Drumroll, Please

[Ack]

I think, possibly, we might...maybe have a pair of hockey games this weekend that should be more important than life itself. Classes in 2003 are done; Lynah's roof should be flying off Friday and Saturday nights. These 2 games against Brown and Hahvahd may be the most important two this season and it doesn't seem like we're even getting "mentally prepared" for them. Rather, we're insulting each other and playing 8th grade "no I'm not, you are!" games.

As far as I can tell, we'll have as perfect a fan-base as can be this year this weekend. There will be lame cheers (if it doesn't work, just keep trying something else), good cheers, and unbelievably awesome cheers...along with some unbelievably awesome hockey, which is exactly what we go there for.

With all that said, any thoughts on the games?

[Ben Doyle 03]

You got a problem with playing 8th grade, "no I'm not, you are!":-P
Jk ... I'll be there cheering loud & hard for my boys in red (well, not red but you know what I mean;-))

[crodger1]

Brown will be tough.  On the Brown athletics website for today the lead article is "Danis Named ECAC Player of the Week; Ihnacak Named ECAC Rookie of the Week".

I may be out of touch, but I didn't know that Danis was a Hobey Baker candidate.  But his recent numbers are excellent - "Danis has allowed just six goals, in eight games, on 242 shots (236 saves) for a stingy 0.74 GAA, and an impressive .975 save percentage, leading the country in both categories."

The closing of the article reads:
Brown is off to its best start since the 1975-76 season with a 6-1-1 record, is undefeated in its last six games (5-0-1).

http://brownbears.ocsn.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/120103aaa.html

[Jordan 04]

My thought is that the games aren't quite "more important than life itself"

[French Rage]

No, I'm not playing 8th grade "no I'm not, you are", you are!

[Greg Berge]

Danis was being mentioned in the same breath with Lenny early last year.  Then he tailed off a little and of course we all know what Lenny did. :-D

But yeah, he's been very highly thought of for awhile.  Last year it was more of "who is this guy holding Brown in against teams that should roll over them?"  This year Brown seems to have a more complete team, and a complete team with a great goaltender is hard to beat (c.f. 1986, 1996, 1997...)

Cornell is going to need all the energy Lynah can give.  An intimidating wall of noise that freaks out the younger Brown players and gives our guys extra legs.

This is the Red's first chance to pull off what would be a huge home upset in a long, long, long time.  Even two points would give the team a very strong first third in conference play.  Four would certainly make the rest of the league think, "crap, they only looked dead."

[Ack]

Statistically, the top 3 ECAC goalies this year will be here this weekend. Brown is leading the ECAC with a 34.3% power play, but we're leading in penatly killing ::knock on wood:: with perfection. Danis has given up a goal while the opposition had a power play...but that occasion is incredibly rare this year. Maybe we can get under a few Brown players' skins and send 'em to the luxurious, fully-accomodated Castle Asselstine.

[rhovorka]

Fun Fact: Brown hasn't scored a single goal at Lynah Rink since November 12, 1999.  This means that nobody on their current roster has scored in Ithaca.  (do what you please with that).  I have a hunch that will change, but I really hope it doesn't.

[Keith K \'93]

*smacks Rich for mentioning the Brown scoring drought again*

Must you tempt the gods like this?

[rhovorka]

As long as CU gets a win, I really don't care about that streak.  I'd rather have a 6-5 win than a 0-0 tie.  After all, I could've easily mentioned something else that really would've had people beating on me in a similar manner.

[Jordan 04]

Another Fun Fact: Cornell has not recorded a single win at Lynah Rink during the 2003-2004 hockey season.

STRIKE FIERCELY, GODS!!!

[Keith K \'93]

Good point Rich.

[Keith K \'93]

Come on.  You should know by now that anti-woofing doesn't help...

[A-19]

i did not know the fact about brown's scoring drought. i think that is something that would be good to insult their players with. it could conceivably bother their players, just as dartmouth fans (if they existed) would bother last year's cornell seniors if they said that we hadn't won in the last 7 (?) or so meetings.

-mike 04

[Beeeej]

Mike wrote:
i did not know the fact about brown's scoring drought. i think that is something that would be good to insult their players with. it could conceivably bother their players, just as dartmouth fans (if they existed) would bother last year's cornell seniors if they said that we hadn't won in the last 7 (?) or so meetings.

I think it would be great to taunt Brown's players with if they spend the game not scoring - but I think it would be a very bad idea indeed to taunt them with it early on.  IMHO, that's like chanting "Scoreboard!" with a two-goal lead and fifteen minutes left.

Beeeej