ELynah Forum

Unfortunately, it's a sign of the times.  Back in the 70s and 80s, tickets were like gold and the only way you could get in to any game was with season tickets. I was fortunate to have a friend as a freshman who knew about the Lynah experience and a few of us were lucky to get season tickets. We sat in H behind the goal.  I was hooked. I had season tickets in Section D the next three years with my fraternity.  I don't think I ever missed a game. Every game was an event and the social calendar revolved around the games.Part of it was also that there was a hockey culture at Cornell then.  Lynah was used for intramural hockey, free skate, and many fraternities rented ice time and played pick up hockey. I played hockey in Lynah 2-3 times a week with my fraternity and I could barely skate before I got there. 

My sons attended Cornell in the early to mid 2010s and one was a hockey player.  I told them to make sure they got hockey tickets.  By then, it was easy to get tickets and the games were no longer a big deal.  And there was not any intramural ice hockey or ice times anymore.  I went to a few games with them and it wasn't the same. The son who played hockey in high school never skated at Lynah Rink once in his 4 years there.  I probably was on the ice close to 100 times.

 I think the decline of fraternities at Cornell is a big factor.  Back in the 80s and 90s, there were 50 fraternities.  Fraternity ticket blocks were a big deal and attending hockey games was part of the culture.  My guess is that fraternities made up a significant portion of the student sections.  Fraternities are barely surviving at Cornell for many reasons today.

This is happening with all sports.  Lacrosse games filled the crescent in the late 70s.  Cornell is a national power now and averages about 1500 a game.  The Jets and Giants used to have long wait lists for season tickets. I had season tickets to the Jets for decades and the people around me in my section were always there. Now you can buy tickets for any game you want for peanuts and stadiums are filled with fans from visiting teams.  With the advent of big screen tvs and the internet and Stub Hub and streaming, live attendance at sporting events is not a big deal anymore. 

Quote from: Al DeFlorio on January 15, 2026, 03:40:05 PM

Quote from: Chousnake on January 15, 2026, 02:31:34 PMI attended games as a student from 77-81 and in 82-84 as a frequent visitor to campus.  I went to some games in the 2010-2016 years as a Cornell parent.  One thing that I never understood as I watch more games on ESPN+ from home now is why Cornell changed from shooting towards the closed end in the first and third periods.  I thought it would be more intimidating and favorable to do that.  I believe the change came after Lynah got the upgrades, but I don't remember the reason for the change in shooting direction.  Can somebody clue me in?  Thanks.

IIRC, it was felt the goalie had a better background for seeing the puck when playing at the closed end of the rink.

That makes sense.  Thanks!

Quote from: stereax on January 15, 2026, 02:47:24 PM

Quote from: Chousnake on January 15, 2026, 02:31:34 PMI attended games as a student from 77-81 and in 82-84 as a frequent visitor to campus.  I went to some games in the 2010-2016 years as a Cornell parent.  One thing that I never understood as I watch more games on ESPN+ from home now is why Cornell changed from shooting towards the closed end in the first and third periods.  I thought it would be more intimidating and favorable to do that.  I believe the change came after Lynah got the upgrades, but I don't remember the reason for the change in shooting direction.  Can somebody clue me in?  Thanks.

Section B, which is the current main student section, is on the shoot twice side. More tauntability. Pretty standard in college hockey to have your student section/best supporters on shoot twice.

Anyway, as for the attendance: It hasn't been as great as like, mid-February games last year, but it's been solid. Especially over intersession, because who the hell wants to be up here during intersession? I'm honestly a little more concerned that the fans we DO have are quiet than the number of butts in seats. Which kinda leads back to a point that I've been intermittently making for months now - perhaps some centralization of the student section would be good. I was watching the NU/BU women's Beanpot game from Monday and NU had a whole ass student section with synchronized choreography and shit.

People are still getting back up here, for sure. Again, like - modern students will spend as much time as possible with family and come up here on MLK Day. There's no "reason" to be here early.

(Also, what are the "afterglows"? I keep getting references to them in Casey's emails. Where is the Hall of Fame room? Is this something worth attending?)

