NCAAs quarterfinal Cornell vs. BU

[Trotsky]

My first season was Dick Bertrand's final, so there's some fun parallelism.  It was also the start of the only three-year stretch in history where we missed the ECAC playoffs entirely, which is why I cannot be disappointed by this team, ever.  Every playoff win a treasure.

[RichH]

I'm sitting in a bar outside of Toledo doing some...soaking, for the lack of a better word.

They have Hockey Night in Canada on, and during the 2nd intermission, they played highlights of our game, which honestly was surprising. No sound, so I have to guess, but given the pro prospects on BU, they mentioned that. Then there was a shot of Schafer behind the bench tonight, followed by old photos of the analysts from their playing days at Western Michigan, where Mike had his previous job. This on the CBC, going out to all of Canada. It was in my head how appropriate it would have been to end it all vs WMU, but storybooks aren't always cooperative.

The number of lives this guy has touched amateur, pro, coaching, broadcasting, and just in life isn't really spoken of, and thinking of it, it is astounding.

I welled on the outside once or twice during the postgame, but you can believe my soul was and still is, sobbing. I snapped a few photos as it's clearly the end of an era. Right before walking off the ice, the referee handed him the game puck. (Or that's what it looked like).

I know there will be more tribute threads here, but Christ, what a legend.

[stereax]

My first season was Dick Bertrand's final, so there's some fun parallelism.  It was also the start of the only three-year stretch in history where we missed the ECAC playoffs entirely, which is why I cannot be disappointed by this team, ever.  Every playoff win a treasure.

How about we don't talk about missing the ECAC playoffs... hahahahahah... even if it's mathematically impossible as far as I'm aware...

[stereax]

I'm sitting in a bar outside of Toledo doing some...soaking, for the lack of a better word.

It's really sinking in for me now, I think, lying in bed at night. I'm not crying... much. Just, man, I'm so fuckin' proud of this team, and it's not coming back nearly the same next year, and we couldn't muster up enough magic to beat Schafer's final demon (the regional finals), and just. Man. Man. What a run, what a legacy to leave. Even if the storybook has an imperfect ending. That's our team. And they fought to the bitter end.

[Trotsky]

Schafer as a coach spans literally half of modern Cornell hockey history, not even accounting for his time as player and assistant coach.

[RichH]

My first season was Dick Bertrand's final, so there's some fun parallelism.  It was also the start of the only three-year stretch in history where we missed the ECAC playoffs entirely, which is why I cannot be disappointed by this team, ever.  Every playoff win a treasure.

How about we don't talk about missing the ECAC playoffs... hahahahahah... even if it's mathematically impossible as far as I'm aware...

My freshman year, Cornell was one of two teams to have won their final game. (We lost the previous 11). People think Lynah looks empty now...

[Trotsky]

My first season was Dick Bertrand's final, so there's some fun parallelism.  It was also the start of the only three-year stretch in history where we missed the ECAC playoffs entirely, which is why I cannot be disappointed by this team, ever.  Every playoff win a treasure.

How about we don't talk about missing the ECAC playoffs... hahahahahah... even if it's mathematically impossible as far as I'm aware...

My freshman year, Cornell was one of two teams to have won their final game. (We lost the previous 11). People think Lynah looks empty now...

God bless 1993.

That year I was driving a noted Cornell VIP back from Appleton in the snow and as well peeled out of the parking lot he said, "You just missed the chance to run over Brian McCutcheon," and I said "Want me to go round again?"

[Tom Lento]

Count me in the 1000% proud camp.  It would have been so easy for this team to mail it in - they had every excuse in the world NOT to put in the extra effort it must have taken to gel late Feb & March with a completely different lineup than they had a month before.  Their record was already a millstone around their necks - by the time everyone got healthy, it was clear we were going on the road for the ECAC playoffs, with a run to Lake Placid very unlikely.  Just let the season run out and move on with life.

But they didn't take that path - they did not let the situation control their intensity.  They buckled down and poured their hearts into every shift, steamrolling Colgate on the road, never giving up against Q, controlling Clarkson, taking down the #1 team in the polls, and taking arguably the most skilled team in the country to OT.

I could not be prouder - which is exactly why it hurts so much.  If losing didn't hurt, then winning wouldn't be special, and that's not a life I choose to live.  I want the highs, so I take the lows.  You cannot have one without the other.

Let's Go Red.

