Cornell has a beautiful campus located in scenic (but remote?) Ithaca, NY.
In fact I got so involved, that for my last two years ('86-'87 and '87-'88) I was the skating mascot: the Big Red Bear.
Cornell has a NCAA Division 1, hockey team affilitated with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). I try to keep up with them as best as I can. Of couse, I make it a point to go to the games when the Red play locally at Union and RPI, oops they want to be called Rensselaer. Although the program went through a slump in the early '90's Cornell usually has a top notch program that regularly challenges for the ECAC title and produced a number of professionals including: Joe Nieuwendyk.
Last Update: Jan, 27, 1998
This years Cornell squad certainly has a tough road to follow as us fans may have become used to all the winning over the last three years. Realistically, Cornell has a shot to win the ECAC's again, but they will have to overcome upstart's Yale and Colgate as well as the always tough Clarkson and Rensselaer squads. Here's hoping that the Red make a good run!
Check out the latest standings and the season long results:
Cornell, 1997 ECAC and Ivy League Champs!!
Back to Back!!! Way to go RED!!!
Before the season began I posed the following questions:
After last year's championship season, many questions face the Big Red. How will second year coach, Mike Schafer, continue to motivate the team? Who from last year will step up and fill the leadership roles vacated by last year's 9 graduating seniors? Can/will the freshmen and transfers make an impact? Last year Cornell snuck up on a lot of people. This year teams will be gunning all year to knock off the defending champs. How will the team respond to this challenge? Stay tuned...as one thing is for sure, with Mike Schafer behind the bench, the team will play hard EVERY night!
These questions were all answered as Cornell played hard all year long and was rewarded with a second place finish (behind Clarkson) in the regular season ECAC standings. On the way the Big Red: won the Syracuse Invitational tournament over the holidays; traveled to Ann Arbor and stunned #1 Michigan by earning a tie; and wrapped up a second consecutive Ivy League title with a 9-1 mark. In the post season, Cornell advanced to Lake Placid for the second straight year with a 3 point (T-W) victory in the ECAC quater-finals over arch rival Harvard at Lynah rink.
In Lake Placid, Cornell outlasted Rensselaer in the semi-finals setting up a 1-2 matchup with Clarkson in the final. And what a final it was. Cornell jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two periods and staved off a surging Clarkson team in the third to capture the ECAC title for the second year in a row with a 2-1 win! Cornell goalie Jason Elliot earned tournament MVP honors for the second straight year!
In the NCAA's Cornell avenged an early season loss and beat Miami 4-2 in the first round of the West Regional. In the NCAA quater-finals, Cornell faced a strong North Dakota team, winners of the WCHA. Cornell showed they can play with anyone in the country for the first 45 minutes trailing only 3-2 in the third period. After North Dakota scored to make it 4-2, it took the wind out of Cornell's sails and the jump out of their legs. North Dakota scored twice more in the third (last on an empy netter) to notch a 6-2 victory in a game that was much closer than the score reflects.
Congratulations to the Big Red on another fine season!!!!!
Review the excellent season:
Cornell Hockey. 1996 ECAC and Ivy League Champions!!!! Way to go RED!
In 1995, Cornell hockey hired a new head coach: Mike Schafer ('86).
Mike was a crowd favorite at Lynah Rink during his playing days: "Kill,
Schafer, Kill!"
As expected the team plays with
the heart that he did every night. Thank you Coach Schafer, for returning
Cornell to ECAC and national prominence.
In his first season, head coach Mike Schafer led the Big Red Hockey team to an outstanding 4th place finish in the ECAC, an undefeated (9-0-1) Ivy league championship, and home ice advantage for the quaterfinals. In those quaterfinals, Cornell demolished Colgate 8-3 and 8-1 to advance to the semifinals in Lake Placid against Clarkson. After blanking Clarkson 3-0 in the semi-final, Cornell wrapped up the ECAC championship and automatic NCAA berth with an exciting 2-1 win over Ivy rival, Harvard. Let's GO RED!!! 1996 ECAC and Ivy League Champions!
Here's a summary of the 1995-1996 Cornell season, final ECAC standings and playoffs.
Check out the Official Cornell Hockey home page. They've finally updated this page, but there is not much info here.
Better yet, check out The Unofficial Cornell Hockey Homepage. New and IMPROVED! Once again and excellent source for Cornell Hockey info.
If you're interested in College Hockey in general check out:
