Cornell 4 Harvard 3 FINAL

adamw · February 16, 2003, 06:22:23 PM

From legendary college hockey writer Jocko Connelly:

http://www2.bostonherald.com/sport/college/hice02162003.htm

Section A · February 16, 2003, 08:37:05 PM

And I'm back too.

First of all, the last fifteen minutes of the game were probably the most nerve-racking minutes of a hockey game I've ever seen live. Leneveu made some terrific saves during that stretch, but his save of the night came on a delayed penalty in the second period where he dove to his right to glove a puck headed straight for the net. Too bad the resulting penalty resulted in a goal anyway. Our team really seemed content to play defense during the third period, but there were a couple chances (breakaways by Moulson and Baby) that could have sealed it.

Harvard gets their power play set up really nicely, and they did the same thing when they played at Lynah in November. Don't know what they do that others cannot against our penalty killing units.

There's plenty more to say, but most of it has already been said in articles, and in other posts, especially on USCHO. Overall, I had a great time, and especially enjoyed the win considering there were Harvard fans very near me calling me an asshole and telling me that, after the game, they were going to "rip my jersey off." Thankfully, I still have my jersey.

By the way, I was the guy behind the far goal (where Cornell shot on during the 1st and 3rd) periodically waving a red Cornell flag

CU at Stanford · February 17, 2003, 03:11:37 AM

Folks, just back from Lynah East, after a long day of flying (Southwest, PVD-SJC via Phoenix). Will share my thoughts and impressions on the Harvard game (as well as the Brown game from Friday night), on Monday.

Just want to point out that the headlines of the Cornell-Harvard articles in both Boston's newspapers are identical: "Crimson left seeing Red."

Bright Hockey Center was TRULY our house on Saturday night!

Will01 · February 17, 2003, 11:43:26 AM

[Q]And there were some truly disgusting Harvard fans that I can't even describe accurately, I'll leave that to someone else.[/Q]

HAHAHAH.... MAN BOOBS!! MAN BOOBS!! MAN BOOBS!!!

-W

Will · February 17, 2003, 11:55:13 AM

Most everything I would have said has already been said by others--Harvard dominating the second and third periods, Lenny's amazing delayed penalty save, etc. It's all true.

I'll just add that I was glad to see a significant Harvard contingent in attendance that night. As much as I like to call Bright "Lynah East", I would much rather have the Harvard-Cornell rivalry work both ways, instead of it seeming one-sided. Seeing an evenly divided crowd (from my point of view, it was about 50/50) at the biggest game at Bright of the year is a step towards that goal.

Also, I thought it was funny that Big Ben '03 and I were able to inadvertently scare/bother an older couple of Harvard fans and their son(?) sitting in the row in front of us to scooch down the bench towards the aisle, after we went crazy rooting and hollering in the first period. That was hilarious. I could see they kept talking about us to some other Harvard fans, too--I guess we were just too obnoxious for them. :-D

atb9 · February 17, 2003, 12:37:14 PM

Thanks guys...the testimonials and funny stories about the crowd and interactions with Harvard fans was what I was looking for. I wish I could have been there!

ZooeyDog · February 17, 2003, 12:45:48 PM

Another epitaph to HU/CU...I haven't seen Schafer that excited since, oh, long around December of 1990, when he was the assistant whose job unfortunately also included coaching the "P.E." course at Lynah, where all us hockey wannabes strapped 'em up and he tried not to laugh too hard....

The incident in particular I have in mind is Schafer seeing me (I was one of the goalies) standing unawares in front of the net. The giddy joy Mike showed Saturday night as the Red left the ice was akin to the twinkle in his eye moments before he launched a slapper that whizzed by my left ear. (Didn't go in, though.) Eesh. ::nut::

ZD

Ken 70 · February 17, 2003, 12:53:50 PM

Three Harvard students were standing in back of me through the 1st period into the 2nd. About 5 minutes in, noticing there are seats available, the following exchange takes place:

1st student: Hey, there are seats, lets's sit down.
2nd student: OK, but I don't want to sit a Cornell section
3rd student: Are you kidding, this whole place is a Cornell section!

Mike Maas 04 · February 17, 2003, 06:02:17 PM

Avash '05 wrote:

QuoteHarvard gets their power play set up really nicely, and they did the same thing when they played at Lynah in November. Don't know what they do that others cannot against our penalty killing units.

It seems to me that Harvard's able to do this because they have more comprable size to us than other teams we've faced and thus are able to curb our usual dominance along the boards.

I felt we didn't control the boards as well as we have in the past, there seemed to be an awful lot of Harvard passes sliding through our slot that came from the corners or from behind Leneveu.

And can anybody tell me the significance of Harvard having their #4 retired?

-Mike

Anne 85 · February 17, 2003, 06:23:25 PM

According to the Harvard program, #4 is "the retired number of former Crimson skater, hockey coach, and Director of Athletics Bill Cleary...the only number -- of any of Harvard's 41 varsity sports -- ever to be taken out of circulation."

Bleh.

Section A · February 17, 2003, 06:24:15 PM

Cleary as in the Cleary Cup?

Al DeFlorio · February 17, 2003, 06:51:08 PM

Yep.

And as in the 1960 USA Olympic champions. And still the holder of Harvard season records for goals scored (42) and total points (89), back when the team played only 21 games.

CU at Stanford · February 17, 2003, 06:59:59 PM

I miss Bill Cleary. My wife loved the "Your coach is bald" cheer. Bill had the good humor to rub his head when the Pep Band and Faithful serenaded him with that cheer. :-D

Greg Berge · February 18, 2003, 03:29:52 AM

When Cleary and Adessa (RPI) met for the final in '85, the Cornell crowd alternated pointing and yelling "bald... fat... bald... fat..." We got the whole Gahden crowd laughing, including Adessa. Cleary was not amused.

I respect Cleary a lot and have a standing offer that on the day I become dictator of the universe, I am appointing him ECAC commish.

CUlater · February 18, 2003, 10:18:22 AM

I assume you "respect Cleary a lot" because of his hockey knowledge (and talent on the ice); but I sure hope it's not on a personal level, given your own story about his reaction to teasing. The following year was my freshman year and a similar chant was taken up in Lynah (where we lost 11-3 to an incredibly talented team and Schafer shot the puck "by accident" into the Harvard bench) and he scowled yet again. My experiences with him showed him to epitomize the elitist Harvard attitude, particularly with respect to Cornell -- he refused to acknowledge any sort of rivalry, in part because he believed his teams were vastly superior to ours (and they were, for the most part, during late 80s and early- to mid- 90s) and yet it galled him to no end that his coaching career ended with a loss to Cornell at Lynah in ECAC quarterfinals.

Given his "power" within USA Hockey and NCAA hockey, he was a good man if you were on the right side; but if you were on his bad side, watch out.