11/12: Cornell 1 Michigan State 1, final (ot)

[atb9]

See ya all Sunday!

[Jordan 04]

Where the different between T/L and T/W looms awful large.

[jy3]

gate lost to lowell

[Steve M]

Harvard 3 Yale 1  Final

[jkahn]

(East Lansing report) Simply put, Mcee was awesome.  It could have easily been 6-0 after one period.  Great position, great reaction, never rattled, quick glove.  I don't think I've seen a better game by a Cornell goalie, and I was there for all three Dryden years.  I spoke with David at the reception after the game and he said "it was a lot of fun out there" but added that "it's a lot of fun just watching also."  I saw on some website that there are currently 11 Mich. St. alums in the NHL, so that speaks for the talent level.  We were forced into taking a lot of penalties by their dominating play, but each period we got stronger (or they got weaker), so that by the third period it finally looked like a battle of equals.  Cam Abbott did some great work on the last two penalty kills.  Charlie Cook made an unbelievable play coming from nowhere to break up a 2 on 1 that had turned into a man going in alone vs. McKee.  Krantz had some turnovers in the first period, but played solidly thereafter.  Pokulok showed great poise and skill for a freshman.  Since I don't want to post much relating to injury info, I'll just add that Carefoot will be out on Sunday and there's a good chance Bitz will play in his place.
I think these games are great experience for the kids.  Despite Michigan State's relatively slow start this season, they were a top ten team last year, didn't lose much to graduation and have a very strong sophomore class and real good freshman.  Playing games like this, win or lose, will make you better.
It was good to meet some of the frequent posters out there, and I got some time to talk hockey with Keith, Christine and Robb after the game.

[Cornell95]

So if anyone who was at the game gets online later, would love to hear your thoughts... from a MSU fan posting on USCHO.com

"Ya, he stole a tie. MSU dominated the game except for 5 min in the 2nd and again for 5 in the 3rd. Overall Cornell was a slow non-athletic team. They could not gain control of the puck for long stretches and when they did they got out worked in the corners. Offensivly MSU ran the corners and cycled the puck well. If it were not for outstanding goaltending the game could have been easily 5-1. Overall Cornell had one forward 14 (Moulson) that definitly had skills. He was generating all of Cornell's offense in the latter part of the game. On the other hand MSU played a balanced high tempo game but could not score (getting to be an old story). The officiating was by far the loosest that I have seen this season. Alot of holding in the corners and stick work was allowed compared to previous games. If the balance of the season were called like this i would be happy. I am looking forward to Sunday's game. I wish it were Saturday. Go State."

italics added by me ;-) , looking forward to this slow non-athletic team winning on Sunday.  LGR!!!

[David Harding]

[Q]Chris '03 Wrote:

 [Q2]Sperris Wrote:

 a major penalty?
[/Q]
5 for hitting from behing + a DQ so he's out Sunday. [/q]

CSTV Gametracker has it as a game misconduct, not a DQ, implying that he will be available Sunday.

[David Harding]

Whoever writes the hockey stories for the Cornell athletic department sounds as though he (or she) agrees with the assessment that McKee stole the game.  http://cornellbigred.collegesports.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/111204aab.html
The shots on goal tell that story, too.

[calgARI '07]

Based on the play-by-play on the radio, it sure sounded as if Michigan State was the superior team tonight, although Cornell got better as the game progressed.  But listening to the first period, I thought it could be a blowout.  
I think Michigan State is underrated, but I think and sure hope Cornell can play better than they did tonight.
Regarding Bitz playing on Sunday to replace Carefoot, I think they should wait until next weekend.  There is no point in rushing Bitz back to the lineup for Sunday's game, so dress seven D or give McLeod a shot.

[billhoward]

[Q]David Harding Wrote:

Whoever writes the hockey stories for the Cornell athletic department sounds as though he (or she) agrees with the assessment that McKee stole the game.  
The shots on goal tell that story, too.[/q]

Some of the forum (seems like all of the forum sometimes) disses the Sun and Ithaca Journal for their hockey coverage. But the athletics department game story is an electronic press release. In a Cornell sports information game recap, the opponent plays well in victory, Cornell does not play poorly in defeat or tie. Sometimes (as appears actually to be the case with McKee), one Cornell player is heroic in holding on to a tie or keeping it close. The harshest words may be that "the offense had trouble getting untracked." That kind of wording got a lot of use last football season coming out of cornellbigred.com. No one is saying Cornell officialdom should go out of its way to make Cornell look bad, but you've got to take the game recap from Cornell's ministry of sports information with a grain of salt.

How about this nugget of incomplete information in the MSU recap: "In over time [sic], MSU outshot the Big Red 4-1 and nearly put the puck in the net on a scrum right in front of the crease as time wound down. Cornell was a man down at the time, as a penalty had been assessed with just 47 seconds remaining. McKee maintained his composure until one of his defensemen was able to clear it and held on for the tie." It wasn't just a penalty assessed, it was a five major for hitting from behind by a freshman, Pokoluk, that Cornell had and has high hopes for. (The defenseman who cleared was probably unnamed only because in the confusion no one was sure who cleared.)

And speaking of which, is Pokoluk gone for Sunday or back playing on Sunday?

[Greg Berge]

USCHO has an excellent recap of the game: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20042005/m/11/12/cor-msu.php

Clearly, Mike will make the paint peel off the walls today in encouraging the team to start the next game emotionally-prepared.  The tie makes the Sunday game very important in terms of PWR.

Still, this is the kind of game Cornell would have lost a few years ago, like all those "almosts" at the Everblades.  It's heartening to see the Red get something out of the game, even if it's treading water.  MSU has been getting better and they'll probably rise through the year and be a solid top 10 team by March.

[Chris 02]

The gametracker implied at first last night that he had a DQ, but now checking:

http://www.collegehockeystats.com/0405/boxes/mcormsu1.n12

says it's just a misconduct.  (He can play on Sunday therefore)

[billhoward]

[Q]Chris 02 Wrote:

 The gametracker implied at first last night that he had a DQ, but now checking:

says it's just a misconduct.  (He can play on Sunday therefore)[/q]

Some of the box scores warn that the official box score may change after theirs was posted. Thus the confusion as to whether Pokoluk plays Sunday.

If the ref was thinking ahead, or maybe it was just serendipity, calling a game misconduct (but a next-game DQ) with 45 seconds left in the game sends a strong message and Cornell has a pretty good history of killing off 45 seconds worth of scoring chances.

You think Pokoluk is a marked man on Sunday now?

[Jim Hyla]

[Q]Greg Berge Wrote:Still, this is the kind of game Cornell would have lost a few years ago, like all those "almosts" at the Everblades. [/q]I seem to remember a certain game at Columbus a few years ago.:-P ;-)