#16 Men’s Hockey Readies for #5 Boston University at Red Hot Hockey

Mike Schafer '86
The Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey

PUCK DROP
• The No. 16-ranked Cornell men's hockey team heads to the Big Apple seeking to snap a four-game winless streak and hoist the Kelley-Harkness Cup for a fourth consecutive time as the Big Red faces No. 5-ranked Boston University in the biennial Red Hot Hockey contest at Madison Square Garden.

• Puck drop for the contest is scheduled for 8 p.m., with game action broadcast live on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, whcuradio.com). Canadian viewers can also watch the contest on TSN+.

THE RETURN OF RED HOT HOCKEY
• Saturday's game between Cornell and Boston University will be the ninth installment of the biennial Red Hot Hockey series, which began in 2007-08.

• Boston University went unbeaten in the first five meetings (3-0-2), but Cornell has prevailed in the last three meetings to hoist the Kelley-Harkness Cup.

• Since the inaugural meeting at The World's Most Famous Arena, a total of 132,668 fans have attended the eight prior Red Hot Hockey contests — averaging 16,583 fans per game.

BACK IN THE NEW YORK GROOVE
• Cornell will be playing its 28th all-time game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening, and the 20th at its current location. The Big Red holds a record of 17-8-2 at the World's Most Famous Arena, which includes a 6-1-1 mark in its last eight games played at the venue.

• Last year, Cornell defeated No. 6-ranked UConn, 6-0, in the Frozen Apple as the Big Red was powered by a hat trick by then-freshman Dalton Bancroft, who became the second Big Red player to score three goals at Madison Square Garden (Dick Bertrand — Dec. 23, 1969 vs. St. Lawrence). 

• Along with Bancroft's hat trick, then-sophomore goaltender Ian Shane stopped all 27 UConn shots to post the first of his five shutouts last season.

• The Big Red has scored six goals in each of its last two games at Madison Square Garden, which is the longest streak since posting four consecutive six-goal efforts at the venue during the ECAC Hockey Festival Tournaments in 1969 and 1975. During that stretch, Cornell defeated RPI (9-0) and St. Lawrence (7-2) in 1969 before edging Boston College (10-7) and St. Lawrence (7-4) in 1975.

LENDING A HELPING HAND
• Freshman defenseman Ben Robertson saw his season-opening seven-game assist streak come to a halt in last Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Princeton.

• Robertson's seven-game assist streak is tied for the fifth-longest by a Big Red defenseman, dating back to 1960-61, with Stephen Bajinski (1974-75), Tim Vanini (1990-91), Mark McRae (2002-03), and Charlie Cook (2002-03). Chris Norton (14 games in 1987-88), Dan Lodboa (13 games in 1969-70), Joe Gallant (12 games in 1980-81), and Jim Higgs (9 games in 1970-71) were those with longer streaks.

• The assist streak matches Ryan Vesce (2000-01) for the second-longest by a freshman player since first-year students were first eligible to play on the Big Red's varsity team in 1975-76. Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk holds the record for the longest assist streak by a freshman after he posted helpers in 10 consecutive games — as a part of a 14-game point streak — in 1984-85.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
• Over its last 10 games against opponents ranked within the top five of the USCHO.com poll, Cornell has posted an 8-1-1 mark.

• The Big Red's seven-game win streak was snapped when it lost to No. 5-ranked Boston University, 2-1, this past March 25 in the Manchester Regional Final of the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship.

• Cornell has allowed four goals over its last six games to opponents ranked in the top five of the USCHO.com poll, which includes posting shutouts in three of its last four games under the circumstances.

• Junior goaltender Ian Shane has been the netminder in all three of the shutouts, which featured a career-high 42 saves on Feb. 25, 2022, against No. 5-ranked Quinnipiac, before defeating the top-ranked Bobcats, 4-0, this past Jan. 20 at Lynah Rink. The latter shutout came in the Manchester Regional semifinal against reigning national champions, No. 4-ranked Denver, last season on March 23.

STOUT DEFENSE
• Historically, Cornell has boasted one of the nation’s stingiest defensive units, as the Big Red has ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense in the last six seasons it has competed in.

• This season, Cornell has allowed the third-fewest goals in Division I hockey with 18 over its eight games. Fellow Ivy League rivals Dartmouth (14 goals in six games) and Harvard (15 goals in five games) have conceded fewer goals than the Big Red.

