Cornell @ North Dakota 11/28 Post-Game

[Omie]

Well once again, the Big Red managed to embarass itself against a struggling team on national TV. Awesome. The first period was great but otherwise the team was not completely there. The Greening and Kennedy lines played great and showed a lot of hustle but the Defense was just not there. They all were horrible. Scrivens once again just took a break during the Thanksgiving game and the defenseman just stood there. Let's just hope Schafer lights a fire under their a**es and they show up tomorrow.


Three stars for the game:
3. Jillson
2. Greening
1. R. Nash

Three black holes for the game:
3. M. Devin/T. Davenport
2. B. Nash
1. Scrivens

[cbuckser]

After playing very well in the first period, almost all of the first 10 minutes of the second period were played in the Cornell end.  Three restraining fouls and an underpenalized hit from behind later, North Dakota took the lead for good.  Things snowballed in the third period, while Cornell continued to chase North Dakota in the defensive zone.

North Dakota is a much more skilled team than any other Cornell played in its first six games.  Coming into the weekend, I thought that these games would tell us something about whether Cornell is a great team or just a good team in a mediocre conference.  The former seemed true during the first period.

Despite the ugly second and third periods, we should keep things in perspective.  Banging our heads against the wall won't do anybody any good.

[Cornell11]

[quote cbuckser]

Despite the ugly second and third periods, we should keep things in perspective.  Banging our heads against the wall won't do anybody any good.[/quote]

I'm a New York sports fan- I can't help it

[Jacob '06]

Well the hollywood production, I mean hockey game was great in the first period and not so much later on. They actually played Phil Collins to pump up the crowd before the game. The fans were pathetic, only cheered when the PA system told them to clap their hands or after goals. Basically looked like we played really well for the first period and a bit of a stretch in the third, but forgot what we were doing the rest of the way. Was the penalty on Riley to go down on the 5x3 really a holding penalty? From the rink it looked like he lost his stick, then put 2 hands on the guys back and just shoved him down, but I didn't have the benefit of a zoomed in instant replay. If we had killed that 5x3, or not had that bad line change right after Riley's breakaway, I think this game would have been a lot closer.

[Oat]

Who said their offense was struggling? They scored all kinds of goals tonight.

-banging in rebounds
-beating the goalie low and high
-screening and sniping
-deflection in the air
-just crashing the net
-etc

If Mugford and Ross were not injured and had skated tonight, would things have been different?

If it were David Mckee in the goal, would we have won?

[ebilmes]

Tomorrow night's game will to a large extent dictate how the rest of the season goes. If we can continue to play as well as we have against the rest of the ECAC, then it's safe to say Cornell will be thrown into the NCAA mix at the end of year. How we're perceived nationally at that point -- either as a legitimate national contender or yet another overrated eastern team -- will be based largely on this weekend's games.

Over the last couple years it seems Cornell has squandered every opportunity to assert itself in the limelight. After months of anticipation, Cornell came out totally flat last year against BU. They also lost three times to Harvard, missing every opportunity to reverse the momentum of the Red-Crimson rivalry. Anyone want to look up our record in nationally televised games over the last couple years?

We are still riding on the coattails of our successes in the earlier part of the decade. The NoDak announcers knew this and kept trying to link Scrivens to McKee and Leneveu before him, and Dryden before them. Similarly, at MSG last year, we were regaled with footage of past Cornell successes, especially great goaltending, only to surrender six goals. Tonight, the announcers seemed downright puzzled as their traditional Cornell talking point -- our stingy defense -- evaporated.

I was disgusted to read this quote from the team's blog:

It seemed like every bounce went North Dakota's way, which is going to happen over the course of the season.

You can't use luck as a cover for terrible play. However, the next line is spot on:

The best thing that can be said is that unlike last year's loss to Boston University at Madison Square Garden, we'll get another crack at North Dakota tomorrow night.

As much as it sucks to give up 7 goals, we've got to stick with the team we have. In Scrivens's next game after the MSG debacle, against UMass, he posted a 45 save shutout. Put him back out there tomorrow night and let him know he's still our guy. It is not so important whether he maintains his eye-popping numbers as whether he can play a great game when the team needs him to. Tomorrow night is that game. Let's go home with a win.

P.S. Bench Nash and Devin. You know which ones.

[JDeafv]

At least our new ND "friends" were shocked at "the presence" Cornell fans had at The Vomit.

[Cornell95]

from the TV coverage (I didnt have audio, apparently sports bars are doing Friday night Karaoke these days?)... you wouldnt have known there was a single Cornell fan, or even anyone wearing something red ::wtf::

[Liz '05]

[quote Cornell95]from the TV coverage (I didnt have audio, apparently sports bars are doing Friday night Karaoke these days?)... you wouldnt have known there was a single Cornell fan, or even anyone wearing something red ::wtf::[/quote]

There was that lady wearing a red UND sweatshirt.  Apparently she didn't know the colors of the other team playing.

[andyw2100]

[quote Cornell95]from the TV coverage (I didnt have audio, apparently sports bars are doing Friday night Karaoke these days?)... you wouldnt have known there was a single Cornell fan, or even anyone wearing something red ::wtf::[/quote]

The coverage showed the Cornell section briefly after each of Cornell's first two goals. I don't think they did after Cornell's third goal, but they may have.

And listening closely I could definitely hear a faint "red" during the national anthem. I also thought I heard a "Let's Go Red" chant early in the first period.

Considering that there were probably 100-150 Cornell fans in a rink of over 10,000 I'd say that's not too bad.

[redice]

[quote Jacob '06]Was the penalty on Riley to go down on the 5x3 really a holding penalty? From the rink it looked like he lost his stick, then put 2 hands on the guys back and just shoved him down, but I didn't have the benefit of a zoomed in instant replay.[/quote]

I believe that was Brendon (not Riley).    Yes, it did look like he closed his hands on the back of the ND player's equipment and pulled him down.    I would call that holding; admittedly in a strange sort of way.

[The Rancor]

I thought they looked exciting in the first period. The power Play looked great, to the point of me cheering at  the TV. then it sort of... evaporated. Embarrassing, to say the least. a decisive win is important for the team tonight.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote ebilmes]Tomorrow night's game will to a large extent dictate how the rest of the season goes....
 How we're perceived nationally at that point -- either as a legitimate national contender or yet another overrated eastern team -- will be based largely on this weekend's games.[/q]

I don't think we are a legitimate national contender this year, but we still have a number of chances to cement a good NCAA bid.

[q]Anyone want to look up our record in nationally televised games over the last couple years?[/quote]

Of course most of the time we get national TV is because we are playing a national power. Then the chance of losing is obviously a lot larger.

[Jordan 04]

[quote The Rancor]I thought they looked exciting in the first period. The power Play looked great, to the point of me cheering at  the TV. then it sort of... evaporated. Embarrassing, to say the least. a decisive win is important for the team tonight.[/quote]

Yeah, I'd almost accept a 7-3 loss if we just looked outclassed the whole night against a team.  But it was awfully frustrating to look really sharp in the first period -- especially on the offensive end -- and then have it all completely disappear.  

Still have one more to play though.  A lot can be redeemed tonight.

In the string of penalties that led to the 5x3, I was most frustrated by the initial hooking on Roeszler.  It really sticks in my craw when the ref standing right next to the play and watching it doesn't call anything, but the penalty comes from a ref halfway down the ice.  The boarding and holding were completely legitimate, IMO.  I can now see where all the comments wondering where (B.) Nash's head has been this year come from.  His turnover leading to the 4th goal was inexcusable.

[Jim Hyla]

Check out the shot charts from The Grand Forks Herald. The third period looks awful.