ITHACA, N.Y. -- Coming off a pair of overtime losses at the Florida College Classic, the Cornell men's hockey team returns to ECAC Hockey action this weekend when it travels to Princeton and Quinnipiac. The Big Red and Tigers meet at 7 p.m. on Friday at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, before Cornell takes on Quinnipiac on Saturday at the same start time. Live audio of both games can be heard in the Ithaca area on WHCU 870 AM and through the Cornell Redcast subscription service with Jason Weinstein providing the call of the action.

ABOUT THE BIG RED

Cornell dropped a pair of overtime contests at the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla., on Dec. 29-30, to fall to 4-8-1 overall on the year. The Big Red also stands tied for 10th in the ECAC Hockey standings with four points through six league games. Sophomores Greg Miller and Nick D'Agostino lead the team in scoring, with Miller recording a team-best nine assists and 11 points, and D'Agostino scoring four goals and five assists for nine points. Fellow sophomore John Esposito leads the team with five goals, scoring one in four of the last five games this season. In goal, junior Mike Garman and freshman Andy Iles have split time this season, with Iles posting a 2.38 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage and Garman tallying a 2.94 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. Cornell's power-play unit has converted on nine of 58 chances this season (15.5 percent, 37th nationally), while the penalty killing unit has been a bright spot, successfully killing off 57-of-65 opponents' power-play chances (87.7 percent, fifth in the nation).

ABOUT PRINCETON

Princeton has had a strong first half of the season, riding a six-game unbeaten streak into the weekend's action. The Tigers have ridden the nation's second-best defense ot a 10-5-1 mark and a 6-3-1 record in league play. The Tigers last lost on Dec. 3, falling at home to Clarkson by a 5-3 margin. The loss to Clarkson is one of just two times this season that the Tigers have allowed more than two goals in a game. Princeton's offense is led by freshman Andrew Calof, who has two goals and 14 assists for 16 points in 16 games. Seniors Mike Kramer and Taylor Fedun have both had strong seasons, with Kramer posting four goals and nine assists for 13 points and Fedun posting four goals and seven assists for 11 points. Senior Matt Arhontas has a team-best seven goals on the year. In goal, sophomore Mike Condon has split time with freshman Sean Bonar, with both netminders posting strong numbers. Condon has a 1.99 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage, while Bonar has a 1.16 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. Princeton's special teams have been strong this season, as the Tigers have converted on 22.1 percent of their power-play chances this season (19-of-86, 10th nationally), while the Tiger penalty-killing unit ranks second in the nation, having successfully ended 67-of-75 opponents' power-plays (89.3 percent).

THE SERIES WITH PRINCETON

Cornell holds a 79-48-7 lead in the all-time series against Princeton, with Princeton winning the first matchup of the season with the Big Red, 2-1, in overtime on Nov. 13. Princeton has won three straight games against the Big Red, including two of the three contests last year. In the season's first meeting this year, the Tigers' Will Ford scored the game-winner for his first career goal in overtime to give Princeton a 2-1 win. Cornell head coach Mike Schafer is 24-12-2 all-time against the Tigers.

ABOUT QUINNIPIAC

Quinnipiac picked up a pair of impressive wins last weekend, defeating nationally ranked Nebraska-Omaha in a pair of one-goal victories in Hamden, Conn. The Bobcats then skated to a 1-1 draw with Princeton on Monday to take a three-game unbeaten streak into this weekend's action. Quinnipiac has had a balanced offense this season, led by Yuri Bouharevich, who has 13 points on four goals and nine assists in 21 points. Five other players are within three points of Bouharevich's total, including junior Scott Zurevinski, who has a team-best eight goals and three assists for 11 points. In goal, the tandem of Eric Hartzell and Dan Clarke have split time, with Hartzell recording strong numbers. A sophomore, Hartzell has a 2.38 goals-against average and a 7-2-1 record to go along with a .930 save percentage. The Bobcats have converted on 16-of-95 power-play chances (16.8 percent, 33rd in the nation) and have killed off 65-of-84 opponents' power-play chances (77.4 percent, 49th nationally).

THE SERIES WITH QUINNIPIAC

Cornell holds a 9-4-2 lead in the all-time series against the Bobcats after taking the first matchup of the season on Nov. 12 at Lynah Rink. In that game, Cornell got balanced scoring with 11 of the 18 skaters recording a point on the night to give the Big Red two straight wins in the series. Cornell has never lost at Quinnipiac's TD Bank Sports Center, going 2-0-1 in three contests at the home of the Bobcats, including a 2-0 win on Feb. 5, 2010.

