NCAAs quarterfinal Cornell vs. BU

[ER]

They did seem to play less physical but maybe I'm wrong

I noticed that too. A lot of checking opportunities went unchecked. I thought it was because they were trying to stay out of the box. They also lost a lot of puck battles they typically win

I also noticed this in the MSU game. It didn't seem specific to the BU game.

I wasn't at the MSU game, only the BU game.

[Jim Hyla]

Here's Schafer's Letter for any of you who don't receive it:

CORNELL 4, Michigan State 3
Boston U 3, CORNELL 2 OT

It had to happen eventually, but it would have been great to finish up one's career in the Frozen Four finals.  Coming off the ECAC championship, I couldn't have been happier with how hard our guys played.

The win over Michigan State was one for the books. To keep coming back against the top ranked team in the country in the rink where it was like a home game for them was classic Cornell hockey.

Michigan State opened the scoring at 7:20 into the game.  All season long, the Spartans put a lot of shots on goal from everywhere, and their first period goal snapped our six-game streak of scoring first.  For the game, they outshot us, 37-21.

At 15:02, sophomore forward Ryan Walsh picked the pocket of s Michigan State player, and quickly beat the Spartan goaltender to make it 1-1.  With 49 seconds remaining, we were assessed a penalty, and it took the Spartans just 20 seconds to regain the lead at 2-1.

We had a tough second period, and didn't have a shot on goal until halftime through the period, and finished with just four shots total for the middle stanza.  But all was not lost. At 16:30, sophomore forward Charlie Major showed his marksmanship with a one-timer that dented the back of the net. Seventeen seconds later, senior goaltender Ian Shane turned the puck over, and Michigan State led, 3-2. For the season, the Spartans were 18-0-2 when leading after two periods of play.

In the third period, we were just a team that would not be denied. At 12:38, sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson sent a shot on goal that resulted in a rebound. Walsh, standing on the doorstep, tied the game for the third time with his conversion tally. Ryan has been a tremendous player for us all season long.  He's also tremendous on faceoffs against the best in the country. I think we gave the boys a wakeup call going into that third period, as we outshot Michigan State, 12-7.

With 1:39 remaining, we were awarded our only power-play opportunity on the night, as speedy senior forward Jack O'Leary was pulled down from behind on his way to the net. We really put the pressure on, and with 20 seconds left, Major and senior forward Sullivan Mack exchanged passes about eight feet in front of the net. On the last exchange, Mack fired the puck into the net for the 4-3 win with 10 seconds remaining.

Shane played well in goal with 34 saves, and the Spartan's netminder stopped 17 shots. Both teams were 1-for-1 on the power play.

The next day was a day off before we were to faceoff against Boston University.  Thank goodness we didn't have to play as the flu bug ran through our team. If we had to play, we would have been missing five players.  I just can't believe how well this team has played, coming off so many injuries and sickness.

On to the BU game. We took a 1-0 lead at 7:35 into the game, with Walsh doing the honors once again. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft's initial shot was blocked, but the rebound hit Walsh and bounced back into the net. It was originally called a no-goal, citing a hand pass, but we challenged the call and were successful. It only took 1:12 after our goal for BU to tie the score on a shot that clanked off a Cornell skater into the net.

With two minutes remaining in the first period, a lengthy review of a after the whistle battle, we were assessed a five-minute major penalty for grabbing the face mask.  This gave us the challenge of defending the fourth-best power play in the collegiate ranks for five minutes, and the boys were up to the challenge.  The game, up to this point, had been a real stalemate.  After 40 minutes, both teams had 23 shots on goal, while we had an edge in faceoffs won, 16-15.

BU took advantage of its power play, and scored 34 seconds into the third period to take a 2-1 lead.  But O'Leary completed a great pass from senior defenseman Tim Rego to tie the game at 2-2 with 5:30 remaining.  There were a few more offensive thrusts by both teams, but the game was destined to go into overtime.

Overtime began with us having a couple of quality scoring opportunities. At 6:25 of the extra session, BU scored the winning goal on a shot from the right point that made it through traffic and into the left corner of the goal.

