#10 Men's Hockey Set to Face #6 Harvard Friday in Semifinals of ECAC Hockey Championship

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

THE PUCK DROP
• The No. 10-ranked, and No. 3-seeded, Cornell men's hockey team plays the No. 6-ranked, and No. 2-seeded Harvard in the second semifinal game of the 2023 ECAC Hockey Championship this evening at the 1980 Rink — Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y.

BACK TO LAKE PLACID
• Cornell is making its fourth appearance in Lake Placid since the 2016-17 season. Following the tournament's return to Lake Placid for the 2013-14 season, the Big Red has officially reached the ECAC Hockey final four five times (2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23).

• Friday's contest will be the 44th time Cornell is playing a game in Lake Placid, dating back to its first game against St. Lawrence — an 11-1 win — on Dec. 26, 1938, at Jack Shea Arena (currently named the 1932 Rink). It will be the Big Red's 27th game played at the 1980 Rink, where Cornell has a 13-13 record.

• In its 13 victories at the 1980 Rink, Cornell has scored three-plus goals in 11 games, and has also allowed two goals or less in 11 contests. 

IVY LEAGUE CHAMPS
• Cornell claimed its 25th Ivy League title with its 5-1 win over Yale on Feb. 25. The Big Red's 25 points (8-2-0) in Ancient Eight contests edged Harvard's 24 points (9-1-0).

• It was the Big Red's first Ivy League title since 2019-20. The Big Red has claimed three of the last four Ancient Eight titles, joining the 2018-19 and 2019-20 squads. Harvard won the only other Ivy title in the stretch in 2021-22.

• The Big Red's 25 Ancient Eight titles are second among the six Ivy League schools that currently field programs. Harvard has the most (28), while Yale is in third with 15.

• Since Princeton won the Ivy League in 2007-08, the trophy has only been in the possession of Cornell (six times), Yale (also six times), and Harvard (three times).

TAKE A BREAK!
• With its 4-4 tie to Colgate on Feb. 11, Cornell clinched one of the coveted top-four seeds in this year's ECAC Hockey Championship.

• Excluding the 2020-21 campaign, Cornell has been a top-four seed in each of the last six tournaments that it has participated in.

• In years Cornell has had a first-round bye, the Big Red has now moved onto the semifinals in nine of the last 10 instances. Last year was the lone instance it did not advance. 

• Since the adoption of the 12-team tournament format entering the 2002-03 campaign, Cornell has been a top-four seed in 16 of the 20 tournaments played.

HAVING AN EYE FOR THE GOAL
• With its 109 goals this season, Cornell has surpassed the century mark for goals in each of its last five years of competition, dating back to 2017-18.

• It is the first time the Big Red has netted 100-plus goals in at least five consecutive seasons since doing so in 27 straight years from 1964-91.

• Despite scoring 100-plus goals in each of the last four previous seasons, this year's 109 goals are the most by a Big Red squad since 2004-05 when it scored 111 goals in 35 contests (3.17 goals per game).

• This year's 3.52 goals-per-game average — which ranks eighth nationally — is the highest by a Cornell team with at least 30 games played since 2002-03 (133 goals in 36 games — 3.69).

POINT SEGER
• Junior forward Gabriel Seger has 22 assists and 29 points this season, with both figures currently serving as team highs.

• With his next point, Seger will be the first Cornell player to have a 30-point season since Morgan Barron (14-18—32) in 2019-20.

• No Cornell player has had at least 30 points in their first year with the Big Red since Riley Nash had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in his freshman year in 2007-08.
Seger has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) over his last eight games, and has three multi-assist performances in the span.

• His 22 assists are currently the eighth-most helpers by a player in ECAC Hockey this season. It is the most helpers by a Cornell player since defenseman Yanni Kaldis had a 24-assist season in 2018-19. Seger is the first Cornell forward with at least 20 assists in a season since Greg Miller had 25 assists in 2010-11.

• Seger is the first Big Red player with 20-plus assists in his first season donning Cornellian Red since Nash's 20 assists in 2007-08.

SAM'S THE MAN
• Senior defenseman Sam Malinski has the fifth-most points by an ECAC Hockey blueliner this season. His 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) are five off shy of matching Quinnipiac's Zach Metsa for the lead in ECAC Hockey.

• Malinski's 26 points are the most by a Cornell defenseman since Yanni Kaldis had 28 points (4-24—28) in 2018-19.

• Earlier this season, Malinski recorded at least one point in 10 straight games, tying former NHLer Matt Moulson for the second longest point streak by a Cornell player in the Mike Schafer era, dating back to the 1995-96 season.

• The 10-game point streak is the second-longest by a Division I defenseman this season, trailing Boston University freshman blueliner Lane Hutson for the lead (11). Hutson had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) during his streak, while Malinski had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists).

‘SPECIAL’ IN SPECIAL TEAMS
• Cornell has the fouth-best power play nationally as the Big Red is converting at a 26.7 percent clip. Minnesota State paces the nation at a 29.1 percent clip, while Denver (27.8 percent) and North Dakota (27.3 percent) are ahead of the Big Red.

