Teams to beat to win NCAAs (and settle old scores)

[billhoward]

En route to the ECAC title and the NCAA chanmpionship this year,* who are the teams Cornell should play and beat? Not the statistically likely matchups of the ever-changing PWR rankings, but the teams the Big Red should beat to right old wrongs and clarify our supremacy against teams that have been a thorn in our side. One doesn't, for instance, hold any grudges against Princeton just because the Tigers found teeth for once this year in Old Nassau-land. More like:

- UNH for stopping our march to destiny twice this decade
- Minnesota, making amends for last year (in part because you can't beat up on the NCAA seeding committee and its rules, so the Gophers are the proxy)
- Harvard, for obvious reasons
- Clarkson, on general principles plus for knocking us out in the ECAC first round (or for letting us us knock ourselves out)
- BU for old times' sake
- Wisconsin for aging alumni who recall the horrifying NCAA semifinal loss in ? 1973 ? in which Cornell blew a 4-0 lead, give up 3 in the third, and lost 6-5 in OT.

Others? Michigan? Michigan State? What has MSU done to us other than play a rugged home-and-home series? Denver for beating us 4-3 in 1969 in the title game? That's a long time ago for most people. Vermont for leaving the ECAC? Nah, that's a reach. BC used to be a major opponent but recently they haven't done much beyond be the team that fell to us in OT and made the 2003 Frozen Four happen.


* Woofing gods, blame this thread if Cornell doesn't go all way

[jy3]

i would count uvm for leaving the ecac. shouldnt we add them to the screw bu cheer? probably not since they arent a strong rival
michigan - battle of the land grant schools. show who has the better fans/rink at the game

[jtwcornell91]

[quote billhoward]What has MSU done to us other than play a rugged home-and-home series?[/quote]

Act like a bunch of classless punks after the second game at Lynah, that's what. :-(

[jaybert]

I'm not going to ask for any specific teams, but I would somehow like us to beat 4 WCHA teams onto the national championships...

[billhoward]

Didn't we almost have that chance last year but the script didn't play out the way we wanted it?

[RichH]

[quote billhoward]Didn't we almost have that chance last year but the script didn't play out the way we wanted it?[/quote]

We beat tOSU, a CCHA team, in the first game.  We were the last hope to prevent an all-WZHA Frozen Four.

[billhoward]

Right. Had we beaten Minnesota in that "neutral ice" site game, we then would have had the chance to beat a total of three WCHA teams to take the crown.

It's still amazing a year later to think of how teams such as Harvard and Colgate and some other lowly rated teams came close to making it a nearly WCHA-free, CCHA-free final four. Of course, "almost" and "if only" are modifiers you hear a lot uttered by the losers. I think Rich S says it a lot. Us, too, since 1970.

[Will]

My personal ideal Cornell postseason and road to the NCAA championship this year would look something like:

(First round bye in the ECACHL tournament, of course)
ECACHL Quarterfinal: Dartmouth, to avenge the game that never happened.
ECACHL Semifinal: Colgate, because I like to throw toothpaste on the ice, and they have been rather good in the ECACHL all year.
ECACHL Final: Harvard, because beating Harvard in the final is always fun.
NCAA First Round: New Hampshire, to avenge 2002 and 2003.
NCAA Quarterfinal/Regional Final: Minnesota, to avenge last year.
NCAA Semifinal: Denver, because beating the winner of the last two NCAAs would be awesome.
NCAA Final: Wisconsin, because beating the team that was arguably the best for most of this season on their 'home' ice would help solidify Cornell's status as national champion.

The fourth Frozen Four team would also be a WCHA team, just to cement Cornell's domination of western hockey.  Also, I think this goes without saying, but Cornell wins all of those postseason games. :-D

This is obviously a dream scenario that has virtually no chance of happening.  (I'm not even sure this is mathematically possible given the games left to be played.)

Teams I left out that others may include and why:
Clarkson - I feel last year's overtime QF victory avenged 2004 adequately.
Boston University - Despite the "Screw BU" cheer, I don't feel the need to see this rivalry play out at this time.  Seeing Cornell beat them in 2002 was good enough for me.
Michigan State - I struggled with this one (particularly since I'd love to use the 'bald' sign again), but ultimately decided I'd much rather see UNH and the Gophers to avenge recent postseason woes.
Vermont, Boston College, Michigan - I just don't care enough about them.

I considered an all-WCHA route to a championship but ultimately went with UNH because of recent history.  Three WCHA teams is still pretty good, IMHO.

Yeah, I know, I know.  I'll keep dreaming.

[redhair34]

[quote Will]
 (particularly since I'd love to use the 'bald' sign again)[/quote]

There's no better time for the sign to make a glorious comeback than this Saturday evening.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote jy3]michigan - battle of the land grant schools. show who has the better fans/rink at the game [/quote]U of M is not land grant, MSU with their ag school is the one.:-/

[Will]

[quote redhair34][quote Will]
 (particularly since I'd love to use the 'bald' sign again)[/quote]

There's no better time for the sign to make a glorious comeback than this Saturday evening.[/quote]
It'll be there too, but I'd kinda rather not have that be the end of the sign (for this season, anyway).

[nostradamus]

the U of M IS a land grant school.. The University of Minnesota.

[Trotsky]

The four teams I'd most like the beat, in any order:

UNH ('02 and '03)
Denver ('69 and '86)
North Dakota ('68 and '97)
BU (for old time's sake)

[Jim Hyla]

[quote nostradamus]the U of M IS a land grant school.. The University of Minnesota.[/quote]You got me there. ::laugh::

[RichH]

[quote nostradamus]the U of M IS a land grant school.. The University of Minnesota.[/quote]

Well, so are the Universities of Maine, Massachussetts, Maryland, and Missouri.  So pick your poison.  

Me? I'll be dead in the cold cold ground before I recognize Missoura!!