Game 6 • Cornell vs. Princeton
Faceoff: Friday, November 20, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Site: Lynah Rink (4,267) • Ithaca, N.Y.
2009-10 Records: Cornell (4-1-0, 3-1-0 ECAC Hockey) • Princeton (3-2-1, 2-1-1 ECAC Hockey)

Media Information
Television: none
Radio: WHCU 870 AM • Jason Weinstein (play-by-play)
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/mhockey
Live Video: www.CornellBigRed.com/showcase
Live Audio: none
Tickets: Available by calling (607) 254-BEAR


Game 7 • Cornell vs. Quinnipiac
Faceoff: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Site: Lynah Rink (4,267) • Ithaca, N.Y.
2009-10 Records: Cornell (4-1-0, 3-1-0 ECAC Hockey); Quinnipiac (8-1-0, 4-0-0 ECAC Hockey)
 
Media Information
Television: none
Radio: WHCU 870 AM • Jason Weinstein (play-by-play)
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/mhockey
Live Video: www.CornellBigRed.com/showcase
Live Audio: none
Tickets: Available by calling (607) 254-BEAR

Game Notes in PDF Format

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team plays its final homestand of the fall semester this weekend with a three-game set at Lynah Rink. Cornell opens on Friday with Princeton at 7 p.m. before taking on Quinnipiac on Saturday at 7 p.m. The three-game home stand concludes on Tuesday when Cornell plays host to its travel partner, Colgate, in a 7 p.m. contest. All three games can be heard on the radio on WHCU 870 AM in the Ithaca area with Jason Weinstein providing the call. Additionally, live video of the weekend's action will be available through the Cornell RedCast subscription service.

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell picked up a split on its annual trip to Yale and Brown last weekend, falling by a 4-2 score against the Bulldogs on Friday before taking a 6-0 victory over Brown on Saturday. Senior Colin Greening led the way offensively for the Big Red, picking up a goal and four assists for five points in the two games, while classmate Blake Gallagher had two goals and two assists. Goaltender Ben Scrivens put up solid numbers, allowing three goals on 64 shots for the weekend for a .953 save percentage, picking up his first shutout of the season on Saturday against the Bears. For the year, Greening leads the Big Red with 11 points on three goals and eight assists, while Gallagher is second with five goals and four assists for nine points. In goal, Scrivens has played every minute, posting a 1.80 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. The Big Red has scored 10 power-play goals in 29 chances (34.9 percent) while killing off 28-of-30 opponents' power plays (93.3 percent).

ABOUT PRINCETON
The Tigers have struggled with consistency in the early going, but have started to turn it around, bringing a three-game unbeaten streak into Friday night's contest with the Big Red. Princeton has picked up wins over Brown, Clarkson and Dartmouth while earning a tie with Harvard and losses to St. Lawrence and Yale. The Tigers are also playing their first road game of the year on Friday night at Lynah Rink. Junior Mike Kramer leads a balanced offensive attack with three goals and three assists for six points, with the trio of Dan Bartlett, Matt Arhontas and Mark Magnowski tied for second with four points each. Senior Zane Kalemba has played four games in net for the Tigers, posting a 3.39 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Junior Alan Reynolds has been pushing Kalemba for playing time, recording a 0.99 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage in two games this season. The Tigers have seven power-play goals in 27 attempts (25.9 percent) and have killed off 27-of-29 short-handed attempts (93.1 percent).

THE SERIES WITH PRINCETON
Friday's game against Princeton will mark the 131st meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1901. Cornell leads the series, 78-45-7, after taking two of three against the Tigers last season. Cornell won the opener, 1-0, in Princeton, N.J., the season opener for the Big Red, before the Tigers stole the return game at Lynah Rink, scoring twice in the final minute of regulation for a 2-1 victory. The Big Red would get the last laugh, however, as Cornell rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit to force overtime and eventually winning in double overtime on Colin Greening's game-winner midway through the second extra period. Cornell coach Mike Schafer is 23-9-2 against the Tigers since taking over the Big Red program prior ot the 1995-96 season.