Shane made 40 saves (the second time of his career), and the BU goaltender stopped 37 shots.  We were 0-for-3 on the power play, and they were 1-for-4.

I am so proud of this team's grittiness and determination. To tie the game up showed their perseverance again . We had a couple great chances in overtime in the first few minutes.  When the goal went in my heart sunk.  To see this happen to our seniors three years in a row was difficult. They wanted the Final Four so bad.  It is hard to put in words what it was like in the locker room.  We finished the season 19-11-6, and won the ECAC Tournament trophy.

It has been an honor and privilege to coach these players and so many other players before them.  I have been blessed with so many great assistants coaches and volunteers that I wouldn't even know where to start to thank so many great people who have impacted my life and helped Cornell hockey be so successful.
Mike Schafer
mcs14@cornell.edu
607-327-1069

So now we can blame the flu among the dozens of other things that have prevented us from getting to the frozen four since 2003. This was the most crushing loss I have ever experienced as a Cornell fan and I still am not close to getting over it. I guess I never will. One of those games that haunts you forever.

BearLover, as I posted on another thread, why do you again have to tell us how bad this loss was for you?

We all know it!

And why do you have to say something about Coach Schafer saying the flu bug was going thru the team. He told us something about the team that we didn't know. Was it important? Probably. I've had the flu multiple times and I can't imagine trying to play a physical game while I was recovering.

But getting back to my main point, why do you need to be negative 90% of the time. (Same disclaimer as in the other post.)

[abmarks]

So now we can blame the flu among the dozens of other things that have prevented us from getting to the frozen four since 2003. This was the most crushing loss I have ever experienced as a Cornell fan and I still am not close to getting over it. I guess I never will. One of those games that haunts you forever.

FFS clownlover, the world, and certainly Cornell hockey, owes you absolutely nothing. Yet you are perpetually the most entitled Karen on the planet.  So entitled that you can't accept the simplest of facts that largely explain much of this season, and instead trying to root out what must be the "true" causes.

You've got to be the only one on the planet at this point who has yet to accept that for most of the season, we were mediocre at best for exactly the reason coach stated over and over: "it's the injuries, stupid." And if you heard coach talking about that, rather than in print, it was clear that he was sincere and not putting down rote coach speak. You could hear it in his tone.   And explaining the reality that flu slammed the team isn't blame. To call it blame is just your entitled inner toddler brat throwing another tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted.

And your declaration that this was the most brutal QF loss is ridiculous, unless by brutal you mean recent.  You're right that opportunities can't be thrown away or blown.   But we didn't squander the opportunity.  The team played a damn good game as did BU.  We didn't make any major blunders.  We played our game...but on this day we got beat by another team that did the same.  

If we'd lost because of an ot goal like the behind the net fiasco from days prior, that'd be brutal.  Or getting our asses kicked by a vastly inferior team, that'd be brutal. Or completely dominating the run of play and not getting the result, that'd be brutal.  OT losses suck but this is one of the least brutal QF losses we've had.

And enough with the unlevel playing field BS.  It's not now, nor will it ever be one.  This isn't a salary cap league with a draft.  Even if every player on BU and Cornell got full rides and the admissions standard was the same, we would still be at a permanent disadvantage, though of lesser degree. Assuming the kids still have to go to class, the academics would remain harder to get through here.  But mostly the issue is that BU is in Boston, and we aren't.  They are at the center of a hockey hotbed, which offers two major advantages in recruiting- they are exposed to so many more talented players within a 2 hr drive it's a lot easier to follow them etc.  And on the flip side, how many kids grow up dreaming of playing at Cornell? Basically none.  But there are untold numbers of the kids who dream of playing at BU or BC one day and also don't feel like they never left home if they go there, because it's a large city.

You should stop following Cornell Hockey and spend your time following Duke hoops or similar; that's much more in your bizarro land of expectations. And while you're at it, of you are so certain of the prescriptions for what ails is, you should be sending all of that amazing insight and wisdom to Casey or Niki directly; I'm sure they'll be so grateful for it.