RED & WHITE, AND NOW BLUE

Cornell was without freshman goaltender Andy Iles for both games at the Florida College Classic, as the Ithaca native was on the roster for Team USA for the 2010-11 World Junior Championships, held from Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y. Iles saw relief action in the U.S.'s preliminary round game against Germany, though he did not face a shot in nearly 10 minutes of play. In his absence from the Big Red, Mike Garman, who has split time with Iles this season, got the starts both nights in Estero, Fla.

INTO THE GAME

Sophomore Chris Moulson made his season debut on Dec. 30 against Maine and immediately collected his first goal of the season, scoring a second-period tally that gave Cornell a 2-1 lead. Moulson has appeared in six games in his two seasons with the Big Red and has collected a pair of goals. His first career goal came in just his second career game last season against St. Lawrence.

ONE MILESTONE REACHED...

Cornell's victory over Colgate on Nov. 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., gave head coach Mike Schafer the 300th victory of his coaching career. Schafer became the 46th coach in NCAA Division I history with 300 career wins, and is just the 14th active coach to reach that mark. He ranks third in ECAC Hockey in career victories among active coaches, trailing Joe Marsh of St. Lawrence (460) and Rand Pecknold of Quinnipiac (311), with Dartmouth's Bob Gaudet (287) and Colgate's Don Vaughan (287) both closing in on 300 victories themselves.

...ANOTHER MILESTONE NEARS

The Big Red's 3-1 win against Alabama-Huntsville on Dec. 3 at Lynah Rink marked the 990th all-time victory in the history of the Cornell program.  Cornell ranks 17th all-time in wins by current NCAA Division I programs, trailing Dartmouth by 17. Cornell needs 10 more wins to become the 17th program to record 1000 all-time victories. 

OUT IN FRONT

Cornell is 3-2 this season when scoring the game's first goal, but has lost six of the eight games that it has given up the opening tally of the contest. Cornell has also gone 2-2 this season when leading after one period.

A BALANCED ATTACK

While Cornell's offense has accounted for 36 goals through 13 games, the Big Red has benefitted from a wide balance in scoring among the 94 points recorded on the year. All but three of the skaters who have seen time this season have recorded at least one point on the year. 

CAREER YEARS

With the Big Red just about halfway through the 2010-11 season, six different players have either tied or broken their single-season highs for points already this season. Senior Dan Nicholls has equaled his career high of four points, set as a freshman, while junior Jordan Kary has tripled his career point output, tallying six points this season after entering the year with just two career points. Sophomores Greg Miller and Braden Birch both surpassed their totals from last season already in 2010-11. Miller has 11 points this year after finishing his freshman campaign with five, while Birch has four points on the season after tallying two a year ago. Another sophomore, Vince Mihalek has one point on the season after not seeing any game action a year ago, while Chris Moulson has equaled his offensive output from last year, scoring a goal against Maine on Dec. 30 in his first action of the season..

TAKE YOUR PICK

Entering the season, head coach Mike Schafer felt very confident in his goaltending options with junior Mike Garman and freshman Andy Iles, and with both netminders having played three league games, the numbers back up the quality Schafer has in both players. With the duo having split the six ECAC Hockey contests to this point, their numbers are nearly identical; both players have allowed six goals, with Iles holding a slight edge in number of saves. Iles has a 2.00 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, while Garman has a 2.02 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Iles and Garman rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in save percentage, while ranking third and seventh, respectively, in goals-against average in league games.

PUT IT IN NEUTRAL

When Cornell and Colgate met at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 27, it marked the 22nd time that the two programs have played at a neutral site among the 138 contests played between the two schools. In those 22 games, the two teams are split evenly, with Cornell holding a 10-10-2 record in those games. Prior to the game at the home of the New Jersey Devils in November, the last neutral site game between the two programs came on March 22, 2008, in the consolation game of the ECAC Hockey tournament, a game won by Cornell, 4-2. 

ANOTHER MILESTONE WILL HAVE TO WAIT

Cornell needs another 10 victories at Lynah Rink to post the 500th win at the storied venue, a feat that will have to wait until the 2011-12 season to be reached. Cornell has just seven guaranteed home games the rest of the season, and even with hosting a playoff series, the Big Red could only reach 499 wins at Lynah Rink. The Big Red claimed win number 490 on Dec. 3 against Alabama-Huntsville, a 3-1 victory.

