I just returned from Princeton. Every time I see this cohort of Cornell players, I leave with the same feeling: After more than three decades of following Cornell hockey, I have never seen one player improve more over the course of a college career than Mike Iggulden. The guy I remember as an awkward, unpoised, indecisive underclassman is now (arguably) one of the most valuable players on a team loaded with brighter lights. The dude's hard-working, smart, versatile, invaluable on special teams (esp. PK), a great leader ... and now he's even become one of few reliable finishers. Not much else to say except props to the guy and to the coaching staff. Thank you.
Agreed on all points. He has really elevated his level of play in the last season. I firmly believe that he is a leading candidate to win ECACHL's Best Defensive Forward. A great two-way player.
I have to say, I think most of the senior class has really elevated their play. I remember looking at the list of seniors at the beginning of the season and thinking that we wouldn't be losing a whole lot - a decent amount, but not a whole lot.
But the way some of them have stepped up. Cook, Downs, Iggulden, Knoepfli, and Varteressian is more a now serious set of loses than it seemed a back in October. Nothing like the class of '03, or perhaps what next year could be (if they can have anywhere near the successof '03, I think we'll all be very happy), but still they've definitely stepped it up.
I'll second this (or be the 3rd to second it). I remember when Iggulden came to Cornell my sophomore year and taking a liking to the guy, but always commenting to a friend that he never really seemed to do anything good. One specific play was when he had the puck in front of the goalie pretty much by himself in the Harvard-Cornell 2OT loss at Lake Placid in 2002. I think it was either late in the 3rd or in the first OT and he coughed up the puck without even attempting anything. Fast forward to the game at Union this year in OT when he got the breakaway in OT. I groaned to myself inside as I hadn't seen him do anything to impress me on offense in his first 3 years. That one play made me a believer in his offense (and the game winner at Colgate solidified that), not to mention that it was one of the best/most exciting plays I've seen in a Cornell game. He has matured immensely on both ends of the ice and he's peaking at the right time.
i agree on all points. we should also realize the "A" on his jersey is there for a reason ... so maybe we're just catching up to the curve. :-)
another agreement. i remmber him blowing a game by droping out of pssition against Ohio State at Lynah and thinking "oh jeez, why is this guy here?" he's come all the way, what a great way to spend your senior year, and final season.
How far we've come in 2 years. :-D
http://elf.elynah.com/read.php?1,15508
I especially like Scersk's last paragraph, and how this thread had already been brought up a season later to refute the original claim.
[Q]RichH Wrote:
How far we've come in 2 years.
I especially like Scersk's last paragraph, and how this thread had already been brought up a season later to refute the original claim.[/q]
Yeah but we all know the guy who wrote that is a tool. :-D
wow people can improve??? thats news to me ::nut::
[Q]ben03 Wrote:
i agree on all points. we should also realize the "A" on his jersey is there for a reason ... so maybe we're just catching up to the curve.[/q]
(insert obligatory Scarlet Letter joke here)