[BearLover]

So now we can blame the flu among the dozens of other things that have prevented us from getting to the frozen four since 2003. This was the most crushing loss I have ever experienced as a Cornell fan and I still am not close to getting over it. I guess I never will. One of those games that haunts you forever.

FFS clownlover, the world, and certainly Cornell hockey, owes you absolutely nothing. Yet you are perpetually the most entitled Karen on the planet.  So entitled that you can't accept the simplest of facts that largely explain much of this season, and instead trying to root out what must be the "true" causes.

You've got to be the only one on the planet at this point who has yet to accept that for most of the season, we were mediocre at best for exactly the reason coach stated over and over: "it's the injuries, stupid." And if you heard coach talking about that, rather than in print, it was clear that he was sincere and not putting down rote coach speak. You could hear it in his tone.   And explaining the reality that flu slammed the team isn't blame. To call it blame is just your entitled inner toddler brat throwing another tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted.

And your declaration that this was the most brutal QF loss is ridiculous, unless by brutal you mean recent.  You're right that opportunities can't be thrown away or blown.   But we didn't squander the opportunity.  The team played a damn good game as did BU.  We didn't make any major blunders.  We played our game...but on this day we got beat by another team that did the same.  

If we'd lost because of an ot goal like the behind the net fiasco from days prior, that'd be brutal.  Or getting our asses kicked by a vastly inferior team, that'd be brutal. Or completely dominating the run of play and not getting the result, that'd be brutal.  OT losses suck but this is one of the least brutal QF losses we've had.

And enough with the unlevel playing field BS.  It's not now, nor will it ever be one.  This isn't a salary cap league with a draft.  Even if every player on BU and Cornell got full rides and the admissions standard was the same, we would still be at a permanent disadvantage, though of lesser degree. Assuming the kids still have to go to class, the academics would remain harder to get through here.  But mostly the issue is that BU is in Boston, and we aren't.  They are at the center of a hockey hotbed, which offers two major advantages in recruiting- they are exposed to so many more talented players within a 2 hr drive it's a lot easier to follow them etc.  And on the flip side, how many kids grow up dreaming of playing at Cornell? Basically none.  But there are untold numbers of the kids who dream of playing at BU or BC one day and also don't feel like they never left home if they go there, because it's a large city.

You should stop following Cornell Hockey and spend your time following Duke hoops or similar; that's much more in your bizarro land of expectations. And while you're at it, of you are so certain of the prescriptions for what ails is, you should be sending all of that amazing insight and wisdom to Casey or Niki directly; I'm sure they'll be so grateful for it.

Way too long; didn't come close to reading

[abmarks]

So now we can blame the flu among the dozens of other things that have prevented us from getting to the frozen four since 2003. This was the most crushing loss I have ever experienced as a Cornell fan and I still am not close to getting over it. I guess I never will. One of those games that haunts you forever.

FFS clownlover, the world, and certainly Cornell hockey, owes you absolutely nothing. Yet you are perpetually the most entitled Karen on the planet.  So entitled that you can't accept the simplest of facts that largely explain much of this season, and instead trying to root out what must be the "true" causes.

You've got to be the only one on the planet at this point who has yet to accept that for most of the season, we were mediocre at best for exactly the reason coach stated over and over: "it's the injuries, stupid." And if you heard coach talking about that, rather than in print, it was clear that he was sincere and not putting down rote coach speak. You could hear it in his tone.   And explaining the reality that flu slammed the team isn't blame. To call it blame is just your entitled inner toddler brat throwing another tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted.

And your declaration that this was the most brutal QF loss is ridiculous, unless by brutal you mean recent.  You're right that opportunities can't be thrown away or blown.   But we didn't squander the opportunity.  The team played a damn good game as did BU.  We didn't make any major blunders.  We played our game...but on this day we got beat by another team that did the same.  

If we'd lost because of an ot goal like the behind the net fiasco from days prior, that'd be brutal.  Or getting our asses kicked by a vastly inferior team, that'd be brutal. Or completely dominating the run of play and not getting the result, that'd be brutal.  OT losses suck but this is one of the least brutal QF losses we've had.

