Opponents and other news and results 2026-2027

[Trotsky]

There will always be tiers delimited by financial support / "institutional commitment" (read: admissions is pressured to let the rockheads in and faculty is pressured to keep them eligible) / FIFA-level fraud (cough B1G).

The magic of college hockey has been through decades of iterations of different systems the distance between the tiers has not gotten entirely out of wack.  There is still overlap.  And that means distribution within tier is vital.

Keep up the good work, sezenack!

[Dafatone]

Wrote an article about the blueprint for small schools succeeding that I thought you all might be interested in too, even though I look at it through somewhat of an RPI lens.

https://www.rpifieldhouse.com/p/the-formula-to-national-success-as

I think it could've been summarized better in one sentence: "Get a large donation from a billionaire alum."

Which I believe is much more doable than any other solution, and will lead to everything else mentioned.

The money part is a second article upcoming. I don't agree though. Plenty of coaches and programs squander good talent and enough resources because they don't recruit the right mix of players, don't develop their players properly, or are poor at executing their systems. I don't think Penn State will ever win a national championship with Gadowsky's run and gun system for example. BU was decidedly mediocre last year because they were too young and soft. Harvard has been squandering their talent for years now (which is why they pushed Donato out). You need the resources, yes, but if you don't have a good system, you're not going to make good on the talent you bring in.

Honestly, it's a tired age-old discussion that always has the same answer. Does Manchester City win because it has the most money or the best system/coaching? Yes. Do the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers win because of the money or the system? Yes.  St. John's made the Sweet 16 again for the first time in 27 years after a billionaire pumped $5 million into the program to pay players.

When people say "money is not the reason you need a good system" - it's a false dichotomy. Everyone knows you need both.  Holy Cross isn't winning a national championship any time soon, no matter what they do.  The greatest coach with the greatest system on god's green earth isn't competing nationally without money.  When the money gap used to be smaller, it was more possible, though having "resources" were still important. Now that the money gap is a giant chasm, it's even more difficult to bridge the gap by being smarter.

Schools like RPI, Clarkson, etc... -- hate to say -- will never be able to compete nationally again without a massive infusion of cash.  Those alums are out there, just need to convince them to spend.

The Mets are out there, fighting the good fight against a salary cap by proving that it's not just money.

Stand with the MLBPA. Support the Mets.

[ugarte]

Focusing on championships in a tilted system is a waste of emotional resources.

This is going to sound smarmy and for that i apologize but you watch the games for the games. If I went to Brown, I'd be stuck rooting for Brown hockey and I would still watch. I know this because I root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and watch 150 games a year.

The lax championship was fucking great. The lesson is that if you make the tournament enough times, you'll win two games instead of one and then who knows what happens once it's down to four teams. You just have to win two games again.

What i know as a Cornell fan is that the university puts enough into the program to get A Chance out of it. I'm here for the ride, not the destination. But goddamn, what a fucking thrill the ride becomes once we approach the destination.

[TimV]

That was beautiful, man. 

[stereax]

Focusing on championships in a tilted system is a waste of emotional resources.

This is going to sound smarmy and for that i apologize but you watch the games for the games. If I went to Brown, I'd be stuck rooting for Brown hockey and I would still watch. I know this because I root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and watch 150 games a year.

The lax championship was fucking great. The lesson is that if you make the tournament enough times, you'll win two games instead of one and then who knows what happens once it's down to four teams. You just have to win two games again.

What i know as a Cornell fan is that the university puts enough into the program to get A Chance out of it. I'm here for the ride, not the destination. But goddamn, what a fucking thrill the ride becomes once we approach the destination.

Amen.

Do I expect us to win a natty? Not in this economy.

But if you have enough stabs at it, statistically, one's going to go through. Just need a little bit of luck. Make the tournament and win the next four.

[Trotsky]

The Mets are out there, fighting the good fight against a salary cap by proving that it's not just money.

Stand with the MLBPA. Support the Mets.

Words can hurt too you monster!

[Trotsky]

Make the tournament and win the next four.

Go 0-30.  Win the next 9.

[ugarte]

one last addendum: i was recently asked on a podcast (in the context of the Saints' heartbreaking playoff losses) whether those losses were worse than going 5-12. For me, the answer is obvious. Losing on the Stefon Diggs play against the Vikings or the uncalled DPI in the Rams game or the Beastquake or whatever various choking final defensive collapses over the years is like getting kicked in the balls once after 6 months of fun. A 5-12 season is like eating a bag of Taylor Farms lettuce.

The Cornell hockey program is a good one to be "stuck" rooting for whether or not we ever actually win another natty. I get a game every year in my backyard, ECAC titles come often enough to get me to the next one and we almost never have a losing record (in conference or overall).