• Following Cornell's six power-play goals scored against Union on Feb. 4, the Big Red has scored on just three of its last 27 power-play opportunities (11.1 percent).

• Despite the recent low conversion rate, the Big Red has scored a power-play goal in 11 of its last 18 games, converting on 31.3 percent of its chances (20-of-64).

RANKING IN THE TOP 10
• Cornell is one of six programs ranking in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

• Of the six programs, three are in ECAC Hockey, as Cornell is joined by Quinnipiac and Harvard. The Bobcats and Crimson are the respective No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in this year's ECAC Hockey Championship.

• The Big Red has the eighth-highest scoring offense this season with a 3.53 goals-per-game average, while ranking third in scoring defense, averaging 2.03 goals allowed per contest.

NONE SHALL PASS…
• Cornell boasts one of the nation's top scoring defenses. The Big Red has yielded 63 goals allowed so far this year, which is the second-fewest by a Division I program this season, trailing ECAC Hockey rival Quinnipiac (57).

• Historically, Cornell has boasted one of the nation's stingiest defensive units in Division I hockey. The Big Red has ranked in the top-10 in scoring defense in each of its last five seasons of competition. Since the 2016-17 season, Cornell has yielded 386 goals against which stands as the fewest by a Division I team in the span.

SHANE'S WORLD
• Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane has had a strong season for Cornell, posting a 1.79 goals-against average that ranks second nationally and is behind ECAC Hockey counterpart Yaniv Perets of Quinnipiac, who has a nation-leading 1.52 figure.

• Shane was nominated for the Mike Richter Award and is Cornell's lone nominee for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. 

• Despite not being named a semifinalists for the Richter Award, Shane was the first Cornell goaltender named to the Richter Award watch list in consecutive years since Matthew Galajda in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

BLANKING TOP-10 FOES
• Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane is one of three goaltenders at the Division I level to record a pair of shutouts against opponents ranked who were ranked in the top 10 of the USCHO.com poll at the time of the shutout.

• Joining Shane in the rare feat this season is Wisconsin's Jared Moe, who shutout Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 22) and Ohio State (Jan. 20), as well as St. Cloud State's Jaxon Castor, who did so against Minnesota (Jan. 7) and Denver (Jan. 21).

• Quinnipiac's Yaniv Perets, Maine's Victor Ostman, UMass' Luke Pavicich, Miami's Ludvig Persson, Minnesota's Justen Close, Minnesota State's Alex Tracy, Northern Michigan's Beni Halasz, Omaha's Simon Latkoczy and Jake Kucharski, and Penn State's Liam Souliere have posted shutouts against top-10 opponents this year.

OFFENSIVE DOMINANCE
• Cornell has excelled in the opening 40 minutes of games this season outscoring its opponents by a 80-41 margin, good for a plus-39 goal advantage.

• In comparison, Cornell has only outscored its opponents by eight goals, 29-21, in the final period of regulation. Over its last four games, the Big Red has bucked the trend as it has outscored its opponents, 8-3, in the final 20 minutes. 

• Since the Big Red's 6-0 victory over UConn at the Frozen Apple on Nov. 26 at Madison Square Garden, the Big Red has outscored its opponents in the first two periods by 35 goals in the first two periods, 63-28.

• Not only has Cornell been scoring a lot of over the opening 40 minutes of play, the Big Red has been generated many more shots on goal than its opponents. Cornell has a plus-227 advantage in shots on goal (638-411). In the final period of regulation, the Big Red has a plus-60 advantage in shots (273-213), leading to an overall plus-287 edge in shots on goal (917-628).

SCHAFER REACHES MILESTONE
• Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey, earned his 519th career win last Saturday, surpassing former Cornell women's polo coach Dave Eldredge for the third-most wins by a Big Red head coach in one sport while on East Hill. The only coaches ahead of Schafer is former Cornell softball head coach Dick Blood (623) and former baseball head coach Ted Thoren (541).

SCOUTING HARVARD
• Harvard, who is ranked No. 6 in the most recent USCHO poll, enters tonight's contest with an overall record of 23-6-2. The Crimson finished ECAC Hockey play with an 18-4-0 record.

• Since falling to Northeastern in a shootout in the Beanpot final on Feb. 13 at TD Garden in Boston, the Crimson have gone on a six-game win streak.

• Sean Farrell paces Harvard's offense with 51 points (20-31—51) over all 31 games this season. Alex Laferriere (20-20—40) joins Farrell in having reached the 40-point plateau. Matthew Coronato (19-16—35) and Henry Thrun (6-24—30) have also been key factors for Harvard offensively this season.

• Mitchell Gibson has appeared in 24 games between the pipes for Harvard this season, posting a 17-5-2 record with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
• Tonight will be the 162nd all-time meeting between the two bitter Ivy League rivals. Cornell leads the series, 79-69-13, but is winless over its last five games against the Crimson (0-3-2).

• Cornell is seeking its first win over Harvard since recording a 3-1 victory at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, Mass., on Dec. 6, 2019.

• Five of the last eight meetings between Cornell and Harvard have been decided by one goal or less.

