NCAA QF - Denver

[The Rancor]

Le Sigh.

[BearLover]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

We just won the league for the first time in 14 years you moron

Ya I said like fifteen times on this forum how great that was

[Dafatone]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

[Trotsky]

Humans come in two types: half emphasize what is accomplished, half rue what has been left unaccomplished. No doubt the Vast Eternal Plan requires both types to immanentize. I've stopped comparing them.  You are all my brothers and sisters in the Lynah Faith.

[Trotsky]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

Dr. Mrs., who knows nothing about sports and cares significantly less than that, listened patiently when I explained our Peculiar Institution, cocked her head to one side, and said, "Isn't it obvious those are the ceilings of a scholarship and non-scholarship hockey school?"

[VIEWfromK]

I thought we acquitted ourselves well, but from my view in the stands, it certainly felt like Denver was the better and faster team.

All of these hours later it's still hard to be disappointed with the overall effort.  They played with that high scoring team for sixty minutes.  There were a few things that bugged me that didn't necessarily cause them to lose but that I wish they had corrected at some point during the game.  I felt like there were still too many backwards plays in all three zones (Bancroft early being the most glaring).  There were multiple times after Cornell had established that they could forcheck DU into mistakes where one of the Big Red forwards just slid the puck into the zone to a waiting defender instead of putting it into a corner.  I also lost count of how many times a puck was up for grabs near the offensive blue line and in the neutral zone where the Cornell defender didn't even attempt to step up to make a play, instead they just backed off.  In a game where opportunities weren't overly plentiful I wished that guys were willing to take some chances in those areas of the ice.  They gave Denver a lot of easy outs and entries those final two periods instead of trying to continue to take it to them like they were earlier on.

[BearLover]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

One of the weird outcomes of us repeatedly losing in the same round is that the pressure comes on so abruptly. Going into the first round of the NCAAs this year, we were still basking in the glory of winning the ECAC. And even in the years we don't win the ECAC, there's still a mission-accomplished feeling that we made the tournament. I was going to be happy even if we lost to Maine. But then, when we beat Maine and were again face to face with the NCAA quarterfinals, the pressure jumped from 0 to 100. The same thing happened last year: first round I'm happy to be there; second round I desperately need a win. That feeling will never dissipate until Cornell does finally make it to a Frozen Four.

[VIEWfromK]

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

It means they won a game a bunch of times and that's a terrific accomplishment.  Cornell is usually the lower seed and not given much of a chance by anyone covering the games.  The expectations have now shifted for this team based on this year's run.  It's a year early so it gives this core extra time to push beyond this regional barrier.  Keep stocking those cupboards Schafer.  We are in for a treat.

[abmarks]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

One of the weird outcomes of us repeatedly losing in the same round is that the pressure comes on so abruptly. Going into the first round of the NCAAs this year, we were still basking in the glory of winning the ECAC. And even in the years we don't win the ECAC, there's still a mission-accomplished feeling that we made the tournament. I was going to be happy even if we lost to Maine. But then, when we beat Maine and were again face to face with the NCAA quarterfinals, the pressure jumped from 0 to 100. The same thing happened last year: first round I'm happy to be there; second round I desperately need a win. That feeling will never dissipate until Cornell does finally make it to a Frozen Four.

But by the end of the season, you are what your record says you are. Have we gotten our fair share of puck luck? probably not.   But we're basically playing to our seeding every year. Could we have had some better lucK/puck luck? sure.   But it's not like we we're blowing most of these games as the favorite.
 
 Here's what I found after adding tournament seedings to Trotsky's chart.
 

In 9 of those 11 losses we were the underdog per the seeds.

-The first two of those losses were in 2 game total goal series where we got beaten up pretty good in the first game - and both of those were at the higher seeds campus site.   Winning either of those series as the visiting team would've been real tough.  

     
-6 of the 7 single-elimination losses as the 'dog were by 1 goal, but that look where those games were played - so many were basically home games from the bad guys.

   Minny in Minneapolis
   Wisco in Green Bay
   BU in Manchester
   UNH in Worcester.  

   taking our lumps 5-2 from UND in Grand Rapids can't be far off from that given the geography and the way UND travels.

-of the 2 losses when we were the favorite, one was the drubbing by Providence...played in Providence, and eh other against Bemiji there is simply no excuse for though.

  THe one game we won, we were the seeded favorite vs BC in Providence in a thriller 2ot game.  ANd anyone who was there wojld say that the faithful were loud, and a significantly bigger presence than the BC fans.  



Location and fan support in the stands aren't exactly the biggest factor in determining outcomes.   But we essentially lost the games we were expected to lose, especially given the game locations and opponents in so many of those. And when favored, we won one, lost one against a 4th seeded host who got to play at home, and blew only one- the Bemiji game.


SUre it hurts to lose over and over again in the QF.  But by coming in as a lower seed so often, I can't find myself nearly as gutted as if we'd often been the 1 or 2 seed in the region and lost these games.   Winning a QF as the 'dog is actually overachieving. I don't remember all these games well enough to judge, but if we were to apply the soccer terminology of "deserved the win" based on the run of play, were there any other games besides perhaps the Wisco loss where one could argue with a straight face that we'd had he better of it?


To be fair, you can't win a title without getting to the title game.  But while we've seen some lower seeded teams go on a magical run to the title, it's not realistic to expect that we'd have any great chance at winning the  whole thing if we did squeek out an upset here or there in a QF.

[CU2007]

It'll be interesting to see who is voted the preseason favorite in the ECAC next year. Qunnipiac has been the top dog for a few years now, but we have narrowed the gap and will be the defending champs with a mostly returning roster. I suspect it will be a closer vote than usual.