• The Big Red's 2.25 goals allowed per game is tied with Boston College for the eighth-fewest in Division I hockey. Providence paces the nation with its 1.92 clip.

• Since 2016-17, Cornell has allowed 407 goals, which leads all Division I programs by 103 goals (Harvard — 510) that have played at least seven seasons during the span. The Big Red averages 1.97 goals allowed per game over the last six-plus seasons, making Cornell just one of two programs in the country to average under two goals allowed per game, joined by Minnesota State (1.89).

FRESHMEN SCORING AT MSG
• Freshman have had a knack for finding the back of the net recently at Madison Square Garden as a first-year player has scored in six of the last seven games at the World's Most Famous Arena.

• In total, since first-year players were eligible to play on the Big Red's varsity program, a totla of 10 freshmen have scored at least one goal on the ice at Madison Square Garden.

• Last year, Dalton Bancroft became the second Cornell player to ever register a hat trick at Madison Square Garden, joining Dick Bertrand, who netted three goals in a 7-2 victory over St. Lawrence on Dec. 22, 1969, in the championship game of the ECAC Hockey Holiday Festival Tournament.

• In the latest rendition of Red Hot Hockey during the 2021-22 season, Kyler Kovich and Ondrej Psenicka both lit the lamp as freshmen to guide Cornell to a 6-4 victory and hoist the Kelley-Harkness Cup for a third consecutive time over Boston University.

• Along with Bancroft, Kovich, and Psenicka, the other first-year Big Red players to accomplish the feat of scoring a goal at Madison Square Garden include: Lance Nethery in 1975-76, Riley Nash in 2007-08, Teemu Tiitinen in 2012-13, Anthony Angello in 2015-16, Noah Bauld in 2016-17, Tristan Mullin in 2017-18, and Liam Motley in 2018-19.

LIGHTING THE LAMP AT MSG
• Junior forward Ondrej Psenicka has scored in each of his first two games at Madison Square Garden. With a goal on Saturday, he would become the fourth Big Red player to have scored in three consecutive appearances at the venue, joining Brian Campbell, who had a four-game streak from 1975-76, John Hughes, who did so from 1967-69, and Trevor Yates from 2015-17.

• There have been 11 total instances of players scoring in consecutive games at Madison Square Garden. Along with the Psenicka, Campbell, Hughes, and Yates, Bob Kinasewich (1964-65), Garth Ryan (1969), Dave Peace and John Harper (1975), Locke Jillson (2009-11), Brenden Locke (2019-21), and Max Andreev (2022-23) are the others to accomplish the feat.

• Should Dalton Bancroft score on Saturday, he would become the 12th player to have net goals in consecutive games played at Madison Square Garden.

• Thanks to his hat trick against No. 6-ranked UConn last season, sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft already is tied for the fourth-most goals scored by a Big Red player at Madison Square Garden. Only Brian Campbell (5), John Hughes (5), and Doug Ferguson (4) have scored more at the venue.

• Those tied with Bancroft for the fourth-most goals scored by a Big Red player at Madison Square Garden include Dave Groulx, Dave Peace, Dick Bertrand, Garth Ryan, Jim Vaughan, Paul Althouse, and Trevor Yates

SPREADING THE WEALTH
• Cornell has received production from nearly every skater who has appeared in at least one game this season, as 18 of the 23 skaters (78.2 percent) have registered at least one point and 15 of the 18 players with points have at least two points.

• The Big Red's 10-player freshman class has produced the most early on, leading the program in goals scored (10), assists (19), and points (29). Cornell's 10-player junior class is behind the first-year players with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists).

• Cornell's forwards have dominated the scoresheet early on in the season, netting 24 of the program's 26 goals (92.3 percent) and logging 50 of the 69 points (72.4 percent).

SHANE'S WORLD
• Junior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled inside the blue paint during his time on East Hill, posting a 31-17-5 record with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in his 57 appearances between the pipes.

• Shane's 1.72 career goals-against average paces all active Division I goaltenders with at least 25 games played, and he is joined by Minnesota State's Keenan Rancier (1.87) as the lone pair of goaltenders with a career goals-against average below 2.00.

• Additionally, Shane's goals-against average ranks as the fifth-best by a Cornell netminder in the modern era, trailing Dave LeNeveu (1.29), Ken Dryden (1.60), Matthew Galajda (guh-LIE-duh) (1.64), and David McKee (1.71).

