Opponent and other news and results of interest 2024-2025

[Tom Lento]

In this case, I bring up our excruciating regional finals losses because I believe they demonstrate that our ability to win is capped under the current regime. Schafer was one of the best college hockey coaches of all time, but I don't see how we are going to make the frozen four adhering to the same old limitations. Some of them are out of our control: no grad students, no scholarships. But there's no Ivy League rule against carrying four goalies on the roster. There's no rule against bringing in more transfers or NIL. I don't think some of these things (especially NIL) are likely to happen, but I use them as examples of things we can do to (partially) even the playing field against the BUs and Quinnipiac's.

When I said "we need to try to win," it was clearly NOT a judgment of the current team. Instead it means: we need to go farther, within reason, to get over the hump. We shouldn't be content with no frozen fours since 2003. Other teams are doing things within the rules that Cornell is allowed to do too. Cornell isn't getting to the promised land with business as usual.

I don't know if this is by intention, but your comment here suggests you think Schafer wasn't trying to do these things, and that was somehow holding the program back. I think reasonable people can debate whether or not adding more transfers would meaningfully help Cornell - certainly there were a few impact players who went to WMU and Quinnipiac last year that were at least nominally eligible for Cornell, but I don't know that any of them would have been worth he time to pursue, or if Schafer connected with them and they just went elsewhere. Regardless, unless Schafer's on the record saying otherwise I doubt it was unwillingness to entertain transfers that was keeping Cornell off the transfer board. Rather, I suspect the main issue with the transfer portal, and why we haven't seen many guys come through it, is the same issue with recruiting at large - Cornell has limitations that don't apply to the likes of Quinnipiac and WMU. So the pool of available players isn't as big as it might seem with all the movement, and when you put filters in place around quality of play, fit with the needs of the program, interest in Cornell, and ability to get through admissions it's entirely possible a transfer every few years is about as good as it gets for us.

Now, should Jones emphasize the portal more? I have no idea. The thing about coaching is time is the enemy. You must make tradeoffs in terms of how you spend your recruiting efforts. So do you get really good at the transfer portal OR do you open up more recruiting connections to the CHL? Ideally you'd work on both, but if you have to sacrifice time building CHL connections to get a bit better at fishing in the transfer portal, is that worth the trade?

I don't know how much of not using the portal was Schafer and how much of it was structural limitations, as you say. But I think a reasonable assumption is that part of it was a coach who has been successful for 30 years wanting to continue doing things the traditional way. Also I don't think it's a huge time suck to reach out to players in the portal. Often players transfer to teams that previously recruited them, so there may already be a relationship there. Portal transfers take place over a week or two usually so it doesn't take much time away from recruiting etc.

Honestly those are pretty big assumptions. Someone said most kids in the portal already have a target team picked out. If that's true the recruiting process is more than a couple weeks of just reaching out to guys who declare intent.

Of the transfer portal guys who aren't pre-claimed, how many do we think are impact players? How many of them will have 2-3 years to contribute? How many of them can get into Cornell or have any interest in going to Ithaca? I'd wager very few, and then you're back to how you spend your time.

That said I do hope someone is reaching out to Mac Gadowski, even though it's likely hopeless.

[BearLover]

In this case, I bring up our excruciating regional finals losses because I believe they demonstrate that our ability to win is capped under the current regime. Schafer was one of the best college hockey coaches of all time, but I don't see how we are going to make the frozen four adhering to the same old limitations. Some of them are out of our control: no grad students, no scholarships. But there's no Ivy League rule against carrying four goalies on the roster. There's no rule against bringing in more transfers or NIL. I don't think some of these things (especially NIL) are likely to happen, but I use them as examples of things we can do to (partially) even the playing field against the BUs and Quinnipiac's.

When I said "we need to try to win," it was clearly NOT a judgment of the current team. Instead it means: we need to go farther, within reason, to get over the hump. We shouldn't be content with no frozen fours since 2003. Other teams are doing things within the rules that Cornell is allowed to do too. Cornell isn't getting to the promised land with business as usual.