And enough with the unlevel playing field BS.  It's not now, nor will it ever be one.  This isn't a salary cap league with a draft.  Even if every player on BU and Cornell got full rides and the admissions standard was the same, we would still be at a permanent disadvantage, though of lesser degree. Assuming the kids still have to go to class, the academics would remain harder to get through here.  But mostly the issue is that BU is in Boston, and we aren't.  They are at the center of a hockey hotbed, which offers two major advantages in recruiting- they are exposed to so many more talented players within a 2 hr drive it's a lot easier to follow them etc.  And on the flip side, how many kids grow up dreaming of playing at Cornell? Basically none.  But there are untold numbers of the kids who dream of playing at BU or BC one day and also don't feel like they never left home if they go there, because it's a large city.

You should stop following Cornell Hockey and spend your time following Duke hoops or similar; that's much more in your bizarro land of expectations. And while you're at it, of you are so certain of the prescriptions for what ails is, you should be sending all of that amazing insight and wisdom to Casey or Niki directly; I'm sure they'll be so grateful for it.

Way too long; didn't come close to reading

The weight of truth must be so scary for you to face

[BearLover]

So now we can blame the flu among the dozens of other things that have prevented us from getting to the frozen four since 2003. This was the most crushing loss I have ever experienced as a Cornell fan and I still am not close to getting over it. I guess I never will. One of those games that haunts you forever.

FFS clownlover, the world, and certainly Cornell hockey, owes you absolutely nothing. Yet you are perpetually the most entitled Karen on the planet.  So entitled that you can't accept the simplest of facts that largely explain much of this season, and instead trying to root out what must be the "true" causes.

You've got to be the only one on the planet at this point who has yet to accept that for most of the season, we were mediocre at best for exactly the reason coach stated over and over: "it's the injuries, stupid." And if you heard coach talking about that, rather than in print, it was clear that he was sincere and not putting down rote coach speak. You could hear it in his tone.   And explaining the reality that flu slammed the team isn't blame. To call it blame is just your entitled inner toddler brat throwing another tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted.

And your declaration that this was the most brutal QF loss is ridiculous, unless by brutal you mean recent.  You're right that opportunities can't be thrown away or blown.   But we didn't squander the opportunity.  The team played a damn good game as did BU.  We didn't make any major blunders.  We played our game...but on this day we got beat by another team that did the same.  

If we'd lost because of an ot goal like the behind the net fiasco from days prior, that'd be brutal.  Or getting our asses kicked by a vastly inferior team, that'd be brutal. Or completely dominating the run of play and not getting the result, that'd be brutal.  OT losses suck but this is one of the least brutal QF losses we've had.

And enough with the unlevel playing field BS.  It's not now, nor will it ever be one.  This isn't a salary cap league with a draft.  Even if every player on BU and Cornell got full rides and the admissions standard was the same, we would still be at a permanent disadvantage, though of lesser degree. Assuming the kids still have to go to class, the academics would remain harder to get through here.  But mostly the issue is that BU is in Boston, and we aren't.  They are at the center of a hockey hotbed, which offers two major advantages in recruiting- they are exposed to so many more talented players within a 2 hr drive it's a lot easier to follow them etc.  And on the flip side, how many kids grow up dreaming of playing at Cornell? Basically none.  But there are untold numbers of the kids who dream of playing at BU or BC one day and also don't feel like they never left home if they go there, because it's a large city.

You should stop following Cornell Hockey and spend your time following Duke hoops or similar; that's much more in your bizarro land of expectations. And while you're at it, of you are so certain of the prescriptions for what ails is, you should be sending all of that amazing insight and wisdom to Casey or Niki directly; I'm sure they'll be so grateful for it.

Way too long; didn't come close to reading

The weight of truth must be so scary for you to face

No, it's actually that you can't get past the first sentence without calling me a name and it's not interesting for me to argue with children.