• Along with Shane's impressive goals-against average, he ranks fourth among Division I goaltenders in save percentage (.921), trailing Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel (.926), Minnesota's Justen Close (.924), and Wisconsin's Kyle McClelland (.923).

• Shane's nine shutouts — which match Andy Iles '14 for the eighth-most in Cornell program history — are the fourth-most by an active Division I goaltenders. He currently trails Michigan Tech's Blake Pietila (19), Close (11), and Bischel (10) for the Division I lead in shutouts.

POINT SEGER
• Coming off a stellar junior year in his first season with Cornell in which he posted a 30-point season, senior forward Gabriel Seger has not missed a beat to begin the 2023-24 campaign, registering eight points (5-3—8) in the Big Red's first six games.

• Following his transfer from ECAC Hockey rival Union, Seger posted seven goals and 23 assists last year to become Cornell's first 30-point scorer since Morgan Barron in 2019-20 when he had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists).

• The 30-point season marked the first time a Big Red player had 30-plus points in their first season at Cornell since Riley Nash (12-20—32) did so in his freshman year in 2007-08.

• Seger became the seventh player since 1982-83 to register 30-plus points in their first season with the Big Red. The others to accomplish the feat include Duanne Moeser (17-17—34) in 1982-83, Joe Nieuwendyk (21-24—45) in 1984-85, Trent Andison (21-17—38) in 1987-88, Doug Derraugh (11-21—32) in 1987-88, Kyle Knopp (11-22—33) in 1995-96, and Nash in 2007-08.

• Although transfers are often a rare occurrence at Cornell, Seger became just the third player in the program's modern era (since 1957-58) to record 30-plus points in the season following their transfer to Cornell. Tom Whitehead (10-20—30) and Doug Berk (11-21—32) both accomplished the feat in 1978-79 after the varsity hockey program at fellow Ivy League institution, Penn, was disbanded.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!
• The 23 assists by Gabriel Seger last year were the most by a Big Red player since defenseman Yanni Kaldis had 24 helpers in 2018-19. It was the most assists by a Cornell forward since Greg Miller had 25 in 2010-11.

• Over his two seasons at Union and his current tenure with Cornell, Seger has accrued 56 career assists. Following Wednesday's contests, according to data from College Hockey News, Seger is tied with Minnesota State's Lucas Sowder for the 11th-most assists by an active Division I player.

• Seger's 56 assists are the third-most helpers by an ECAC Hockey player, trailing Clarkson's Mathieu Gosselin (61) and Quinnipiac's Collin Graf (58).

• Should Seger register 20-plus assists this year, he would be the first Cornell player with consecutive 20-assist seasons since defenseman Yanni Kaldis in 2018-19 (24) and 2019-20 (20) seasons.

• No Big Red forward has had consecutive 20-assist seasons since Riley Nash did so in all three of his years on East Hill (2007-10). Nash had 20 assists in his freshman year before posting 21 and 23 assists in his respective sophomore and junior seasons.

ONE OF THE BEST
• Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey, is one of 10 active collegiate hockey head coaches with 500 career victories behind the bench.

• Schafer's 524 wins rank as the 26th-most by a head coach in college hockey history and is 12 shy of matching former Minnesota State bench boss Don Brose (536) for the 25th in college hockey history. Regardless of level or gender, Schafer's 524 victories are the ninth-most by active college hockey head coaches.

• Among active Division I men's head coaches, Schafer has the fourth-most wins, trailing Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold (624), Mercyhurst's Rick Gotkin (601), and Notre Dame's Jeff Jackson (581). 

• At Cornell, Schafer's 524 wins are the third-most by any coach with a program, trailing former softball head coach Dick Blood (623) and the late legendary baseball head coach Ted Thoren (541).

SCOUTING BOSTON UNIVERSITY
• No. 5-ranked Boston University enters Saturday's matchup with an overall record of 9-3-1 and a 5-3-1 mark in Hockey East play.

• The Terriers are led by freshman phenom Macklin Celebrini, who is considered one of the top prospects for the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft and could be the top-selected player selected in Las Vegas this June. Celebrini has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in just 12 games played. Sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson (eight goals, eight assists), Ryan Greene (six goals, eight assists), Jeremy Wilmer (one goal, 13 assists), Quinn Hutson (seven goals, six assists), and Luke Tuch (five goals, eight assists) are all averaging at least one point per game.