In the press conference after the ECAC final Schafer talked about how the team decided to go training camp mode as they got close to full strength in February instead of doing the usual taper, and how hard that was for them in terms of both scheduling and physical workload. They went for it, they worked for it, and it paid off big.

They're conference champions and they played a tremendous NCAA tournament, and as the pain of this loss fades I'm sure earning that title will be incredibly satisfying after such a challenging and disappointing regular season.

[BearLover]

I think people need to separate our incredible run the past few weeks from how devastating of a loss today was. Yes, I'm extremely proud of this team and of this program and of Schafer. Yes, this was an amazing few weeks. But we were in OT of the regional final. We are in this position precious few times, and today things didn't go our way, yet again. 1-10 in regional finals is horrifically unlucky; even if we were 40% to win each game (which is low) we should have 4 or 5 frozen fours and probably a national championship under Schafer.

And so I don't really care to celebrate our run and Schafer's career immediately following one of the most brutal losses I have ever seen. I've had the whole year to celebrate Schafer, and days and weeks to celebrate our run. To lose in OT to BU, with the frozen four on the line, in the same game for the third year in a row, in our coach's final season, is brutal. If your immediately reaction to our season ending is to write how grateful you are, I think that's a coping mechanism. Which is fine! I have my own coping mechanism, which is my usual Charlie Brown act. Trosky has his, which is putting words in people's mouths and calling them a POS. Everyone copes in their own way.

But just because I bemoan how horrifically bad this loss was doesn't mean I don't appreciate Schafer or this program. If you seriously think that, you're absolutely nuts. Two things can be true: (1) Schafer had a great career, and (2) this was the single biggest opportunity, and single most devastating loss, in my 17 years as a die-hard Cornell hockey fan.

[stereax]

And so I don't really care to celebrate our run and Schafer's career immediately following one of the most brutal losses I have ever seen.
.

Dude, are you nuts??
BU killed Ohio State 8-3
We lost in OT
Brutal loss?
No way was this a brutal loss
I think you should get a hobby - knitting or crochet might be good therapy

seconding crochet! I used to mess around with crochet while watching NHL games - a hobby I should get back to, tbh - and it's super rewarding to make little projects

[pfibiger]

And so I don't really care to celebrate our run and Schafer's career immediately following one of the most brutal losses I have ever seen.
.

Dude, are you nuts??
BU killed Ohio State 8-3
We lost in OT
Brutal loss?
No way was this a brutal loss
I think you should get a hobby - knitting or crochet might be good therapy

Bearlover, I raised sea levels .000001" to make you this. I hope you find no enjoyment in its beauty and may your glass always stay half empty.

[ER]

And so I don't really care to celebrate our run and Schafer's career immediately following one of the most brutal losses I have ever seen.
.

Dude, are you nuts??
BU killed Ohio State 8-3
We lost in OT
Brutal loss?
No way was this a brutal loss
I think you should get a hobby - knitting or crochet might be good therapy

Can you guys all just fucking quit it? If he wants to describe it as brutal (which emotionally, is accurate) why is that so triggering? It's a forum. People can express their opinions and feelings freely. No one's feelings are more or less valid than the next. If you don't like someone's' comment, just keep scrolling. But I've had about enough of the quibbling. Y'all need to grow up.

[Big Dingus]

I think Bearlover is the worst poster ever to sign up for this forum - but unfortunately he is right.

The string of losses in this game is depressing and the fact that we could not just get the ONE bounce to get us over the hump is horrible. In 10 games, not once could anything go our way to go to the frozen four. Not luck, nothing. That's horrible and it is the same thing every year.

[ER]

It really is a mystery.

[BearLover]

And so I don't really care to celebrate our run and Schafer's career immediately following one of the most brutal losses I have ever seen.
.

Dude, are you nuts??
BU killed Ohio State 8-3
We lost in OT
Brutal loss?
No way was this a brutal loss
I think you should get a hobby - knitting or crochet might be good therapy

Wow, some of this stuff on this forum seriously reads like it came from people who have never watched sports before. Yes, losing in the regional final in OT when your team hasn't been to the frozen four since 2003 is 1000x more brutal than losing 8-3 in the opening round. Are you nuts?

Also, why do you even care what I think? I'm just expressing my own opinion, I'm not attacking anybody. Get a grip, dude, not everyone is a happy-go-lucky optimist who smiles serenely after Cornell loses in OT in the regional final to its arch rival to end the career of its coach. I post the most benign shit ever and without fail it triggers a massive freakout. This is the softest and most cringe sports forum in the history of the internet, you all need to grow up.