ABOUT QUINNIPIAC
The Bobcats enter the weekend with the nation's highest winning percentage and a four-game win streak, defeating Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Harvard and Dartmouth, all at home, over that span. Quinnipiac is led offensively by Eric Lampe's nine goals and five assists for 14 points, while Scott Zurevinski and Brandon Wong both have 13 points on the year. In goal, Dan Clarke appears to have grabbed the starting job from a three-way battle with Eric Hartzell and Mathieu Cadiuex. Clarke has a .937 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average entering the weekend. Quinnipiac has gone 10-for-50 on the power play for the season (20.0 percent) while killing off 50-of-57 (87.7 percent) of its opponents' power plays.

THE SERIES WITH QUINNIPIAC
The newest member of ECAC Hockey, Cornell holds a 7-3-2 record in the all-time series against the Bobcats. Since Quinnipiac joined the league in the 2005-06 season, Cornell holds a 6-3-1 mark in the series. Cornell and Quinnipiac met in the NCAA tournament in 2002, with Cornell pulling out a 6-1 victory at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. The two teams split the meetings last year, playing to a scoreless tie on Nov. 8 in Hamden, Conn., before Cornell claimed a 2-1 overtime victory on Feb. 6 at Lynah Rink.

LEADING THE WAY
With five games in the books, Cornell's team and individual appearances among the national leaders is now more than an anomoly. Senior Colin Greening leads the nation in points per game, posting 11 points in five games for a 2.20 average - the only player in the country averaging more than two points per game. Blake Gallagher is second in that category, recording nine points in five games (1.80 per game average). Cornell also leads the nation in scoring at 4.40 goals per game, and is eighth in scoring defense at 2.00 goals allowed per contest.

POWERING UP
Cornell's power play cooled off last weekend at Yale and Brown, scoring just two goals in 11 chances, but the Big Red still leads the nation at 34.5 percent (10-of-29).

SIX OF ONE...
Cornell's offense erupted for six goals against Harvardon Nov. 7, marking the first time that the Big Red put six goals on the board against its rival since a 6-3 win at Lynah Rink on Feb. 1, 2002.

...HALF DOZEN OF ANOTHER
When Cornell's offense put six goals on the board against Harvard on Nov. 7, it marked the first time in more than a full season that Cornell has scored six goals in a game. The last time Cornell scored six was on March 9, 2008, against Dartmouth in game three of the first round of the ECAC Hockey tournament at Lynah Rink. The Big Red has played 42 games since then. Prior to that, the Big Red scored six time the week just before against the Big Green.

SIX FOR SATURDAY
Cornell has played two games on Saturday this season, and both times, the Big Red has put six goals on the board. The first time came on Nov. 7 against Harvard in a 6-3 victory, with the second coming on Nov. 14 in a 6-0 victory at Brown.

SCITUATE > CAMBRIDGE
In this case, the town of Scituate, Mass., nearly single-handedly scored more points than then entire Harvard roster when the two teams met on Nov. 7 at Lynah Rink. Boosted by seven points from brothers Joe and Mike Devin, the three Scituate natives on the Cornell roster equaled the entire scoring output from the Harvard roster. Joe Devin scored twice, including the game-winner, and added an assist, while twin brother Mike scored one goal and added three assists. The pair were aided by fellow Scituate native Sean Whitney, who chipped in an assist against the Crimson.

IS THIS REALLY CORNELL?
Fans of college hockey might be surprised to see Cornell standing atop the national rankings in scoring offense, belying the Big Red's reputation as a defensive powerhouse. The Big Red has scored 22 goals in five games for an impressive 4.40 goals-per-game average. Still, while the Big Red has been lighting up the scoreboard, the defense hasn't been too shabby, either. Cornell has allowed just 10 goals in five games for a 2.00 goals-per-game average, good for eighth in the nation.

POWERING UP
One reason why Cornell's offensive numbers have been so impressive during the early portion of the season has to do with Cornell's power play numbers. The Big Red has converted on 10-of-29 power plays, for a national-best 34.5 percent conversion rate. The first power-play unit of Colin Greening, Blake Gallagher, Riley Nash, Brendon Nash and Sean Whitney has scored nine of those 10 power-play goals,  with Mike Devin scoring the 10th off assists from Tyler Roeszler and Greg Miller against Harvard on Nov. 7.