POSTSEASON HISTORY
• Cornell and Harvard are meeting for the 25th time in the ECAC Hockey Championship, dating back to its first meeting in the 1969 Championship at the old Boston Garden.

• This is the first time Cornell and Harvard will be meeting in  the ECAC Hockey Championship since the Big Red lost, 4-1, in the third-place game of the 2017 ECAC Hockey Championship.

• The last time the two teams played in a winner-takes-all contest since March 16, 2012, when Cornell fell to the Crimson, 6-1, in the semifinals of the 2012 ECAC Hockey Championship in Atlantic City, N.J.

• Tonight's game will be the 12th time Cornell and Harvard are playing in a winner-takes-all game (see list on right). It is the first such game in Lake Placid since the championship game in 2002, when Harvard won in double overtime, 4-3.

• The last time Cornell defeated Harvard in the playoffs was in the quarterfinals of the 2010 ECAC Hockey Championship, when the Big Red swept the Crimson at Lynah Rink.

THE LAST TIME AGAINST HARVARD
RECAP | BOX SCORE

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (JAN. 28, 2023) — Harvard forward Sean Farrell recorded assists on four of the six goals scored by No. 10-ranked Harvard in the Crimson's 6-2 victory over No. 11-ranked Cornell at a sold-out Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Saturday night.

Farrell assisted on the Crimson's first four goals of the night – all of which came in succession. Matthew Coronato scored twice, and Alex Laferriere, Henry Thrun, and John Farinacci each recorded a goal and an assist for Harvard (15-5-1, 13-3-0 ECAC), who improved to 9-0-0 at home this season.

Senior defenseman Sam Malinski and sophomore forward Ondrej Psenicka scored for Cornell (13-7-1, 10-4-0 ECAC) in the setback.

Mitchell Gibson made 31 saves for the Crimson, while sophomore Ian Shane stopped 23 shots between the pipes for the Big Red.

SUDA'S FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL LIFTS NO. 12 MEN'S HOCKEY TO SERIES-OPENING WIN OVER CLARKSON

RECAP I BOX SCORE 

ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 10, 2023) – Sophomore defenseman Michael Suda's wrap-around goal 1:13 into the third period proved to be the difference maker as the No. 12-ranked, and No. 3-seeded, Cornell men's hockey team posted a 2-1 victory over the No. 6 seed Clarkson in the opening game of the best-of-three quarterfinal round of the ECAC Hockey Championship.

Junior forward Gabriel Seger made his return to the lineup felt as he opened the scoring for the Big Red with a power-play goal one second past the six-minute mark of the opening frame, sending 3,752 of the Lynah Faithful into a frenzy.

Clarkson's Mathieu Gosselin cut the Big Red's deficit in half over four minutes after Suda's goal when he deflected a shot from the top of the slot by Ryan Richardson.

Ian Shane, Cornell's sophomore goaltender, made 13 saves to earn his 18th victory of the season for the Big Red.

Shane's counterpart, Ethan Haider, made 18 saves between the pipes for the Golden Knights.

LAKE PLACID BOUND: #12 MEN'S HOCKEY BEATS CLARKSON, SWEEPS BEST-OF-THREE SERIES

RECAP I BOX SCORE 

ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 11, 2023) – For the 39th time in program history, the Cornell men's hockey team is headed to the semifinals of the ECAC Hockey Championship.

A two-point night by senior Jack Malone, and goals by sophomore Ondrej Psenicka and senior Max Andreev, aided the No. 12-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over No. 6-seeded Clarkson before 3,935 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night, sweeping the best-of-three quarterfinal round.

The No. 3-seeded Big Red, with its quarterfinal victory, will travel to Lake Placid next weekend to play in the ECAC semifinals for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane made 22 saves to guide Cornell to its 13th 20-win season under head coach Schafer.

Saturday's win solidified Cornell's first time reaching the 20-win plateau since 2019-20, when the Big Red finished with a 23-2-4 overall record before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clarkson's Tommy Pasanen scored with 21 seconds left to thwart Cornell of its fifth shutout of the season. Ethan Haider made 19 saves for the Golden Knights, who finished the campaign with a 16-17-4 record.

2022-23 Roster

If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s James Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped out in line just 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 really experienced all the best that college hockey has to offer.

Lynah Rink, which turned 65 years old in 2022, is the home of Big Red hockey. The rink, which was dedicated April 6, 1957, was named in honor of the late James Lynah (class of 1905), director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

The venue has received a facelift or two since its inaugural game on March 21, 1957, between the NHL's N.Y. Rangers and the AHL's Rochester Americans.

During the summer of 2006, the rink underwent a 16,700 square foot expansion that added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, a new athletic training space, and the addition of approximately 450 new seats. Prior to the expansion of the support space, the university spent nearly $1 million in renovations to Lynah in the summer of 2000, replacing the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection, and refrigeration piping, as well as adding new boards and seamless glass.

Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over the years, one thing remains constant: the crowd. Lynah is capable of holding 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans who provide unwavering support for the Big Red, creating an atmosphere that is unparalleled in the sport of college hockey. Although many rinks in the nation are larger in seating capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the "Lynah Faithful," stream into every home contest and make 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 reaffirm the old saying, "there’s no place like home."