I'm also not a famous comic but enough people find me funny and seek out my work that I can live with what I've got.

[stereax]

Make the tournament and win the next four.

Go 0-30.  Win the next 9.

Why play in October through February when play in March and April do trick?

[adamw]

Wrote an article about the blueprint for small schools succeeding that I thought you all might be interested in too, even though I look at it through somewhat of an RPI lens.

https://www.rpifieldhouse.com/p/the-formula-to-national-success-as

I think it could've been summarized better in one sentence: "Get a large donation from a billionaire alum."

Which I believe is much more doable than any other solution, and will lead to everything else mentioned.

The money part is a second article upcoming. I don't agree though. Plenty of coaches and programs squander good talent and enough resources because they don't recruit the right mix of players, don't develop their players properly, or are poor at executing their systems. I don't think Penn State will ever win a national championship with Gadowsky's run and gun system for example. BU was decidedly mediocre last year because they were too young and soft. Harvard has been squandering their talent for years now (which is why they pushed Donato out). You need the resources, yes, but if you don't have a good system, you're not going to make good on the talent you bring in.

Schools like RPI, Clarkson, etc... -- hate to say -- will never be able to compete nationally again without a massive infusion of cash.  Those alums are out there, just need to convince them to spend.

Or, just say: if that's what it's going to take to be competitive, it's no longer the college sports that you've enjoyed following for years, and it no longer matters to you how your team does in that kind of environment, and you find a new interest.

That is definitely a reasonable option.

[adamw]

Yes you are totally correct that you need both. However, that doesn't mean that we can't analyze the system portion of it in isolation to see what the best small school programs have done there to keep up with big teams. Like I said, once I finish up part 2, it will say the same thing as you about resources. I just think people are a little tired of the money talk right now though, so I wanted to isolate the recruiting and systems part of it first for that reason.

I hear you and agree - but the reason I reacted like I did is because it's way easier to find a coach to do all the things you presented. Most coaches know this, and know what they're doing. They're all trying to do exactly that. The No. 1 answer for how to compete is money. The rest is already being done by every coach.

[ugarte]

Make the tournament and win the next four.

Go 0-30.  Win the next 9.

i have to admit, this would be a hilariously thrilling conclusion but what a miserable year. on elynah, especially.

[Chris H82]

Focusing on championships in a tilted system is a waste of emotional resources.

This is going to sound smarmy and for that i apologize but you watch the games for the games. If I went to Brown, I'd be stuck rooting for Brown hockey and I would still watch. I know this because I root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and watch 150 games a year.

The lax championship was fucking great. The lesson is that if you make the tournament enough times, you'll win two games instead of one and then who knows what happens once it's down to four teams. You just have to win two games again.

What i know as a Cornell fan is that the university puts enough into the program to get A Chance out of it. I'm here for the ride, not the destination. But goddamn, what a fucking thrill the ride becomes once we approach the destination.

Case in point: https://youtu.be/EW3kgtLlpd4?is=g4vYuoPHD51GKrWX

[stereax]

Focusing on championships in a tilted system is a waste of emotional resources.

This is going to sound smarmy and for that i apologize but you watch the games for the games. If I went to Brown, I'd be stuck rooting for Brown hockey and I would still watch. I know this because I root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and watch 150 games a year.

The lax championship was fucking great. The lesson is that if you make the tournament enough times, you'll win two games instead of one and then who knows what happens once it's down to four teams. You just have to win two games again.

What i know as a Cornell fan is that the university puts enough into the program to get A Chance out of it. I'm here for the ride, not the destination. But goddamn, what a fucking thrill the ride becomes once we approach the destination.

Case in point: https://youtu.be/EW3kgtLlpd4?is=g4vYuoPHD51GKrWX

I can quote that announcer in my sleep.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Focusing on championships in a tilted system is a waste of emotional resources.

This is going to sound smarmy and for that i apologize but you watch the games for the games. If I went to Brown, I'd be stuck rooting for Brown hockey and I would still watch. I know this because I root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and watch 150 games a year.

The lax championship was fucking great. The lesson is that if you make the tournament enough times, you'll win two games instead of one and then who knows what happens once it's down to four teams. You just have to win two games again.

What i know as a Cornell fan is that the university puts enough into the program to get A Chance out of it. I'm here for the ride, not the destination. But goddamn, what a fucking thrill the ride becomes once we approach the destination.

Case in point: https://youtu.be/EW3kgtLlpd4?is=g4vYuoPHD51GKrWX

Thanks for that.  In this brutal summer where I'm trapped indoors, just hearing Davy lifted my spirits.