I think we have a chicken/egg thing with the student sections and the shooting direction change, particularly considering Beeej's post above.  In the years I had tickets as a student - 77-81- the student sections were in the closed end as well. I sat in H as a freshman and in D and E as a sophomore to senior.  Most of the frats sat in D and E in those days and I believe the students sat in C, D, E, F, G and H .  I don't recall if A and B were student sections.  The other side of the rink -K, L M N and O were not student sections. The closed end was a zoo back then.  If the students were moved primarily to the open end in A and B, that likely came after the shooting move and after the dissatisfaction as per Beeej's post when the change was made.  It doesn't make sense to me.  Just put a mini scoreboard with score and time and penalty time in the closed end and you satisfy that issue. It was a very intimidating environment for opposing goalies to have the students on top of you and behind you.  That is apparantly now gone along with the rabid crowds of the past, unfortunately.

I attended games as a student from 77-81 and in 82-84 as a frequent visitor to campus.  I went to some games in the 2010-2016 years as a Cornell parent.  One thing that I never understood as I watch more games on ESPN+ from home now is why Cornell changed from shooting towards the closed end in the first and third periods.  I thought it would be more intimidating and favorable to do that.  I believe the change came after Lynah got the upgrades, but I don't remember the reason for the change in shooting direction.  Can somebody clue me in?  Thanks.

Quote from: BearLover on January 15, 2026, 02:08:35 PMIf you're a new hockey fan curious about Cornell Hockey and Lynah traditions, good chance you'll go through the entire season without experiencing a packed house and truly loud student section outside of Harvard/Dartmouth weekend. That's really sad, it detracts from the fun of these games and one of our biggest comparative advantages (particularly in recruiting).

That is sad and disappointing.  Hockey tickets were like gold in the late 70s/early 80s when I was there.  I don't think I ever missed a game in 4 years and, of course, we had to sleep outside (or had our fraternity underclassmen do so) in November to get our tickets.

Quote from: Beeeej on January 15, 2026, 11:58:47 AM

Quote from: Chousnake on January 15, 2026, 11:51:48 AMWill the students be back for this weekend's games?  If not, I am baffled by a schedule that has Cornell playing so many home games when the students are not on campus.    Two home games on Thanksgiving getaway weekend, four non-conference home games in early January (that can be excused, I suppose) and two home games before the Spring semester begins.  I imagine the fraternities and sororities will be back this weekend for rush, but on the fraternity side, that is an ever shrinking part of the student population. And the formal rush events may conflict with the games.

"Thanksgiving getaway weekend"?? Scheduling two weekend home games for four and five days before the school's break actually starts is not baffling.

Anyway, I gather that this year's schedule is a bit of anomaly, and may be related more to Colgate's needs or other sets of travel partners' needs than to any Cornell issues. There would've been games on those weekends no matter what - so the host school's attendance would always have "suffered".

Many on this board were lamenting the low attendance for the November 21-22 games and the empty seats in the student sections and some commented that students often head home early. I never did that (it was a long time ago and I always wanted to maximize my time at Cornell rather than at home) and was surprised to hear it was a "thing."  But it was mentioned.

Will the students be back for this weekend's games?  If not, I am baffled by a schedule that has Cornell playing so many home games when the students are not on campus.    Two home games on Thanksgiving getaway weekend, four non-conference home games in early January (that can be excused, I suppose) and two home games before the Spring semester begins.  I imagine the fraternities and sororities will be back this weekend for rush, but on the fraternity side, that is an ever shrinking part of the student population. And the formal rush events may conflict with the games.

I just have a bad feeling after that save.  The second half is just crawling.

Shouldn't it be a face-off to start the 3rd?  Harvard threw the ball away at the end of the half.  Harvard would need possession at the end of the half to avoid the face-off, unless the officials decided that there was really 0.2 seconds on the clock and everybody agreed to end the half and Harvard retains possession.

Quote from: mike1960

Quote from: Jeff Hopkins '82

Quote from: mike1960Syracuse 9-5 over Notre Dame starting the 4th quarter.

Now 13-7, 'Cuse.

And Sucks stomped Dartmouth 18-7

14-9 Syracuse final. Gait's got them playing really well. We'll have our hands full next week.

I watched it. Always love seeing ND lose.  That also helps Cornell.  Syracuse will likely be in the top 5 now.  And the game was not as close as the score.

Can someone tell the announcers how to pronounce Cascadden's name. And let's scrap the close up weird angle on face-offs.

Nothing to be ashamed of.  Just a great effort down the stretch and in the post season.  They completely turned around a very disappointing season and gave us some thrill over the past month.

Can't keep expecting to come from behind in the 3rd period......again.

Can't lose the face-off to start the period and can't fail to ice the puck there.

These announcers are pretty BU biased.