Favorite Harvard Game Memory

[andyw2100]

Well, so now I've read the article. Nice of you to take this on. I'll comment on one or two pretty major factual errors.

The greatest is that the 2003 ECAC Championships were in Albany. That was the first year they had moved to Albany, after having been in Lake Placid the year before.

Also this is from memory, but I'm almost certain we only achieved the number one spot in the polls that year at the very end of the season.

Since this is something you've published online, I imagine you can make corrections pretty easily.

Edit: I should have refreshed the page before posting, as I see Larry beat me to pointing out the Lake Placid / Albany error.

[Trotsky]

Also this is from memory, but I'm almost certain we only achieved the number one spot in the polls that year at the very end of the season.

We achieved #1 for the first time that year on March 24.

[Trotsky]

Last night should be among our favorite Harvard game memories.  

For the seniors, Ivy title in hand, to win Fish & Fowl for the first time, on Senior Night, ending the RS with a win for their first time, with less than 30 seconds left in overtime, in a situation where most of the crowd likely thought we still needed at least a point to clinch home ice, completing an RS rebound from last year's 9th place finish, and completing a 3-goal comeback against our arch rival...

[andyw2100]

Last night should be among our favorite Harvard game memories.  

For the seniors, Ivy title in hand, to win Fish & Fowl for the first time, on Senior Night, ending the RS with a win for their first time, with less than 30 seconds left in overtime, in a situation where most of the crowd likely thought we still needed at least a point to clinch home ice, completing an RS rebound from last year's 9th place finish, and completing a 3-goal comeback against our arch rival...

Among them...sure. But I'm not sure anything's going to be able to top 2003 for me. Perhaps the proper outcome in a national championship game, but short of that...

I'm not sure what you mean about the last part of your post, though. Most of the crowd probably thought we needed the win. Those of us checking scores religiously had seen with about 1:30 to go in our OT that Clarkson and Qunnipiac had tied. But unless I am somehow mistaken, that meant that we needed to at least tie to gain the bye. Because had we lost we would have ended in a tie with Clarkson, and they would have won the tie-breaker with more wins.

Your comment, unless I am misunderstanding it, makes it sound like while most of the crowd thought we needed the point, we actually didn't.

What am I missing?

[ScrewBUHarvardtoo]

First off: That was the greatest game of any sport I have ever attended! For what Trotsky said (needed to at least tie to get a playoff birth, senior night for Andy Iles, 2 goal comeback, GW w/ 30 seconds left, and the loudest Lynah has been in quite some time). If I ever write another one of these articles, I am sure as hell talking about this game! And speaking of the article, I changed the mistakes I made about the 2003 ECAC finals (Albany, and us not being ranked number 1 until late in the season). Sorry about those, I should have checked that more carefully (and I think I mixed up the 2002 and 2003 finals).

[ScrewBUHarvardtoo]

I know the official "hockey line" was a multi day thing, but the 1962 game was the first time students lined up for a long time to see a hockey game, which is why I thought it was acting as a predecessor to the future hockey line

[Trotsky]

I'm not sure what you mean about the last part of your post, though. Most of the crowd probably thought we needed the win. Those of us checking scores religiously had seen with about 1:30 to go in our OT that Clarkson and Qunnipiac had tied. But unless I am somehow mistaken, that meant that we needed to at least tie to gain the bye. Because had we lost we would have ended in a tie with Clarkson, and they would have won the tie-breaker with more wins.

Your comment, unless I am misunderstanding it, makes it sound like while most of the crowd thought we needed the point, we actually didn't.

What am I missing?

You are missing that Yale won.  As soon as that happened, even with a loss we would have won the 3-way with Clarkson and Yale for 4th.  As soon as we had the Yale and Clarkson results in hand we were safe.

[LGR14]

Clarkson held the tiebreaker over Cornell. Brandon Thomas reported the scenario wrong. So we were not safe after Clarkson tied Q. Still needed to finish ahead of them.

[Give My Regards]

Clarkson held the tiebreaker over Cornell. Brandon Thomas reported the scenario wrong. So we were not safe after Clarkson tied Q. Still needed to finish ahead of them.

Just to clarify, here is what would have happened had Cornell lost to Harvard last night and all other results remained the same:

Clarkson finished 11-9-2 in the ECAC, and Yale finished 10-8-4.  A Cornell loss would have left the Big Red at 10-8-4, all three teams tied for fourth with 24 points.

First tiebreaker would have been head-to-head among the three teams.  Cornell was 2-0 against Yale and 1-1 against Clarkson.  Clarkson was 1-1 against Yale.

Thus, Cornell would take the head-to-head tiebreaker (and fourth place) with a 3-1 record, compared to Clarkson's 2-2 and Yale's 1-3.  A loss last night, other than it being a loss to fucking Harvard on Senior night and giving the Big Red a god-awful goose-egg home weekend against two of the three worst teams in the league, wouldn't have made a bit of difference -- we would have still finished with the #4 seed.

(For the sake of completeness, the remaining Clarkson-Yale tie for fifth would have gone the same way it did in real life, with Clarkson going 1-1 head-to-head but taking it on the second tiebreaker, league wins)

Had Yale not won and forced a potential three-way tie, then yes, Clarkson would have had the tiebreaker edge (league wins) on Cornell.

[andyw2100]

You are missing that Yale won.  As soon as that happened, even with a loss we would have won the 3-way with Clarkson and Yale for 4th.  As soon as we had the Yale and Clarkson results in hand we were safe.

Got it.

Thank you!

[jeff '84]

Even though it had no bearing on the final standings or bye, etc. does the win not have an important impact on PWR?

[Trotsky]

Even though it had no bearing on the final standings or bye, etc. does the win not have an important impact on PWR?

Certainly.

[jeff '84]

Even though it had no bearing on the final standings or bye, etc. does the win not have an important impact on PWR?

Certainly.

TY

[RichH]

Even though it had no bearing on the final standings or bye, etc. does the win not have an important impact on PWR?

A tie would have dropped CU TO 17th. A loss, 18th.

[jeff '84]

Even though it had no bearing on the final standings or bye, etc. does the win not have an important impact on PWR?

A tie would have dropped CU TO 17th. A loss, 18th.

Thanks - arguably a heck of a lot more important (assuming similar effect in a couple weeks) than the bye... Surprised by Jason's (I think) "meaningless" comment after the Clarkson tie was in the books, suggesting that the Cornell coaches probably didn't tell the team, as if the W didn't matter and they'd take their foot off the pedal with "nothing"to play for.sorry to beat the dead horse.