What is wrong with us this season?

[Cabot]

3 points in 4 home games?  Coming out flat against Dartmouth tonight and then giving up 2 goals in the last 6 minutes to blow the game?  One goal in 2 home games against RPI and Union?  And that is just the last 2 weekends... I've only seen Cornell @ Harvard and Brown - what is our problem at home?  Did we expect too much out of a group of young players this season?

[Greg Berge]

The short answer: yes.

Any time you lose a lot of talent and bring in a big freshman class, you are going to have growing pains.

Although this was a horrendously disappointing loss, don't start gorging out.  We are much better than I expected in several areas -- McKee, defense.  We just haven't much in the way of an offense.

[Steve Marciniec \'85]

What has been strange is that we're playing better on the road and neutral ice than at Lynah.   ::nut::  Also we had a stretch where we scored 13 goals in 3 games against good teams (well at least 2 of them are good;-) ).  I have only seen the game at Harvard on TV, and the offense looked great.  I don't know what has happened to us since.    ::worry::

[dss28]

From the recap on the Vermont game:

" "We were getting away from our system at home," said Cornell captain Ryan Vesce. "I don't know why. We seem to go on the road, keep it simple, then we come home and turn into a fancy team, and that's not us." "

[Chris 02]

Well, if we keep playing like we do, we'll do fantastic in Albany and in the NCAA's.  We just have to make sure we don't get home ice in the first or 2nd playoff round.  ::rolleyes::

[marty]

This season reminds me of life, in general.  If you expect too much you will always be disappointed.  One of my now deceased cousins was quoted by my brother as "never having any expectations" - and therefore was always pleased with whatever good came her way.  (She had a bit of a hard life but was always happy.)

I know philosophy is off topic, but this IS a rebuilding year.  If the team plays the way they did in Estero good things may yet come our way.  They are young and I think their hard work and talent have yet to bloom.  I am looking forward to whenever that occurs - be it this year or not.



Post Edited (01-25-04 08:51)

[Richard \'70]

I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed.  This is a team with a lot of talent, mostly young talent to be sure, but a lot of talent, esp. by ECAC standards.  

To really be really effective in our system we have to dominate the boards and it's just not happening this year.  When the power play doesn't connect, we don't get any goals.  Maybe it's time to open things up a bit.

[marty]

And in reply to myself, I would like to point out that if the members of the team don't expect to win they won't.

[jtwcornell91]

I think this is a good time for fans to reassess our perspective and stop worrying about things like the RS championship or an at-large bid (neither of which seemed very realistic expectations once Lenny left).  I'd still be very happy with a top four finish, a first-round playoff bye, and a chance to win the Whitelaw with four rather than six straight victories.

This season has given us a lot of surprises, both good and bad.  Good: our performance away from Lynah, our defense, and McKee, who I'm amazed is playing so well as a freshman (look at the growing pains Underhill, JMP, and even Elliott went through).  Bad: our performance at home, our offense, and our power play.

[dss28]

I had a thought... do you think the performance at Lynah might have something to do with the new players being intimidated by their own fans?  Like, they push themselves harder because they know about Lynah's own reputation, and end up making the job more difficult on themselves?

This thought was inspired by Vesce's comment that they keep it simple when they're playing away from home and for some reason, when they come back, they start becoming a "fancy" team.

[Greg Berge]

I don't know why this particular set of freshmen would react to the Lynah fans any differently than others.  Possibly, the upperclassmen started to take winning at Lynah for granted after the 15-0 record last year.

Everybody started gunning for Cornell in the wake of the runaway RS title in 2002.  In 2003, that didn't matter because Cornell was so much better than everybody else.  This year, it's caught up with them.

[dOwns]

Every once in a while when we lose, or when our team doesn't play up to potential, I think of last year and get this serge of sadness. However, I would like to point out that last year, we lost 8 key players... each one made a HUGE difference on our team. Of course we got a new batch of freshman, but in no way should ANYONE look at our freshman of today to play as well as who we lost, or even have the capabilities and experience. We lost Travis Bell and Mark McRae, two amazing defensive players; Doug Murray, a big physical guy who added some intimidation to the team, and who was also a great scorer and defensive player; Stephen Baby who was a great leader and teacher on our team; Matt McRae, Shane Palahicky, and Sam Paolini who always scored when we needed it and helped run things smoothly; and David LeNeveu, who was no doubtingly the best College-level goaltender in America. Last year our team could of won both games in the Frozen Four, and received all four banners in which we deserved... because we had a GREAT team, and could have done it all if we really focused, but unfortunately we slipped up. But we can't always have great teams because players will move on. Right now, we have a very young team. By the time our freshman are seniors, there is no doubt in my mind that they will be as good as our seniors of 2002-03. But everyone must keep in mind, that there are many freshmen and even sophomores on our team that are doing a great job and playing very well for where they are at this point, and we are very lucky that we have received such talent.

Now, let them get all their mistakes out now, make the most out of their practices, and discover what will win the game and what won't. Let's be optimistic and supportive and watch our team grow.

[Jeff Hopkins \'82]

Let's put things in perspective.  Things could be worse.  You could be a Harvard fan  :-D

Vesce had it right.  The team was overpassing and trying to be too fancy.  Getting out of that mode will take time.  We need patience. and the rest will come.

We've got the talent.  In Schafer we trust.  

JH

PS  Oh wait, does Harvard have any fans?

[CUlater 89]

Quite frankly, during the off-season, weren't we all discussing our (relatively) low expectations for the team?  I thought getting home ice for the playoffs was our realistic goal, and anything else would be gravy.

The problem is that the team started off winning, and playing offensively better than expected, thus raising expectations, almost to where they were the last two seasons.

If the offense had started out this season playing this way, we likely would have chalked it up to the ups-and-downs of incorporating new players into the system and we would be hoping that by March, the kinks would be worked out.

[yougoon]

I have one observation to make.  In the many years I have watched Cornell hockey, it seems to me that, in the past, when the team got a little down on its luck, the fans would try to make it up with inspiration and energy.  That just isn't happening this year.  The more the team struggles, the more our fans sit back and throw out a "let's go red" once per period.  Perhaps this has something to do with the process of student season ticket distribution that everyone has been complaining about - perhaps we have a lot of first time fans (in addition to lots of freshmen on the ice), perhaps it is just too darn cold.  

In the past, recruits would come to Lynah and be impressed with the atmosphere, regardless of the team's win or loss.  I just don't think that has been the case this year.  Go ahead and lynch me, but the Lynah factor is not much of a factor this year.
 ::snore::