ELynah Forum

I think that Cornell is poised to make a serious run both in the ECAC and nationally in '07, but especially '08. There will be factors that we undoubtedly are not going to account for (such as injuries, NHL defections, inexplicable losses/skids, etc), but I think that the sophomores to-be will be given an excellent opportunity to really start building something special as a class. The keys to me next season are as follows:

-Sophomores step up offensively. A year of experience might do wonders for a few's scoring touch (ie Gallagher, Milo).

-Juniors provide the toughness, both pysicallly and mentally. Their experience paired with their grit could be invaluable to the success of this team.

-Another pair of D step to help Seminoff lock down the backend. A key to offensive success, especially with smaller, quicker forwards, is the ability of the D to provide stability defensively. This will allow the forwards to fly more, thus taking more chances with less consequences, and, hopefully, leading to more goals. This is one area where Pokulok and OB were missed this year. Nash and Krueger have the potential to be that kind of pair in future, as well.

-Consistenty is needed from the goaltenders. Either Scrivens or Davenport needs to seize the job and cannot let go. Aside from regular off-outings, they need to give efforts that are consistent. The team needs to know what they are getting with their tender.

Quote from: bandrews37The assistant coaches are ok, but anyone who's ever talked to Schafer knows he's more phony than a $3 bill.

I must say that I take exception to that notion. In the recruiting process, you will find few that are as unrelenting as Brent or as "cool" with the players than Scottie. Coach Schafer is a great salesman of the program, but also an honest one. The recruits understand that what they see with Schafe is what they will get (all the players will attest as much, from Romano to Mugford to Carefoot to McKee). The staff genuinely cares about the academic progress of each player, something that in today's world of college hockey is very unique. The coaches have all the systems one could imagine for both defensive and offensive success in place, but, in the end, it really comes down to execution. That ebbs and flows with every year depending on the leadership and maturity level of the team.

Quote from: bandrews37There's nothing unique about playing at Cornell. The fans cheer the same exact cheers that every other school around the country does.

While that may be true to a certain extent, with cheers like Sieve, Sieve, Sieve, and others being similar across the nation, Cornell remains unique with the majority of their cheers. In this year alone, I heard cheers at the Yale and Brown games that I had not heard prior from the crowds at CC, DU, Wisky, UND, BC, BU, UMD, MTU, and UNH. Also, one impressive thing about Cornell is the relative lack of expletives from cheers. The Lynah Faithful show that you do not need to be crass (or in DU's case, overtly sexual) to provide a great home-ice advantage.

Quote from: bandrews37People on here are quick to point out our facilities as a strong point in luring top-notch recruits. Really, though, the new facilities aren't as grand as everyone makes them out to be. Sure, they're a step up over what we had, but Clarkson, Dartmouth and Quinnipiac all have a better setup, and that's just within the league. What our new facilities move us to is the middle of the national pack.

I think this is a case where I can understand your perspective, but I must say that Cornell has taken greatly productive strides in their upgrades. Lynah is an old facility, without a doubt, one lacking many of the bells and whistles that come with the underbody of many facilities (like large rehabbing pools, hot tubs, cold tubs, and more all in the locker room area of UND), but what Cornell sports is more than sufficient in the eyes of the recruits, and the locker room is comparable, but different than the schools mentioned above. But like you stated, the competition is stiff, and if you aren't moving forward, you are probably falling behind.

Quote from: bandrews37And frankly, it's funny to hear how much of an impact the fans think they have on potential recruits and on the success of the team. Does having a packed house help? Sure it does. But you can't tell me that the words the seniors speak every season about how much they will miss playing in front of the fans aren't echoed at North Dakota, Denver, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Maine, BU, BC, New Hampshire - even at other schools in the ECAC, like Clarkson and SLU.