• Junior goaltender Mathieu Caron, who played his first two collegiate seasons at Cornell's Ivy League and ECAC Hockey rival Brown, has played all 780:54 between the pipes for the Terriers, posting a 2.84 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

• Boston University, as of Thursday, are tied with Michigan State for the seventh-best power play in the nation, converting at a 26.8 percent clip. The Terriers also tote one of the highest scoring offenses in the country (3.92 — 5th), while also ranking within the top five in assists (95 — 5th), points (146 — 5th), and power-play goals (15 — T-4th). 

98 YEARS, 329 MILES, 51 MEETINGS
• Cornell and Boston University will be meeting for the 52nd time on Saturday night. The Big Red owns a slight 26-22-3 edge in the series, which first began with a Jan. 10, 1925 meeting on Beebe Lake in Ithaca on Cornell's campus.

• Last year, Boston University won the lone regular-season meeting at Agganis Arena on Jan. 14 by a 4-3 score, thanks to the game-winning goal by then-freshman defenseman Lane Hutson with three seconds left. The Terriers then defeated Cornell, 2-1, in the Manchester Regional final to punch its ticket to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla.

• Despite last year's results, Cornell is unbeaten in eight of its last 12 against the Terriers (6-4-2). During the span, the Big Red has scored at least three goals on eight occasions.

• The Big Red has hoisted the Kelley-Harkness Cup in the last three renditions of Red Hot Hockey, defeating the Terriers in 2017 (4-3), 2019 (2-0), and 2021 (6-4).

CORNELL - BOSTON UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS
• Mick Frechette is the brother of former Cornell women's hockey and women's lacrosse players Finley Frechette '22 and Gillis Frechette '23.

• George Fegaras and Gavin McCarthy spent last season on the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

• Ben Robertson was teammates with Ty Gallagher, Lane Hutson, Devin Kaplan, and Jeremy Wilner on the U.S. NTDP Under-17 Team in 2020-21. Robertson also played with Jack Harvey and Jack Hughes on the U.S. NTDP Juniors in 2020-21.

• Luke Devlin, Lane Hutson, and Devin Kaplan all spent time on the U.S. NTDP Juniors during the 2021-22 season ... Harvey also played two seasons with Ian Shane on the Chicago Steel from 2019-21.

• Quinn Hutson played on the Muskegon Lumberjacks with Hank Kempf and Luke Devlin during the 2020-21 season.

• Shane Lachance was teammates on the Youngstown Phantoms with Tyler Catalano (2021-23) and Winter Wallace (2021-22).

• Marian Mosko and Doug Grimes played two years together on the Lincoln Stars (2021-23).

• Nick DeSantis and Sam Stevens were teammates on the 2018-19 Sioux Falls Stampede.

• Hoyt Stanley and Jack Gorton were teammates on last year's Victoria Grizzlies squad.

• Kyle Penney and Mathieu Caron spent two years together on the Chilliwack Chiefs from 2019-21.

#5 BOSTON UNIVERSITY TOPS #12 MEN'S HOCKEY, ADVANCES TO FROZEN FOUR

RECAP I BOX SCORE | GALLERY

MANCHESTER, N.H. (MARCH 25, 2023) — Boston University's Wilmer Skoog and Ethan Phillips each scored once, and Drew Commesso made 13 saves, to aid the No. 5-ranked Terriers to a 2-1 victory over the No. 12-ranked Cornell men's hockey team at SNHU Arena on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Boston University (29-10-0) cemented its spot in the Frozen Four, the program's first since 2015. The Terriers will play No. 1-ranked Minnesota in one of the national semifinal games at Amalie Arena in Tampa on April 6.

Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane made 19 saves for Cornell (21-11-2), who had a late goal from freshman forward Dalton Bancroft.

BANCROFT SCORES TWICE AS #10 MEN'S HOCKEY FALLS TO #7 QUINNIPIAC

RECAP I BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS

HAMDEN, Conn. (NOV. 17, 2023) — No. 10-ranked Cornell and No. 7-ranked Quinnipiac entered Friday night's clash between top 10 opponents bolstering two of the nation's top scoring defenses. Despite the averages entering the night, offense on both sides was on full display before 2,884 at M&T Bank Arena as the Bobcats defeated the Big Red, 8-4.

