Cornell-Wisconsin postgame thread (post-season thread?) NCAA quarterfinals 2006

[Josh '99]

[quote DeltaOne81]We get blamed a lot for whining, and most of the time I don't think its true, but now it is (at least for a few on here). I have as issue with schools hosting games at their home rinks on campus, but I have absolutely no issue with this. In 2003, if the regional had been in Albany, and the FF in Buffalo, would it have been unfair? Would it have been the "Cornell invitational?" No way, total bullshit. Wisconsin got lucky having a great year at the time that there was a regional and the Frozen Four in their state. So what, big whoop, good for them. What are they supposed to do, refuse to have regionals in states with good teams? Frozen Fours? ridiculous.[/quote]Wisconsin wasn't even the host team for that regional, Michigan Tech was.  It was a tough draw, but not an unfair one.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote jmh30][quote DeltaOne81]We get blamed a lot for whining, and most of the time I don't think its true, but now it is (at least for a few on here). I have as issue with schools hosting games at their home rinks on campus, but I have absolutely no issue with this. In 2003, if the regional had been in Albany, and the FF in Buffalo, would it have been unfair? Would it have been the "Cornell invitational?" No way, total bullshit. Wisconsin got lucky having a great year at the time that there was a regional and the Frozen Four in their state. So what, big whoop, good for them. What are they supposed to do, refuse to have regionals in states with good teams? Frozen Fours? ridiculous.[/quote]Wisconsin wasn't even the host team for that regional, Michigan Tech was.  It was a tough draw, but not an unfair one.[/quote]

Exactly (I knew that but forgot to make that point).

Tough, absolutely, but we were 8 in the nation. We were *supposed* to get the tough draw.

I couldn't be prouder of our guys tonight. Or more impressed with Wisconsin. I can't break down a game the way some of you can, but that's all I know.

[Liz '05]

[quote billhoward]The season ended the way we probably expected: Cornell's inability to put the puck in the net did us in.
...
This overtime-loss-in-the-Midwest-Regional-to-a-Local-Team schtick is getting kind of old after two years.
...
Have a beer. Sleep it off. Come Monday, we can wonder what the 2006-2007 team looks like. We're losing a couple good seniors. We could lose a bunch of non-seniors to the pros - but how many? And what will the freshman class look like?
[/quote]

In reverse order:

1) I'd love to drown my sorrows in alcohol, but I have to drive home now.  Drinking and driving is frowned upon in the seven states I'm driving through in the next eighteen hours.  Don't make me think about next season when I want to take pride in this weekend.

2) Wisconsin doesn't suck nearly as much as Minnesota.  Good food, nice fans, and a lot of compliments on our team and spirit.  I'm glad I got a chance to meet them - so stop bashing, please.  As Delta said, we've got nothing to be ashamed of, and neither do they.  All there acknowledged it was a great game between two equally matched teams and left it at that.

3) It's not that we couldn't put the puck in the net.  It's that NO ONE could put the puck past Elliott this weekend, and no one was going to anytime soon.  I think we did a fantastic job getting chances tonight, but just as we shut down their chances, they shut down ours.

Let's Go Red! (We can let Wisconsin use the cheer again now that we're leaving : )

[redhair34]

[quote Liz '05][Don't make me think about next season when I want to take pride in this weekend.[/quote]

Post of the night; I couldn't have said it any better myself...thanks for traveling out there and have a safe drive home.

[TCHL8842]

Great game

This game was a little  hard to take since it went 3ots.  Hopefully none of the non-seniors leave, but I have a feeling we can see Pok, McKee, and OB leaving.  The little I read it seems that our incoming freshmen are pretty good.  Does anyone know who we are playing next year?  Also where are we going to play games while Lynah gets renovated?

[David Harding]

[quote billhoward]Aging alumni who remember 1973: Which hurt worse, this game where we played our hearts out as the underdog and it would have been a challenge, but a welcome challenge, to play in the title round in two weeks ... or the 1973 NCAA semis where Cornell was up 5-2 on Bucky and managed to allow the game to be tied in the final minute ... with a loss about ten minutes into OT?

I'm voting for the previous generation OT game.[/quote]I agree with Jim.  1973.  I was there and to see what seemed to be a huge lead get whittled away produced an awful, gnawing feeling in the stomach.  In this year's game the team stepped up, way up, but didn't quite make it.  It's disappointing, but they didn't choke.

[Steve M]

[quote DeltaOne81]Amazing, amazing game. As was said already, this team has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. They came out and played two awesome games when it counted most. Incredible effort, incredible game, against a team that has earned a ton of respect from me - almost as much as our team did this weekend.

I feel much the same as I did after '02, when we came out and played a great, close game against a team that we weren't supposed to be able to hang with. Except this was even so much more impressive than that. This was a team that had been up and down and up and down all season, never quite coming together. But they did it the best when it matters the most. Schafer's Cornell teams can play with the best in the nation, and they can beat the best in the nation. And one of these years they'll do it 4 times straight.

Next, stop whining. Stop making excuses. Seriously, just stop it. That makes it sound as if we have something to make excuses for. We don't, never did. They have absolutely nothing to regret and neither should we - so don't make excuses for nothing. Wisconsin is an awesome team - probably the only team I've ever see stay with a Schafer squad through multiple overtimes. We were skating circles around Minn before that bad play that lead to their goal. Tonight, both teams played incredible games, toughed it out, and deserved the utmost of respect. Earl's will to keep playing is an awesome feat, and every single person on that ice tonight - Cornell and Wisconsin - deserve nothing but respect.

If they could send, eh, let's say Maine, home, and put both teams in the Frozen Four, based on the way they played this weekend, they absolutely deserve it.