I think you are right to a certain extent. A packed house can be an excellent help in the recruiting process, but it typically will not be a deciding factor for the majority of recruits. Places like UND, Wisky, Minnesota, and UNH, all experience great fan support as well, with an obvious disparity in attendance numbers as well. But Wisconsin typically has 2000 empty seats a game (a stat given to me by Kevin Patrick), and they also have to compete with the football, volleyball, and both basketball teams for campus attention. UND has a phenomenal venue, but the ceiling is very high, not making it as loud as some more intimate venues like UNH and Cornell. UNH has great fan support and a loud rink, but a locker room that closely resembles the old locker room in Lynah. DU, BC, CC, and BU typically experience full capacity only for rivalry games (though there are surely exceptions with seasonal differences in certain matchups that may be more enticing). Let me catch myself before I might be misunderstood for someone bashing other programs, and what they might have to offer. That is not my point at all; hardly, as each and everyone of those are tremendous programs in their own right. The point I am trying to make is that every program has its own problem or two that does not escape the recruits they bring on campus, and Cornell is not unique in that area, but neither is any other program in the nation.


I think that you have some very valid concerns, bandrews37, ones that are undoubtedly on the minds of the Big Red coaching staff much of their days. But that comes with running a program, and these are things that they are constantly trying to address in an expedited manner.

[quote Roy 82]Let me echo the kudos on your well written and informative post.
See what others are saying:
  "The feel good post of the off season" - Roger Ebert
  "The kind of post that you actually read all the way through before     replying" - Gene Shallit
But I am also writing becuase I want to ask a question. You clearly have access to info that others don't. This invariably makes one wonder who you are and how you know such things. I can respect your desire for anonymity but perhaps you could just let us know something like:
1. Just an informed and gregarious fan
2. Friend of someone on the coaching staff
3. Hockey Dad or Mom (parent of a player)
4. Clarkson fan toying with our emotions like a yo-yo just for fun
etc.
P.S. If Beeej's comment annoyed you then just drop an "e" from his name. It drives him crazy.[/quote]

You are too kind. I have no problem answering your question, though I am sure that there will be topics in the future I simply must refrain from commenting on. I humbly ask that in those times my choice will be understood, as I will remain silent purely because I think it is my best course of action.

With another disclaimer (I have no idea where they are coming from, btw) out of the way, the answer to your question:




None of those. **] To give you something of substance, though... probably an amalgamation of 1 and 2, I guess one could say.



And in attempt to possibly clear something up... I have no problem with Beeeeeeeeeej's (too many e's?) initial post in the thread. I have long had a habit of stretching the meanings of words I particularly enjoy so that they might haphazardly fit into my context (I think it's rooted in my growing up in a household with a know-it-all older sister). So by him taking exception to my word-selection is really no surprise to me; quite the contrary, as I would be most surprised if no one called me out on my inherent egregious grammatical and diction errors.



Edit note: I realized I really provided no answer at all the first time around, so I attempted to give something of value, which with this being only my 4th post remains decidedly subjective in my mind.

Ha... It would not have been the first time my brain has failed me at 2 in the morning, and it definitely won't be the last! Darn sleeping habits have eliminated any possibility of me having insomnia; rather, I keep myself up until my eyelids collapse under the weight of my exhaustion. Now that I think about it... it's probably more appropriate for me to wonder if I am now nocturnal!

Edit note... I, ironically, forgot to insert the word "brain" in my first sentence. How's that for calling your shot?

Hi, all-

In the past few weeks, I have been all agog to see how the Lynah Faithful would react to the success or disappointment of this enigmatic team. I feel compelled to offer a few observations (though it is probably against my better judgment, yet I digress...) of topics that have been brought up or those that might nip in the bud, with an unnecessarily verbose presentation. These are things I feel to be true, but obviously my opinions are going to differ with many of you, though please, just as I have offered up my sentiment, I hope that you will do the same. In addition, it goes without saying that my first post will naturally be met with dubiety of what I, of all people, have to offer. I feel I offer a comprehensive look of what is going on immediately in the program and in the nation. Why should you believe me? I guess you will just have to trust me... ;-) I must stress that I will not claim something I have opined to be fact, as generating speculation is not my motive, nor will I vice-versa. Although I cannot claim to offer you anything of importance if posters continue the gradual deteoration of common respect for fellow forum members, what with the ever-present cynicism growing by the minute.

With all that being completely uncalled for, let's talk CU hockey...

