Opponents News

[andyw2100]

Record through the first 11 games and the rest of the year:

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2013 6-3-2 .636  9-13-1 .413
2014 7-3-1 .682 10- 7-4 .571
2015 5-5-1 .500  6- 9-5 .425
2016 8-1-2 .818  8-10-5 .457
2017 7-3-1 .682


How much of the above, though, might be due to starting out with a 100% (or close to 100%) healthy team, and then seeing key injuries in the second half of the season? With some luck, this year may see the team healthier in the second half of the season.

[RichH]

In reply to both of you, the return from break swoon has been a recent bug in the system. I dearly hope this year's team can avoid it.

Schafer's post-game comments after the last game mentioned something interesting:

We're going to push really really hard here, and actually keep them after exams for the first time in a long time...and get ready for that second half.

"For the first time in a long time" is the interesting part. We've all sensed the rust coming from past teams after the break. It will be interesting to see if this helps correct the 2nd half swoon. Trotsky is right, though...that January schedule is about as tough a stretch as we've seen.

Additionally, from http://cornellsun.com/2016/12/03/cornell-mens-hockey-extends-win-streak-completes-sweep-of-miami-oh/

Part of this plan includes Schafer keeping his team back in Ithaca after players take their final exams in order to to keep the team in shape with additional practices.

"We're going to practice hard and make sure we don't lose a beat," Weidner said. "It's something that needs to be done especially jumping right back into it right after Christmas."

"We're looking to not take our foot off the gas," Wedman added, "and hopefully come out of this break just as good as we are now."

[BearLover]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

[abmarks]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

I thought we had a ton of injuries tho...?

[CU2007]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

I thought we had a ton of injuries tho...?

Think he's referring to the fact that a lot of those guys are expected to be back in the New Year (or maybe by the Florida Tourney)

[Jim Hyla]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

No, at least according to my thoughts. But since a number of our injuries were preseason, you could argue that playing fewer games early on means it's not as crucial having everyone available. However that's stretching it.

[Trotsky]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

I thought we had a ton of injuries tho...?

Think he's referring to the fact that a lot of those guys are expected to be back in the New Year (or maybe by the Florida Tourney)

I think he's referring to all seasons, not just this one with the injuries.  The idea would be we may lose the sharpening of having a few games under our belt but we also avoid having guys dinged up in October.  It's a valid hypothesis, and would explain why we regress in the second two thirds when the schedule evens out.  The first thing to check would be whether the other Ivies show the same pattern and/or whether we show it outside the chosen interval.

I doubt it, but it is testable.

My completely subjective and untestable hypothesis is (1) random variation over a SSS, (2) the team doesn't gel as well as its opponents over the course of the season, and (3) in prior years we've had the Prague Spring before Florida followed by Operation Danube afterwards, and the jarring from the crackdown on style has done Bad Things.

[BearLover]

Is it possible starting the season later actually gives Cornell a leg up on the competition out of the gate?  Fewer injuries/better rested?

I thought we had a ton of injuries tho...?

Think he's referring to the fact that a lot of those guys are expected to be back in the New Year (or maybe by the Florida Tourney)

I think he's referring to all seasons, not just this one with the injuries.  The idea would be we may lose the sharpening of having a few games under our belt but we also avoid having guys dinged up in October.  It's a valid hypothesis, and would explain why we regress in the second two thirds when the schedule evens out.  The first thing to check would be whether the other Ivies show the same pattern and/or whether we show it outside the chosen interval.

I doubt it, but it is testable.

My completely subjective and untestable hypothesis is (1) random variation over a SSS, (2) the team doesn't gel as well as its opponents over the course of the season, and (3) in prior years we've had the Prague Spring before Florida followed by Operation Danube afterwards, and the jarring from the crackdown on style has done Bad Things.

Yes, I meant over all seasons, not just this one.  I also doubt it.

[Iceberg]

The thing with Princeton is that they are a team that can skate well; and they still have two more games coming up this weekend against an OK Mankato team.

[css228]

Penn State has one draft pick on team, a 7th rounder.

Sounds like Yale from a few years back: only 1 draft pick, but good coaching and an effective system.

Also the Union team -- Ghostisphere was the only NHL draft pick on their roster

Yeah but having a future should-have-been Calder winner on you team (also should have won the Hobey) is more than enough to make up for a lack of draft picks.

[BearLover]

Penn State has one draft pick on team, a 7th rounder.

Sounds like Yale from a few years back: only 1 draft pick, but good coaching and an effective system.

Yale was also very lucky to win it all, getting in as the last at-large.  There are enough more 15-draft pick North Dakotas than 1-draft pick Yales to conclude that draft picks are highly correlated with team success.

[Trotsky]

Yale was also very lucky to win it all, getting in as the last at-large.

Not only that, but they were out and then Michigan saved them.

[Iceberg]

Princeton 5-0 up on Mankato and the 2nd period isn't even over. The WCHA is kind of weak this year, but this is some scary stuff and I wonder if they'll be the same team after the break.

[Swampy]

Princeton 5-0 up on Mankato and the 2nd period isn't even over. The WCHA is kind of weak this year, but this is some scary stuff and I wonder if they'll be the same team after the break.

Maybe they got some players back from injury. Anybody know?

[Trotsky]

Princeton 5-0 up on Mankato and the 2nd period isn't even over. The WCHA is kind of weak this year, but this is some scary stuff and I wonder if they'll be the same team after the break.

Maybe they got some players back from injury. Anybody know?

Don't think so, but before our game with them the general consensus was coaches around the conference were saying they were a much more dangerous team than their record.

They were right.

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Current Unbeaten Streak:          W- L- T      Games
    Penn State                   12- 0- 1         13
    Cornell                       5- 0- 0          5
    Princeton                     5- 0- 0          5
    Union                         4- 0- 0          4