I don't know if this is by intention, but your comment here suggests you think Schafer wasn't trying to do these things, and that was somehow holding the program back. I think reasonable people can debate whether or not adding more transfers would meaningfully help Cornell - certainly there were a few impact players who went to WMU and Quinnipiac last year that were at least nominally eligible for Cornell, but I don't know that any of them would have been worth he time to pursue, or if Schafer connected with them and they just went elsewhere. Regardless, unless Schafer's on the record saying otherwise I doubt it was unwillingness to entertain transfers that was keeping Cornell off the transfer board. Rather, I suspect the main issue with the transfer portal, and why we haven't seen many guys come through it, is the same issue with recruiting at large - Cornell has limitations that don't apply to the likes of Quinnipiac and WMU. So the pool of available players isn't as big as it might seem with all the movement, and when you put filters in place around quality of play, fit with the needs of the program, interest in Cornell, and ability to get through admissions it's entirely possible a transfer every few years is about as good as it gets for us.

Now, should Jones emphasize the portal more? I have no idea. The thing about coaching is time is the enemy. You must make tradeoffs in terms of how you spend your recruiting efforts. So do you get really good at the transfer portal OR do you open up more recruiting connections to the CHL? Ideally you'd work on both, but if you have to sacrifice time building CHL connections to get a bit better at fishing in the transfer portal, is that worth the trade?

I don't know how much of not using the portal was Schafer and how much of it was structural limitations, as you say. But I think a reasonable assumption is that part of it was a coach who has been successful for 30 years wanting to continue doing things the traditional way. Also I don't think it's a huge time suck to reach out to players in the portal. Often players transfer to teams that previously recruited them, so there may already be a relationship there. Portal transfers take place over a week or two usually so it doesn't take much time away from recruiting etc.

Honestly those are pretty big assumptions. Someone said most kids in the portal already have a target team picked out. If that's true the recruiting process is more than a couple weeks of just reaching out to guys who declare intent.

Of the transfer portal guys who aren't pre-claimed, how many do we think are impact players? How many of them will have 2-3 years to contribute? How many of them can get into Cornell or have any interest in going to Ithaca? I'd wager very few, and then you're back to how you spend your time.

That said I do hope someone is reaching out to Mac Gadowski, even though it's likely hopeless.

I don't know how many players fit that criteria but the cost/benefit of trying seems extremely positive. Dartmouth had at least two transfers on their team this year. Our highest point producer since Matt Moulson was a transfer. So it's clearly possible, and the upside is very high. Clarkson took a ton of transfers under Casey so we'll find out pretty soon (within a year for two) how fruitful it is.

[jts15]

https://x.com/MikeMcMahonCHN/status/1907109795292680530


"Shane Soderwall, the 2025 Sid Watson Award winner (top D-II/III hockey player), has multiple D-I offers in the transfer portal.

1.47/.945 this season in 28 games. Over two seasons, 1.52/.947 in 49 games.

Hearing Clarkson is the favorite."

[ugarte]

hmmm how does NAHL compare to DIII?

[Tcl123]

https://x.com/MikeMcMahonCHN/status/1907109795292680530


"Shane Soderwall, the 2025 Sid Watson Award winner (top D-II/III hockey player), has multiple D-I offers in the transfer portal.

1.47/.945 this season in 28 games. Over two seasons, 1.52/.947 in 49 games.

Hearing Clarkson is the favorite."

Those are insane numbers.

[BearLover]

In this case, I bring up our excruciating regional finals losses because I believe they demonstrate that our ability to win is capped under the current regime. Schafer was one of the best college hockey coaches of all time, but I don't see how we are going to make the frozen four adhering to the same old limitations. Some of them are out of our control: no grad students, no scholarships. But there's no Ivy League rule against carrying four goalies on the roster. There's no rule against bringing in more transfers or NIL. I don't think some of these things (especially NIL) are likely to happen, but I use them as examples of things we can do to (partially) even the playing field against the BUs and Quinnipiac's.

When I said "we need to try to win," it was clearly NOT a judgment of the current team. Instead it means: we need to go farther, within reason, to get over the hump. We shouldn't be content with no frozen fours since 2003. Other teams are doing things within the rules that Cornell is allowed to do too. Cornell isn't getting to the promised land with business as usual.