-Tony Romano is an impressive young man, with a great passion for the game. He respects the demands of both Scottie and Coach Schafer with great exactitude. Tony's father is a tremendous Cornell Hockey fan, but also a very kind, respectful man, with high hopes for both Cornell and Tony. As for Tony's future prospects, I cannot begin to speculate what route he may take, or, for that matter, what routes he may even be considering, with any accuracy. I can say that Tony loves the university, especially it's concomitant factors such as his teammates and coaches.

-Much has been discussed in the past about what status Cornell has on the recruiting trail, and rightfully so. Though at the same time, Cornell's ora with prospective players is completely subjective with the individual recruit. For some, the scholarship (or lack thereof) poses a significant issue. For others, the combination of a perennial top 15 University and hockey team is incomparable. Kyle Okposo committed early in his high school career, but not before contacting Cornell to express their interest in the program. Cornell made his top 5, but ultimately Kyle grew up in Minneapolis and was going to stay there. The same goes for TJ Oshie of UND, except he was a tougher player to peg out of the Minnesota High School league. Cornell catches the eye of top talent, and the coaching staff are great recruiters (Romano wanted to commit on his visit), so it eventually just comes down to what fits each kid.

Many players nowadays look for the facilities to be an important stipulation, with the Ralph, Magness, Xcel center, and others reigning supreme on the landscape of college hockey. Each has the bells and whistles that can blind a recruit's judgment, but Cornell took great strides with the new locker room and training rooms to go with the already top-notch Athletes S & C facility. Cornell would rank in the top 5 of the WCHA in those categories, with only the immaculate Ralph, the World Arena, and Xcel preceding it.

As far as fan support or game atmosphere goes, you, Lynah Faithful, should be very proud. Cornell bests the "big-time" schools like Wisky, Denver, CC, and Boston College. The only schools I saw with comparable support this year were UNH and North Dakota, though keep in mind that the Ralph holds many times over the amount of fans to achieve such a high level of support. This does not go unnoticed by recruits, trust me...

-This team is not without great talent, strength, or the intangibles to be a supremely successful team in the coming years. In talking to a highly respected GDI scout recently, he stated that Troy Davenport "is really top-notch" and has drawn the attention of Ian Clarke at the Pro Camp run by GDI. An interesting comment by this scout stated that one cause of Troy's up-and-down play might be due to the fact that he came from Des Moines, a team that gave up 30 or more shots a game, and now he is making a transition to a great defensive team that allows in the 20s. This can take away from a goalie's rhythm and concentration, something that he will be more comfortable with as he matures. The team has offensive talent in Gallagher, Greening, Romano, Milo, and Barlow, as well as obvious grit in players like Kennedy and Mugford. This tandem should prove to be very successful as both classes mature with the goalies. I would not worry about the talent level of the team, as Cornell would actually fit in the top 10-15 of college hockey in bringing in good talent, except much of it goes unheralded due to the Canadian dominance and Brent and Scottie's eye for picking out the diamonds in the rough and talent that fits the program. Think David McKee...

-The staff is hot on the '08 trail right now, much moreso than what has been reported, though what has been is promising. Garman's coach proclaims that he is better at this stage than LeNeveu, which are pretty tall words, but his words nonetheless. Any reports on Grimshaw leaning or liking certain schools more than others can be taken with a grain of salt... right now. What remains true about him is that he a GREAT kid, the type of student-athlete Cornell and other players want in the program. Very bright kid that wants a great education in addition to great hockey. There are other kids looking to make contact with the staff that possess high-skill levels and other ECAC options... all I can really divulge.


The Lynah faithful are an integral part of this program, and it absolutely is noticed by the recruits and existing players. When I first talked to David McKee about Cornell, he told me of the fanatical fans they had, and in talking to Carl (David's Dad) recently, he mentioned that David has a large part of him that wishes he returned for his senior year. That does not happen to a high-profile college player without an incredible fanbase and overall appreciation for the program. I ask that you please remain hopeful for seasons to come and optimistic for what they will bring, because how you conduct yourselves does not go undetected by the eyes of those who matter. I can promise you that...

My greatest desire is to have provided some comfort for those who have lost some faith in the program, not to have rubbed any posters the wrong way. I apologize ahead of time, as I am sure I still managed to do just that. I tend to be oblivious like that. ;-)

Have a great off-season, maybe indulge in some basketball or lax, but above all else...

LET'S GO RED!