We get blamed a lot for whining, and most of the time I don't think its true, but now it is (at least for a few on here). I have as issue with schools hosting games at their home rinks on campus, but I have absolutely no issue with this. In 2003, if the regional had been in Albany, and the FF in Buffalo, would it have been unfair? Would it have been the "Cornell invitational?" No way, total bullshit. Wisconsin got lucky having a great year at the time that there was a regional and the Frozen Four in their state. So what, big whoop, good for them. What are they supposed to do, refuse to have regionals in states with good teams? Frozen Fours? ridiculous.

Additionally, if that team that was there this weekend had showed up for the RPI games, or the Union game at Lynah, or the Princeton away game, or the Yale home game we tied, or the Dartmouth or Harvard games we lost, or the ECAC final... we wouldn't have been in Wisconsin. They didn't have a season that deserved any special treatment. No one to blame but themselves. But that doesn't matter either, because after this weekend, all is forgotten and forgiven.

The location did not lose that game tonight. Hell, no one and nothing lost that game tonight. Wisconsin just won it. We were great, we played well over our heads against awesome competition. They were one shot better. And I don't hold it against them.

I have nothing but respect for our guys tonight, and for Wisco. And I'm going to be rooting for Wisconsin the rest of the way. I'd love to see a team that hasn't won a title in a long time take in their home state. That would be awesome. And those guys deserve it 100x over.

And as Jim said. Think lax. Think 06-07. In Schafer we trust.

Let's Go Red!!!!!!!!!


Edit: typo[/quote]

That was such a great post it deserves to be quoted and displayed again in its entirity.  I'm disappointed we lost, but I feel nothing but pride in our team and (unlike last year and 2003) best wishes for our opponent to go all the way.

[DeltaOne81]

Thanks Steve.

Btw, picture of the night from the USCHO forums:

http://www.pbase.com/mylesl/image/57795218.jpg

[abmarks]

[quote bigred06]That penalty called on Mugford and the Wisonsin player really screwed us over, because it resulted in a 4 on 4 where the faster more skilled team is going to have the advantage. That obviously being Wisconsin. The refs were trying to make a statement not find a goal. In the end it was a great game and Mckee stood on his head.[/quote]

There was enough extra-curricular activity starting to go on that sooner or later they had to make a call like that.  And watching it and hearing the call, I didn't question it at all at that moment.  Those refs called a great game.

4x4 isn't what did us in.  4 skaters chasing the puck behind the net at the same time let a player come skating from way behind the play go completely uncovered - the D couldn't get to the slot in time.  Then the guy takes an almost unmolested shot.  Not to mention a blind (or near-blind?) pass that landed right on the guys stick, who then managed to swipe it into the upper corner.  

Not that it matters but I wonder if it deflected off our D-man's stick.  I couldn't tell after a dozen replays on the Tivo.

[David Harding]

[quote TCHL8842]Great game

This game was a little  hard to take since it went 3ots.  Hopefully none of the non-seniors leave, but I have a feeling we can see Pok, McKee, and OB leaving.  The little I read it seems that our incoming freshmen are pretty good.  Does anyone know who we are playing next year?  Also where are we going to play games while Lynah gets renovated?[/quote]There was a thread a while back on the scheudle.  http://elf.elynah.com/read.php?1,78998,78998#msg-78998  I'm not sure whether there is more up-to-date information.

[canuck89]

I will add my agreement to that.  I thought that was the best ref'd game I had seen all year with Cornell.  Definitely no qualms with the referee crew.  

Wow. That's all I can say about that game.  I could not be more proud and still disappointed.  I am happy with the way everything went, and must say that our players gave it their all.  It was well fought by Wisconsin and unfortunately for us, the better team won.  However, I think we played very well and both teams were closely matched in ability and skill.  They were just a little bit more polished and well-rounded.  Props to Wisconsin and hats off to our seniors.  Thank you!

[aznxjz]

just made SC

[ithacat]

[quote DeltaOne81]We get blamed a lot for whining, and most of the time I don't think its true, but now it is (at least for a few on here). I have as issue with schools hosting games at their home rinks on campus, but I have absolutely no issue with this. In 2003, if the regional had been in Albany, and the FF in Buffalo, would it have been unfair? Would it have been the "Cornell invitational?" No way, total bullshit. Wisconsin got lucky having a great year at the time that there was a regional and the Frozen Four in their state. So what, big whoop, good for them. What are they supposed to do, refuse to have regionals in states with good teams? Frozen Fours? ridiculous.[/quote]

People process losses in different ways. Saying one's tired of Cornell being sent away from home is not necessarily saying it's unfair. Saying Wisconsin had an advantage playing in Green Bay is true -- it doesn't mean it was unfair, nor does it mean that was the reason they won. They earned their number one seed and they earned their victory tonight. They've had a great season thus far and they played a great game tonight.

[Killer]

Put me in the '73 camp as well.  Thought we had that one locked up...both in regulation and on the breakaway in OT.

Tonight, the guys played their hearts out and should be proud of the way they went out.  There can be no shame when you leave everything you have on the ice and come that close to the FF.

Way to go, Red, and thank you, seniors!

[Rosey]

Here's what I wrote on USCHO:

IMO, the two best teams in the country met on the ice tonight, and it's too bad it wasn't the championship game: Cornell hasn't been very consistent this season, but when they're on, they can skate with anyone.

Congratulations to the Badgers. That was a great game, despite the depressing outcome from my perspective. Given your play tonight, you guys deserve to go on and win it all. You will certainly have my support in the frozen four.

Cheers,
Kyle

7 months.  Ugg.  ::cry::

Kyle