RISK/REWARD

Cornell has had some success playing with the extra attacker this season when trailing late in games. While the Big Red has allowed four empty-net goals – one in each of the first three games of the year and one against Yale on Nov. 19 – Cornell has also scored three times with the extra attacker. The Big Red also scored a delayed penalty goal on Nov. 20 against Brown

ANOTHER LONG AWAITED DEBUT

A pair of sophomores this season have made their collegiate debuts after being scratched for every game last season. Vince Mihalek made his debut on Oct. 30 against RIT, collecting an assist in that contest. Meanwhile, defenseman Jarred Seymour made his first career appearance on Nov. 13 against Princeton after Nick D'Agostino and Mathieu Brisson were sidelined. Every skater on the Cornell roster has appeared in at least one game in his career, and every player but sophomores Chris Moulson and Omar Kanji have played this season.

NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF STREAK

Cornell has posted a pair of three-game losing skids this season, something that hasn't happened since the 2006-07 season. That year, Cornell dropped three straight from Dec. 30 through Jan. 12, before closing out the season with four straight defeats. Cornell is trying to avoid its third three-game losing skid of the year, a feat that hasn't happened against Cornell since the 1986-87 season.

WORKED WELL LAST TIME

Cornell opened the 2010-11 season with three straight defeats, something that hasn't happened since the 1979-80 season. While Cornell finished that season with a 16-15 record, the Big Red peaked at the right time, winning the ECAC championship and advancing to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1973. 

BALANCED ATTACK

When Cornell got its first win of the season on Nov. 6 at Clarkson, it came by way of a balanced offensive attack. A total of 13 different skaters collected at least one point on the night, with four players – Jordan Kary, Kirill Gotovets, Locke Jillson and Dan Nicholls – collecting a pair of points.

SHORT-HANDED

John Esposito's goal against New Hampshire on Oct. 29 marked the first short-handed goal for a Cornell player in a span of 59 games since Riley Nash scored short-handed against St. Cloud State on Dec. 27, 2008, in Estero, Fla. 

THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY

Freshman Andy Iles picked up his first win of his career on Nov. 6 at Clarkson, picking up 35 saves in the victory. Iles is now 2-3-1 on the year and has seen action in seven of the Big Red's 11 games this season. Mike Garman, meanwhile, scored his first victory of his career when he stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced on Nov. 12 against Quinnipiac at Lynah Rink and has a 2-3 record this year.

NOT BLANKED OFTEN

Cornell's shutout loss at St. Lawrence on Nov. 5 marked the first time that the Big Red had been shut out since falling to Yale in the 2009 ECAC Hockey championship game in Albany, N.Y., by a 5-0 margin. Cornell went both NCAA tournament games that season, all of last season and the first two games of 2010-11 without being blanked, a span of 38 games. Despite Cornell's struggles this season, the Big Red has only been shut out once.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

All six members of the freshman class made their collegiate debut during the season's opening weekend on Oct. 29-30 against New Hampshire and RIT. Dustin Mowrey, Rodger Craig, Kirill Gotovets and Andy Iles saw time in both games, while Mathieu Brisson and Armand de Swardt both played in one game apiece, with Brisson appearing in the RIT game and de Swardt playing against New Hampshire.

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE

When New Hampshire scored seven times against the Big Red in the season opener on Oct. 29, it marked the first time that an opponent scored seven goals at Lynah Rink since Providence did so on Jan. 5, 1999, in a 7-3 Friar victory. It's been even longer since Cornell gave up seven in a season opener - in fact, it's never happened since Lynah Rink has been open. The last time the Big Red gave up seven goals in a season opener came in the 1947-48 season when Cornell lost, 9-0, to Army.

ALLOWING A DOZEN

Traditionally one of the nation's top defensive teams, Cornell allowed 12 goals in the first weekend of the season on Oct. 29-30 against New Hampshire and RIT. The Big Red hadn't given up 12 goals in a weekend since Feb. 6-7, 1999, at Yale and Princeton. That weekend, Cornell dropped the opener, 11-0, at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, Conn., before rebounding the following night with a 4-1 victory at Princeton. The last time Cornell gave up at least 12 goals in back-to-back losses came in Brian McCutcheon's final games as head coach, losing at Clarkson on March 6-7, 1995, by 6-2 and 7-2 scores.

