What is wrong with us this season?

[Will]

yougoon wrote:

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::

I won't lynch you.  I think you're not very far from the truth.  We, the Lynah Faithful, need to show the world why we are the best fans in all of college hockey.  I want to see the enthusiasm I saw at the Harvard game being displayed at each and every game at Lynah.  I want to see opposing fans be afraid to buy tickets here.  I want to see players on the other team get intimidated by the Cornell fans.  I want to see the other team fear coming to Lynah again and again.  The Cornell players obviously will do their part, but we need to help out, too.  Lynah Rink will be the best (and the worst) college hockey venue in the country, but not until we step up to make it happen.

[KenP]

One comment I keep hearing is that the team is only playing for two periods.  To me, that means lack of physical fitness/endurance, which goes against what I've heard about these guys.  Can anyone correct me or comment?  Are our boys, as a team, in good enough shape?  Or as compared to last year?

[Will]

Ken Pavelle '92 wrote:

One comment I keep hearing is that the team is only playing for two periods.  To me, that means lack of physical fitness/endurance, which goes against what I've heard about these guys.  Can anyone correct me or comment?  Are our boys, as a team, in good enough shape?  Or as compared to last year?

I think it shifts from game to game.  In some games against good and bad opponents alike, I've seen our boys go the distance.  In other games, also against good and bad opponents alike, I've seen them really slow down during the third period.  I can't explain it; maybe others can.

[Keith K \'93]

I suspect it (the crowd) has much more to do with 2003 than with the ticket line.  Fans were treated to back to back RS championships and a Frozen Four team.  This team isn't meeting those (unrealistic) "expectations".  So the crowd is having trouble adjusting to a good but not outstanding team.  Especially since the team hasn't had much success at home, which is all that the majority of fans see/hear.

[Ben Doyle 03]

Keith, I think you hit the nail on the head ... the past two years we've been treated to exceptional hockey (especially at home). This season we're watching a young talented team develop into what will be a great team. Couple that with a ton of young fans (many of them expecting last years results as the norm) and you get the tomb that has been Lynah many times this season.

I hope they can figure out last years success was not normal for any program and realize this group can/will be there soon enough.
We just have to be patient...

just my $.02 :-)



Post Edited (01-26-04 14:04)

[Greg Berge]

And while they are gelling, they're still playing good, competitive hockey.  Here's a look at how they compare after this number of games in previous seasons: http://members.cox.net/tbrw/cornellHistory/cornellPtsAbove500.html

Granted, they aren't in the red or orange, but this is still a far cry from the "green years."  In fact, they are at the median for Schafer teams after 12 ECAC GP.



Post Edited (01-26-04 14:35)

[Ack]

A fan problem: the entire first row of section B was empty until the first faceoff.

[Jeff Hopkins \'82]

I don't know if it was typical, since classes hadn't started, but for Union/RPI weekend, the bottom corner of section D where I stood, was filled with a group of serious facetimers.  They spent the entire game, talking about social plans, past conquests on the non-hockey kind, and the like.  At times several of them weren't even facing the ice.

It drove me nuts.

JH

[Ack]

Hopefully it was just that once.

I face the ice in my sleep - I don't want to get lazy.

[A-ron]

I started talking to some of the freshmen who sit in front of me in B.  I convinced them to hang out with me before the game, thus forcing them to head off to Lynah when I do.  I could tell they are definitely beginning to pick up on cheers and already becoming solid Faithful, despite their usual tardiness.

Along the lines of the silence in Lynah, I was pretty disturbed by Cook's quote about his penalty shot.  He made the comment that it was the loudest he had heard Lynah in a while.  While I guess that's good that it finally got us excited, I remember every game ending with townies on their feet and defening noise levels...one such moment resulting in a winning goal from Paolini against Yale with 7 seconds left.  At least we still never boo our own team

Also, being not the tallest of individuals, would it have been impolite of me ask the guy with the large cowboy hat in front of me to take it off?  I don't know where he could have possibly put it down, but still, even Age moved up a row to get better viewing angles.

[Section A]

I think I know who Cowboy Hat Guy is. I believe it's our SA president. Yes, the one who was kicked out of a game earlier this year. I'm sure he'd take it off if you asked him :-)

Yep, that last sentence sounded weird....

[Will]

Does he wear the cowboy hat every game?

[CowbellGuy]

A-ron wrote:
would it have been impolite of me ask the guy with the large cowboy hat in front of me to take it off?  I don't know where he could have possibly put it down

I could think of one place he could put it up. Not to mention that he's tall to start with. Bloody inconsiderate, IMO.

[Section A]

No idea, but I remember noticing him with it on this past weekend for a game....

[LynahFaithfulS]

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:
...  We, the Lynah Faithful, need to show the world why we are the best fans in all of college hockey.  I want to see the enthusiasm I saw at the Harvard game being displayed at each and every game at Lynah.  I want to see opposing fans be afraid to buy tickets here.  I want to see players on the other team get intimidated by the Cornell fans.  I want to see the other team fear coming to Lynah again and again.  The Cornell players obviously will do their part, but we need to help out, too.  Lynah Rink will be the best (and the worst) college hockey venue in the country, but not until we step up to make it happen.

hear hear (or is it here here?) :-)