Cornell @ Quinnipiac, 2/20/26

[arugula]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

Largely it's that freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity for a long time, but obviously it wasn't only that.

I know the way basketball worked was that the JV was walk ons and they would practice every day at like 6 am, but then when games happened, the scrubs from the varsity would take most of the game time.  Obviously in hockey playing time works differently, but I suspect it would be the guys who were end of bench or healthy scratches getting some of the JV time and then a lot of walk ons to serve as practice bodies. 

[BearLover]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

Largely it's that freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity for a long time, but obviously it wasn't only that.

By the time the Wyttenbachs were on campus though, freshmen had been varsity-eligible for 15-20 years.

[Beeeej]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

Largely it's that freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity for a long time, but obviously it wasn't only that.

By the time the Wyttenbachs were on campus though, freshmen had been varsity-eligible for 15-20 years.

Yes, hence the "obviously." But I believe it's the main reason the team existed in the first place.

[ugarte]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

Largely it's that freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity for a long time, but obviously it wasn't only that.

In the 1989-90 season, IIRC, star frosh Ryan Hughes was roommates with fellow frosh Russ Hammond in one of the u-halls; Hammond bounced between the JV and varsity for a couple of years before breaking into the lineup.

[marty]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

Largely it's that freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity for a long time, but obviously it wasn't only that.

One issue that always bothered me was that the coaches when recruiting seemed to have to lie to recruits as far as their likelihood of playing on the team after Freshman year.  I knew 3 or 4 players who hardly played.  The team was loaded with talent - Gary Meagher and Mike Quinn were the two I knew that certainly expected to play and didn't quite have enough to make the '71-'72 and '72-'73 teams.  I am not sure if they graduated partly because our fraternity disbanded in bankruptcy.

To field an almost full Freshman team each year was not trivial.  But it apparently couldn't have been an issue with these JV players due to the time frame.

Based on what Beeeej is writing here and what I remember, the JV included the Freshmen recruits.......

[RichH]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

I went to the U. of Rochester for grad school in 96-97, and went to a school-promoted (on their official athletics schedule) game between U of R and Cornell. The only two things I remember are 1) noting that there was a lot of fighting and 2) trying to figure out if it was a JV team or a club team from Cornell. This seems it was around time that the JV squad was discontinued.

[Trotsky]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Am I correct somebody actually made the jump to varsity and became a significant contributor in the mid 80s?  My addled brain insists on Moeser or Natyshak but that can't possible be true.  Major, maybe?  Heaphy?

[VIEWfromK]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Thanks. So what was the purpose of the JV team? Did players bounce around between JV and varsity? Did JV players get recruited just as varsity players did, or were they (mostly?) walk-ons? Seems unlikely that 3 different Wyttenbachs would all play JV but not a minute of varsity. Maybe they have sour grapes from never making it.

I went to the U. of Rochester for grad school in 96-97, and went to a school-promoted (on their official athletics schedule) game between U of R and Cornell. The only two things I remember are 1) noting that there was a lot of fighting and 2) trying to figure out if it was a JV team or a club team from Cornell. This seems it was around time that the JV squad was discontinued.

Club team maybe?  I played one season of Club at IC and the Cornell Club team crushed us when we played them.  I also expect fights are more likely at that level

[abmarks]

Fall of 85 a guy on my uhaul floor played JV.  I recall that he was definitely a walkon and mentioned there were a number of walk-ons.

[dbilmes]

In the fall of '74 my roommate, who was from Darien, CT, tried out for the freshman/JV team (whatever it was back then) as a walk-on. Not surprisingly, the Canadian players who had been recruited all made the team. He did not.

[andyw2100]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Am I correct somebody actually made the jump to varsity and became a significant contributor in the mid 80s?  My addled brain insists on Moeser or Natyshak but that can't possible be true.  Major, maybe?  Heaphy?

It wasn't Moeser. He was in my freshman seminar, and wrote about being on the (varsity) hockey team.

[Trotsky]

Our recent history against these fuckers has been solid.

[Trotsky]

Marc, Robert and Andrew Wyttenbach all played junior-varsity hockey for Cornell from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, until the JV program was disbanded, having outlived its usefulness. I spent way too many Saturday and Sunday mornings at those games, as official scorer, PA announcer, or both. My records of those times are no longer in my possession, having contributed 40 boxes of material to the University Archives when I downsized about 5 1/2 years ago, but they are available for reference in the reading room in the basement of Olin Library.

Some JV facts: Schafer coached the JV team as part of his job as assistant coach right after he graduated. Tony Eisenhut, the analyst on the ESPN+ broadcasts, was a JV player.

Am I correct somebody actually made the jump to varsity and became a significant contributor in the mid 80s?  My addled brain insists on Moeser or Natyshak but that can't possible be true.  Major, maybe?  Heaphy?

It wasn't Moeser. He was in my freshman seminar, and wrote about being on the (varsity) hockey team.

I don't know why it's in my head.  I think Moeser was highly touted coming in, too, though back then I only heard 4th hand rumors.

[Trotsky]

MacKinnon dive worthy of Abby Murphy.

[Jim Hyla]

Our recent history against these fuckers has been solid.

Thanks for putting that up.