0-2 OPENERS

The last time Cornell began a season 0-2 was the 2007-08 season, when the Big Red dropped contests to RIT and Princeton to begin the year. The Big Red rebounded in the third game to record a 5-3 win against Quinnipiac to avoid going 0-3 to begin the season. Cornell concluded that season with a 19-14-3 record and a third-place finish in the ECAC Hockey tournament. The Big Red last began a season 0-3 in 1979-80, falling twice to Notre Dame and at Brown before picking up a victory in game number four at Yale. In spite of the start, Cornell wound up winning the ECAC Hockey championship that season and finished fourth at the NCAA tournament.

THREE RIVERS RECAP

Cornell answered a lot of questions about its offensive abilities with a five-goal first period in its exhibiton opener against Quebec at Trois-Rivieres on Oct. 21. Joe Devin and Tyler Roeszler both had a pair of goals in the first period, with Roezler tallying three points in all on the evening. Freshman Armand de Swardt had a goal and an assist, while Braden Birch and Greg Miller both had a pair of helpers. Mike Garman got the start in goal, posting 23 saves for the victory.

USA! USA! USA!

Cornell's offensive outburst continued in the second exhibition of the season, defeating the U.S. U18 National Team, 6-0, on Oct. 23. Joe Devin had a pair of goals and a pair of assists for a four-point night to lead the way for the Big Red. Junior Sean Collins had a goal and two assists, while John Esposito and Keir Ross both had a pair of assists. Kirill Gotovets had a goal and an assist, with Rodger Craig and Tyler Roeszler both adding a goal. Andy Iles posted 30 saves in his unofficial Cornell debut to record the shutout.

A SOUTHWEST FLAVOR

Cornell's roster in 2010-11 features a trio of players from the state of Texas, in juniors Locke Jillson and Keir Ross and freshman Armand de Swardt, with all three calling the Dallas area home. Cornell has now had four players from the Lone Star State, as the trio joins David McKee in hailing from Texas.

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE

Freshman Kirill Gotovets got a taste of the big time in May when he was selected to represent his native Belarus in the 2010 IIHF World Championships – not an age group World Championships (though he did play for Belarus at the U20 World Championship as well) – but playing against some of the best players the world has to offer. He played in three of Belarus' eight games at the World Championships, recording two shots and two minutes in penalties, helping his nation to a 10th-place finish. Gotovets has been in the United States for the last two years while attending school at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota.

BROTHERLY LOVE

A pair of Cornell players have older brothers who are currently on rosters of NHL clubs, with four players having older brothers playing professional hockey at some level. Junior Sean Whitney's older brother, Ryan, plays for the Anaheim Ducks, while sophomore Chris Moulson's brother, Matt, plays with the New York Islanders. Another player, sophomore John Esposito, has an older brother, Angelo, who plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (Atlanta affiliate), with senior Patrick Kennedy's older brother, Michael, playing in the ECHL for the Florida Everblades.

IS THERE A DRAFT IN HERE?

Cornell has four players on the roster for 2010-11 who have been selected by NHL clubs. Junior Sean Collins (Columbus), sophomores Braden Birch (Chicago) and Nick D'Agostino (Pittsburgh) and freshman Kirill Gotovets (Tampa Bay) are each the property of NHL clubs after having been drafted prior to beginning their careers at Cornell.

AMERICAN INFLUENCE

The Big Red roster in 2010-11 has nine players who call the United States home, up from seven last season and tied for second-most on a Mike Schafer-coached Big Red team. Cornell had 10 Americans on the roster in 1997-98, Schafer's third season, and had nine in 1999-2000, 2006-07 and 2008-09. 

HOMETOWN HERO

With programs in major cities like in Boston and Minneapolis, it's commonplace for a hometown player to suit up for the local college team, but that's not something as common in a city like Ithaca. So when freshman goaltender Andy Iles made his official collegiate debut on Oct. 29 against New Hampshire, he became the first Ithaca native to play for Cornell since Mike Tallman, who suited up for 37 games in three seasons from 1986-87 to 1988-89.

UP NEXT

Cornell returns home for the first time in 2011 when the Big Red faces Rensselaer and Union in a home series at Lynah Rink. The Big Red and Engineers will face off on Friday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m., a contest that will be televised in central New York by Time Warner Sports. Cornell and Union will then meet on Saturday in a 7 p.m. start.