I don't know if this is by intention, but your comment here suggests you think Schafer wasn't trying to do these things, and that was somehow holding the program back. I think reasonable people can debate whether or not adding more transfers would meaningfully help Cornell - certainly there were a few impact players who went to WMU and Quinnipiac last year that were at least nominally eligible for Cornell, but I don't know that any of them would have been worth he time to pursue, or if Schafer connected with them and they just went elsewhere. Regardless, unless Schafer's on the record saying otherwise I doubt it was unwillingness to entertain transfers that was keeping Cornell off the transfer board. Rather, I suspect the main issue with the transfer portal, and why we haven't seen many guys come through it, is the same issue with recruiting at large - Cornell has limitations that don't apply to the likes of Quinnipiac and WMU. So the pool of available players isn't as big as it might seem with all the movement, and when you put filters in place around quality of play, fit with the needs of the program, interest in Cornell, and ability to get through admissions it's entirely possible a transfer every few years is about as good as it gets for us.

Now, should Jones emphasize the portal more? I have no idea. The thing about coaching is time is the enemy. You must make tradeoffs in terms of how you spend your recruiting efforts. So do you get really good at the transfer portal OR do you open up more recruiting connections to the CHL? Ideally you'd work on both, but if you have to sacrifice time building CHL connections to get a bit better at fishing in the transfer portal, is that worth the trade?

I don't know how much of not using the portal was Schafer and how much of it was structural limitations, as you say. But I think a reasonable assumption is that part of it was a coach who has been successful for 30 years wanting to continue doing things the traditional way. Also I don't think it's a huge time suck to reach out to players in the portal. Often players transfer to teams that previously recruited them, so there may already be a relationship there. Portal transfers take place over a week or two usually so it doesn't take much time away from recruiting etc.

Honestly those are pretty big assumptions. Someone said most kids in the portal already have a target team picked out. If that's true the recruiting process is more than a couple weeks of just reaching out to guys who declare intent.

Of the transfer portal guys who aren't pre-claimed, how many do we think are impact players? How many of them will have 2-3 years to contribute? How many of them can get into Cornell or have any interest in going to Ithaca? I'd wager very few, and then you're back to how you spend your time.

That said I do hope someone is reaching out to Mac Gadowski, even though it's likely hopeless.

Yesterday, Casey added the first transfer of his time as head coach: Michael Fisher, formerly of Northeastern.

Hopefully there is more where that came from as Casey takes a more open approach to bringing in transfers. We are going to need a forward transfer now, with Bancroft gone.

[profudge]

Mike Fisher  played last season with the Penticton Vees   -  He is listed at 6 foot and 203 lbs. on D had 2 goals and 14 assists in 35 games.  (plus 41 minutes penalties.

[Jim Hyla]

Mike Fisher  played last season with the Penticton Vees   -  He is listed at 6 foot and 203 lbs. on D had 2 goals and 14 assists in 35 games.  (plus 41 minutes penalties.

With his freshman year at NU he was named to HE All-Academic Team (Required to get 3.0). However it must be easy since some schools have over 20 hockey players listed.

To his credit, he also made the AHCA/Krampade All-American Scholar Honors which requires a 3.75.

Wonder what school accepted him.

[scoop85]

Mike Fisher  played last season with the Penticton Vees   -  He is listed at 6 foot and 203 lbs. on D had 2 goals and 14 assists in 35 games.  (plus 41 minutes penalties.

With his freshman year at NU he was named to HE All-Academic Team (Required to get 3.0). However it must be easy since some schools have over 20 hockey players listed.

To his credit, he also made the AHCA/Krampade All-American Scholar Honors which requires a 3.75.

Wonder what school accepted him.

I just posted on the recruits thread that he had originally committed to Princeton, so he seems academically inclined.

[ursusminor]

RPI is expected to announce its new coach today.

[scoop85]

RPI is expected to announce its new coach today.

Eric Lang the likely choice?

[ursusminor]

RPI is expected to announce its new coach today.

Eric Lang the likely choice?

Yes. He has given notice to AIC, and AIC has posted a vacancy. Of course, he might have done that anyway since AIC is dropping out of D-I.

Jason Tapp has also been mentioned often.

[ursusminor]

RPI is expected to announce its new coach today.

Eric Lang the likely choice?

Yes. He has given notice to AIC, and AIC has posted a vacancy. Of course, he might have done that anyway since AIC is dropping out of D-I.

Jason Tapp has also been mentioned often.

Nothing was announced on Monday.

[ursusminor]

It's Eric Lang.

[Beeeej]

It's Eric Lang.

This is my shocked face: B-]