[BearLover]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

One of the weird outcomes of us repeatedly losing in the same round is that the pressure comes on so abruptly. Going into the first round of the NCAAs this year, we were still basking in the glory of winning the ECAC. And even in the years we don't win the ECAC, there's still a mission-accomplished feeling that we made the tournament. I was going to be happy even if we lost to Maine. But then, when we beat Maine and were again face to face with the NCAA quarterfinals, the pressure jumped from 0 to 100. The same thing happened last year: first round I'm happy to be there; second round I desperately need a win. That feeling will never dissipate until Cornell does finally make it to a Frozen Four.

But by the end of the season, you are what your record says you are. Have we gotten our fair share of puck luck? probably not.   But we're basically playing to our seeding every year. Could we have had some better lucK/puck luck? sure.   But it's not like we we're blowing most of these games as the favorite.
 
 Here's what I found after adding tournament seedings to Trotsky's chart.
 

In 9 of those 11 losses we were the underdog per the seeds.

-The first two of those losses were in 2 game total goal series where we got beaten up pretty good in the first game - and both of those were at the higher seeds campus site.   Winning either of those series as the visiting team would've been real tough.  

     
-6 of the 7 single-elimination losses as the 'dog were by 1 goal, but that look where those games were played - so many were basically home games from the bad guys.

   Minny in Minneapolis
   Wisco in Green Bay
   BU in Manchester
   UNH in Worcester.  

   taking our lumps 5-2 from UND in Grand Rapids can't be far off from that given the geography and the way UND travels.

-of the 2 losses when we were the favorite, one was the drubbing by Providence...played in Providence, and eh other against Bemiji there is simply no excuse for though.

  THe one game we won, we were the seeded favorite vs BC in Providence in a thriller 2ot game.  ANd anyone who was there wojld say that the faithful were loud, and a significantly bigger presence than the BC fans.  



Location and fan support in the stands aren't exactly the biggest factor in determining outcomes.   But we essentially lost the games we were expected to lose, especially given the game locations and opponents in so many of those. And when favored, we won one, lost one against a 4th seeded host who got to play at home, and blew only one- the Bemiji game.


SUre it hurts to lose over and over again in the QF.  But by coming in as a lower seed so often, I can't find myself nearly as gutted as if we'd often been the 1 or 2 seed in the region and lost these games.   Winning a QF as the 'dog is actually overachieving. I don't remember all these games well enough to judge, but if we were to apply the soccer terminology of "deserved the win" based on the run of play, were there any other games besides perhaps the Wisco loss where one could argue with a straight face that we'd had he better of it?


To be fair, you can't win a title without getting to the title game.  But while we've seen some lower seeded teams go on a magical run to the title, it's not realistic to expect that we'd have any great chance at winning the  whole thing if we did squeek out an upset here or there in a QF.

Somebody just needs to do the math:
What percentage of the time does a 2 beat a 1?
What percentage of the time does a 3 beat a 1? Etc.
Then, you can calculate Cornell's expected win percentage in the NCAA quarterfinals over the years. That will show you how lucky or unlucky we've gotten (hint: extremely unlucky).

[Beeeej]

taking our lumps 5-2 from UND in Grand Rapids can't be far off from that given the geography and the way UND travels.

6-2, but the point I came here to make is that UND had a bye since it was still a 12-team tournament, and we'd beaten Miami as an underdog the day before. UND were the #1 seed and eventual champion, so as much as I'd have liked to see us win (I made the trip to Grand Rapids), it wasn't a shock or huge blow to lose. It was also Schafer's second year as coach and we got a round further than his first year (I can still hear P.C. Drouin's shot ringing off the crossbar late in our 5-4 loss to Lake State), so it was easy to think it was portentous of things imminently to come.

[Scersk '97]

taking our lumps 5-2 from UND in Grand Rapids can't be far off from that given the geography and the way UND travels.

6-2, but the point I came here to make is that UND had a bye since it was still a 12-team tournament, and we'd beaten Miami as an underdog the day before. UND were the #1 seed and eventual champion, so as much as I'd have liked to see us win (I made the trip to Grand Rapids), it wasn't a shock or huge blow to lose. It was also Schafer's second year as coach and we got a round further than his first year (I can still hear P.C. Drouin's shot ringing off the crossbar late in our 5-4 loss to Lake State), so it was easy to think it was portentous of things imminently to come.

The sound of that shot off the post is etched in my mind. I have no doubt that we would've taken it to Vermont the next day.

As far as Grand Rapids went, going out there and losing to the eventual champion after holding them very close for two and a half periods was a perfectly satisfactory end to my senior year.

[scoop85]

I guess I'm just kind of tired of it. "The future is bright." "This freshman class is gonna be really special." "Cornell will be the favorite in the ECAC next season." That's all well and good but at some point you actually have to win. It took a crazy series of events for us to end up in the NCAA quarterfinals with a great chance to win, but we DID end up there, and we DIDN'T win. Feels like we've been "excited for the future" for a long time now. I'm just venting—it was a really good season.

Edit: this was posted before I saw BigDingus's useless post and is not in any way a reply to that

I think it's particularly frustrating that we keep losing in exactly the same round. Which is its own bummer.

And yeah, there's a lot of optimism and talk about the future. But for a year after we lost a lot of big pieces, I'll take this year. It's less frustrating than last year for me. Partially cause we won the conference, and partially cause we really did look good.

It's a mixed bag of emotions for me. The ECAC crown was exhilarating and does take a bit of the sting away. But unlike last year, when I didn't think we were quite there talent wise against BU, yesterday we had every chance to win that game and to come up again short in the quarters is painful.

[George64]

Pleas cry

Big, you're a day early!  According to the Rochester D&C - "There's a saying that everyone is Polish on Dyngus Day, a Polish celebration held the Monday after Easter."