A POWERFUL POWER PLAY
Cornell scored a trio of power-play goals in the win against Dartmouth on Nov. 6, marking the first time in nearly a year that the Big Red recorded three man-advantage goals. Cornell's last three power-play goal game came on Nov. 13 at Colgate in a 4-1 Big Red win.

THE DRIVE FOR FIVE
Cornell scored at least five goals in both games during the weekend of Nov. 6-7 against Dartmouth and Harvard, marking the first time in nearly three years that the Big Red has scored at least five in back-to-back games. Cornell scored six goals against Union on Dec. 2, 2006, then scored five against New Hampshire on Dec. 29, 2006, in the opening game of the Florida College Classic.

10-GOAL WEEKEND, FOUR-POINT WEEKEND
Cornell scored 11 goals on Nov. 6-7 against Dartmouth and Harvard, marking the first time the Big Red had scored at least 10 in a weekend since the first round of the ECAC Hockey tournament on March 7-9, 2008, against Dartmouth. That weekend, the Big Red scored 12 goals in three games after scoring three in the opener, three in a game two loss, and six in the clinching game three. The last time Cornell scored 10 goals or more in a two-game weekend was on Jan. 4-5, 2008, when it scored six against Niagara on Friday night and four on Saturday.

START ME UP
Cornell has an all-time record of 55-32-6 in season openers after opening the 2009-10 campaign with a 3-2 overtime win against Niagara on Oct. 30. Cornell has won two the first game of the season in back-to-back seasons after scoring a 1-0 win over Princeton to kick off the 2008-09 campaign. Under head coach Mike Schafer, the Big Red is 10-4-1 in season openers.

HAPPY DEBUTS
Four members of Cornell's freshman class made their official collgiate debut in the win against the Purple Eagles on Oct. 30. Forwards Greg Miller, John Esposito and Erik Axell each found themselves in the starting lineup, as did defenseman Nick D'Agostino. D'Agostino also picked up the second assist on Joe Devin's overtime game-winner against Niagara. A fifth member of the freshman class, Braden Birch, made his official debut on Nov. 6 against Dartmouth.

A MIGHTY WIND-SOR
Tyler Roeszler and Nick D'Agostino scored two goals each as Cornell opened the exhibition season with a 7-0 win over Windsor on Oct. 23. Patrick Kennedy, Blake Gallagher and Dan Nicholls also added goals Michael Garman got the start in goal for the Big Red, stopping all 20 shots he faced on the night.

EXHIBIT B
Sean Whitney and Riley Nash both scored  as the Cornell men's hockey team closed out the exhibition season with a 3-2 loss to the U.S. Under-18 National Team on Oct. 24 at Lynah Rink. Ithaca-native Andy Iles had 39 saves in the victory for Team USA, while Cornell's Ben Scrivens stopped 24 shots in the loss. Joe Devin, Greg Miller and Blake Gallagher each chipped in an assist. Cornell finished the game 0-for-5 on the power play, while Team USA was 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

QUIETLY MAKING NOISE
One of the most overlooked players on the Big Red roster is perhaps one of the most visible in goaltender Ben Scrivens. Entering his senior season, Scrivens ranks among the top-10 goaltenders in NCAA history in several categories, though he typically gets passed over for league and national recognition. Scrivens enters the year ranked tied for eighth in save percentage (.928) and tied for ninth in goals-against average (1.96). Additionally, last season, he tied for 15th all-time with his six single-season shutouts, and, should he start every game this season, he would break David McKee's NCAA record of consecutive starts by a goaltender of 102 – Scrivens currently stands at 75 games straight, which ranks third all-time in NCAA history.

I FEEL A DRAFT
Cornell has six players on the roster for 2009-10 who have been previously selected in the NHL Entry Draft. Seniors Colin Greening and Justin Krueger, junior Riley Nash, sophomore Sean Collins and freshmen Braden Birch and Nick D'Agostino have been picked in the NHL draft over the last five seasons.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Cornell head coach Mike Schafer is quickly moving up the ranks of the coaching fraternity in his win totals. Now in his 15th season, Schafer has 280 career victories, ranking him third in ECAC Hockey, but with the shortest tenure of the two ahead of him in the rankings. Schafer trails only Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold by nine, with St. Lawrence's Joe Marsh well ahead with 440 career wins.