Jayden Lee had a four-point night, notching a goal and three assists for the host Bobcats (8-3-1, 4-0-1 ECAC Hockey), who remain atop the ECAC Hockey standings early on in the season. Collin Graf (two goals, one assist) and Cristophe Tellier (one goal, two assists) also had three-point nights for Quinnipiac.

Sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft scored two goals and had one assist in the losing effort for the Big Red (4-2-1, 2-2-1 ECAC Hockey). Senior forward Gabriel Seger also chipped in a goal and an assist.

Quinnipiac starting goaltender Vinny Duplessis stopped 21 shots in the victory for the Bobcats, while his counterpart Ian Shane made six saves before being pulled 10:20 into the contest after allowing three goals. Remington Keopple manned the crease for the remaining 49:40 while making a career-high 22 saves in his season debut.

#10 MEN'S HOCKEY DROPS OVERTIME HEARTBREAKER TO PRINCETON

RECAP I BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS

PRINCETON, N.J. (NOV. 18, 2023) — Brendan Gorman's game-winning goal with 6.4 seconds left in overtime guided Princeton to a 2-1 victory over the No. 10-ranked Cornell men's hockey team before a sold-out crowd of 2,500 at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday night.

Gorman's goal was aided by superb goaltending by freshman netminder Arthur Smith, who made a season-high 36 saves for the Tigers (3-2-1, 3-2-1 ECAC Hockey). Smith stopped the final 22 Cornell shots he faced, aiding the Tigers to their third overtime victory on the campaign.

Junior forward Kyle Penney scored the lone goal for the Big Red (4-3-1, 2-3-1 ECAC Hockey), while sophomore goaltender Remington Keopple made his first start of the season and his first in nearly a full calendar year (Nov. 19, 2022 vs. Brown). Keopple stopped 22 shots in the setback, matching his career high for saves, which he established in relief against Quinnipiac the night before.

2023-24 Roster

If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped in line to get season tickets and ensure your spot as one of the raucous and devoted "Lynah Faithful." But most importantly, if you’ve never been to Lynah, you’ve never experienced all the best that college hockey offers.

Lynah Rink, which enters its 67th year of being the home of Big Red hockey this season, was dedicated on April 6, 1957, in honor of the late James Lynah '05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

Cornell began sponsoring a hockey team in the 1900-01 season, which featured all Big Red home games played on the university’s outdoor rink on Beebe Lake. Due to a series of abnormally mild winters, the program was left on "thin ice," causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.

Fortunately, the construction of Lynah Rink gave Cornell hockey a new home, ensuring ice hockey would return as a varsity sport beginning with the 1957-58 season.

The facility has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural game on March 21, 1957, between the New York Rangers and the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Cornell spent nearly $1 million renovating Lynah in the summer of 2000, replacing the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection and refrigeration piping, and adding new boards and seamless glass.

During the summer of 2006, a 16,700-square-foot expansion added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, new athletic training space, and approximately 450 new seats in the seating bowl.

Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over time, the crowd remains constant. Lynah Rink can hold 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans who provide unwavering support for the Big Red while creating an unparalleled atmosphere in college hockey.

Although many rinks in the nation are bigger in capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the "Lynah Faithful," stream into every home contest, making themselves as much a part of the game as the players do. Whether they’re cheering for the Big Red or joining the pep band in their rendition of "Give My Regards to Davy," the Lynah Faithful reaffirms the old saying, "There’s no place like home."

Since the doors opened on Lynah Rink, the Cornell men's hockey program has won a pair of NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships in 1967 and 1970, garnering an ECAC Hockey-record 12 tournament championships (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010) and 25 Ivy League titles, 21 of which have been won outright.

• Cornell will return to Central New York to square off against its regional rival Colgate for its annual home-and-home series. The opening game will take place in Hamilton at the Class of 1965 Arena on Friday, Dec. 1, before shifting to Lynah Rink for the Big Red's final home game of the calendar year on the following night.

• Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. puck drops and will be broadcast on ESPN+, and over the airwaves on ESPN+.

• The Big Red owns an 88-61-17 series lead over the Raiders, and is unbeaten in 19 of its last 24 meetings against Colgate (14-5-5) despite having a 1-2-1 mark over the last four matchups.