[CU2007]

To me, the most crushing loss was the Bemidji State game because we played terrible and that was a team we really should have beaten. Any OT season ending loss is crushing, especially given the situation with Schafer (and it being for a long overdue Frozen Four birth), but I find solace in the fact that we left it all out there. That's really all you can ask for on any given day.

[underskill]

Were we actually seeded higher in any of the regional finals besides Bemidji? Maybe Ferris State?

[Tom Lento]

Were we actually seeded higher in any of the regional finals besides Bemidji? Maybe Ferris State?

Two other times: 2003 (overall #1, beat BC to advance to the FF) and 2019 (Cornell and Providence both pulled first round upsets, Cornell was a 3 seed and had the white jerseys for the regional final).

Against Ferris State Cornell was a 4 seed, advancing by pulling an upset against overall #2 Michigan in the first round. Ferris lost in the finals to overall #1 BC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_ice_hockey_tournament#Regional_Final

[Tom Lento]

Were we actually seeded higher in any of the regional finals besides Bemidji? Maybe Ferris State?

Two other times: 2003 (overall #1, beat BC to advance to the FF) and 2019 (Cornell and Providence both pulled first round upsets, Cornell was a 3 seed and had the white jerseys for the regional final).

Against Ferris State Cornell was a 4 seed, advancing by pulling an upset against overall #2 Michigan in the first round. Ferris lost in the finals to overall #1 BC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_ice_hockey_tournament#Regional_Final

Since I was looking at all this stuff, might as well put this here. Cornell's first round record features an incredible SEVEN upset wins. Cornell's first NCAA win under Schafer was in the 12-team era in 1997, with a 6 vs 3 seed upset over Miami. The QF game against a rested and frankly far better NoDak team was not close, and their only other win in the old 12 team format (2002) had them favored in the first round against a pre-ECAC Quinnipiac team. They lost the QF to a rested but not very much better UNH team that year.

2009, 2012, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025 all featured first round upset wins in the 16 team format.

[Scersk '97]

The QF game against a rested and frankly far better NoDak team was not close, and their only other win in the old 12 team format (2002) had them favored in the first round against a pre-ECAC Quinnipiac team. They lost the QF to a rested but not very much better UNH team that year.

Unusual strong disagree on 1997. That NoDak game was close! Were they better than us? Sure. But the only broke it open halfway into the third.

What stings about 2002 was that we could've been the last beneficiaries of the Clarkson rule, which did not happen because of another painful memory.

[Tom Lento]

The QF game against a rested and frankly far better NoDak team was not close, and their only other win in the old 12 team format (2002) had them favored in the first round against a pre-ECAC Quinnipiac team. They lost the QF to a rested but not very much better UNH team that year.

Unusual strong disagree on 1997. That NoDak game was close! Were they better than us? Sure. But the only broke it open halfway into the third.

What stings about 2002 was that we could've been the last beneficiaries of the Clarkson rule, which did not happen because of another painful memory.

Memory fails me, then, I thought they broke it open in the second. I didn't actually see the game, those were radio days.

[stereax]

I didnt really take notes. I could see it live and knew of it happening.

Even Shane was still off it looked.

By overtime it just looked like we were completely gassed and had nothing left in the tank. I was standing there (as I was on the run) watching on my phone like "is Psenicka usually this slow?" A distinct feeling of the magic, so to speak, running dry.

[Trotsky]

Unusual strong disagree on 1997. That NoDak game was close! Were they better than us? Sure. But the only broke it open halfway into the third.

My memories are 25+ years in the bin, but I was there and I remember NoDak controlling play and dominating us from the puck drop.  We never felt in it.  Note they badly outshot us.

We were still close, and anything can happen, but had we somehow won it would have been a steal.

[Trotsky]

I didnt really take notes. I could see it live and knew of it happening.

Even Shane was still off it looked.

By overtime it just looked like we were completely gassed and had nothing left in the tank. I was standing there (as I was on the run) watching on my phone like "is Psenicka usually this slow?" A distinct feeling of the magic, so to speak, running dry.

I thought BU looked gassed too, though.  I was shocked when I read about the illness.  I never would have guessed.