WHAT'S IN A NUMBER?
Sophomore defenseman Sean Whitney will be wearing jersey number 19 this season, the same number that his older brother, Ryan, wears for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR
In what seems to be an annual trend for the Cornell hockey team, there are two sets of brothers on the roster in 2009-10. Twins Joe and Mike Devin are juniors, while the Nash family has senior defenseman Brendon and junior forward Riley as members of the Big Red.

BROTHERLY LOVE
A glance around the college hockey landscape shows 13 collegiate players who have older brothers as regular players in the NHL. Two of those 10 players happen to play for the Big Red, as sophomore defenseman Sean Whitney's brother, Ryan, is a defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks. Additionally, freshman forward Chris Moulson's older brother, Matt, is a forward for the New York Islanders. Cornell joins New Hampshire, North Dakota and Union (coincidentally, all three are opponents on the schedule in 2009-10 for a total of five games) with having two players whose older brothers are currently in the NHL.

ONE LONG SEASON
In 2007-08, the Big Red tied the 2002-03 campaign with the most games in a single season in school history at 36. That mark was again equaled last year as the Big Red went 22-10-4, just the third time in program history that Cornell has played 36 games. The Big Red advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional Final, where it fell to Bemidji State, 4-1, in the 36th game of the year.

IRON MAN
Senior Colin Greening has a shot at breaking the school consecutive games record this season. Entering the year with 103 straight games played, the Big Red captain needs to play in 36 games this season to eclipse the mark of 138, set by Jeremy Downs from 2002-05. He is currently at 108 career games played after appearing in all five games so far this season.

TRIPLE DIGITS
Three Cornell players have played in more than 100 games in their Big Red careers, with another two nearing the century mark. Colin Greening leads the way with 108 career games played, while Justin Krueger has appeared in 106 contests for the Big Red. The most recent member to hit triple digits is Blake Gallagher, who played in his 100th career game in the season opener against Niagara and now stands at 104. Nearing the century mark are Brendon Nash, who has appeared in 92 games, and Ben Scrivens, who has played in 88 contests.

EVEN MORE TRIPLE DIGITS
Cornell senior Colin Greening is making a bid to become the 45th player in Cornell history to record 100 career points. The Big Red senior has 94 points through 108 career games. Hot on his heels on the race to 100 is junior Riley Nash, who has tallied 73 points in 77 career games, and Blake Gallagher, who has 72 points through 104 career games.

IN THE AIR TONIGHT
All of Cornell's games this season can be heard in the Ithaca area on WHCU 870 AM. Jason Weinstein returns for his fifth season calling Big Red hockey action.

ON THE TUBE
Five of Cornell's regular season games are scheduled to be on television this season, with the first being the Big Red's game at Union on Dec. 5, televised in the Albany area by Time Warner Sports. The other four games are all slated to be after the New Year, including the Big Red's game against North Dakota on Jan. 22. Other games to be televised include the game at New Hampshire on Jan. 3, at Quinnipiac on Feb. 5 and at Colgate on Feb. 16. Last season, Cornell played in 12 televised games, going 8-4 when on television.

REDCAST
Live streaming video of most of Cornell's home hockey games is available through Cornell REDCast. In addition to streaming video of home games, fans can also get live audio of all of Cornell's road games. REDCast is a subscription-based joint venture of Cornell athletics and Internet Consulting Services (ICS). Numerous subscription options, including yearly, monthly, sport-by-sport and pay-per-view passes, provide viewing and listening flexibility without the worry of automatic renewal. REDCasts are available on all computer operating systems.

UP NEXT
Cornell closes out the three-game home stand with a special 7 p.m. contest against its travel partner, Colgate on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The game will mark the final home game for the fall semester for the Big Red, which takes to the road to face Boston University in Red Hot Hockey at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m.