the future bride when you poked your head into the '70-'77 pregame MSG reception.
And it's great that you each have someone who shares the addiction to Cornell hockey - makes life a whole lot easier.
I know I'm fortunate that Marea (a Queens college alum) is very understanding of my passion and enjoys watching hockey.
I expect you two will still be roadtripping many decades from now.

Congratulations and President Rhodes alwasys said at commencement:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet {again},
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Of course, my girlfriend is now going to be very suspicious of my posting here, but I can live with that.

Congratulations to the two of you. As other have said, great story. We wish you a long and happy life together.

Best

Larry '72 and Trudy

Congratulations to the two of you. Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us. Your posts have always won my respect. So even though we've never met face-to-face, your story makes me feel a certain warmth.

Now, to move the thread along, may we suggest some possible baby names? Ned, Brian, Joe, Douglas, and Michael all come to mind as boys names. The women's team is just starting to follow the path of the men's team. So for now Rebecca is a good name for a girl.

Congrats!!!!!!

Well done and best wishes.

Eric '92 and Peggy '91

Congratulations and best wishes from me, too.

Congrats, Jeff!!!

Does she have a sister?

So what you're saying is... you met her on the Internet?

(congratulations!)

Congratulations and IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

Swampy
Congratulations to the two of you. Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us. Your posts have always won my respect. So even though we've never met face-to-face, your story makes me feel a certain warmth.

Now, to move the thread along, may we suggest some possible baby names? Ned, Brian, Joe, Douglas, and Michael all come to mind as boys names. The women's team is just starting to follow the path of the men's team. So for now Rebecca is a good name for a girl.

... or Parris or Locke or Brock or Sasha....

Great story. Thanks for sharing and, again, congratulations!

"Dryden" is no snottier a first name than half of NYC Cornellians give their sons.

Congratulations, Jeff.

To add to the list of people who had Cornell Hockey play a part in their marriage. My wife (Class of '96) and I had as our first date dinner at Little Joe's and a Cornell hockey game.

Mazel Tov! What a great moment.

Mazel Tov - Beeeej and Daina - also my sincere congratulations to Kristi and John.

May your futures together be warm and fun and full of good times and wonderful people;
May good health surround you and your families -
May the joy of togetherness warm you always.

Thanks for the congratulations and good wishes, all! Daina and I have really enjoyed reading the responses.

As for possible baby names, well, I think we've got a little while before we have to worry about that. Nevertheless, we were thinking perhaps of Kirill, Locke, Krzysztof, Byron, Trent, Etienne, P.C., Stephane, Jiri, Gord, or Gunar.

But when it comes right down to it, I honestly kind of like the sound of "Damian Rocke Anbinder."

Oh, look. Already talking about your Bâby.

ugarte
Oh, look. Already talking about your Bâby.

They can get the local Abbott to perform the ceremony.

French Rage

ugarte
Oh, look. Already talking about your Bâby.

They can get the local Abbott to perform the ceremony.

How long did it take you to Cook that one up?

Roy 82

French Rage

ugarte
Oh, look. Already talking about your Bâby.

They can get the local Abbott to perform the ceremony.

How long did it take you to Cook that one up?

I'll bet you'll just love it to Bitz, though.

Congrats again to both of you, Beeeej. I knew much of the story but did not know that Daina had posted on eLynah and that you had responded. Great story. Thanks for sharing it!

Oh, and interestingly, Kim, my fiancee, had seen the stuff on the scoreboard at Lynah but I had not. When we later read about your engagement on Facebook she told me that she had seen the scoreboard message, but had not realized that I knew you.

Peace be with you and Daina. May you both stay far ahead of the Dragon and get away Scott free. May your girls have the wisdom of Hannah. And may your boys be Smart enough to attend Cornell (girls too)!

Larry '72 and Trudy

May you stay together til Death(e) do you part ...

Pretty soon, we'll be able to say, "Hey, Beeeej, you're not a bachelor, you're a boyfriend! You're not a boyfriend, you're a significant other! You're not a significant other, you're a fiancé! You're not a fiancé, you're a husband!" (Except I don't really know how it ends. "You just fix things around the house"?)

Good going, bro. Mazal tov and congrats.

A wonderful story! I hope health, happiness, and wealth find your way. Keep smiling....may your sun lways be Golden and your grass always be Green!
All the best!!!
Drew