#6 Men’s Hockey Readies for First Road Trip Against #17 Dartmouth, #20 Harvard

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

THE PUCK DROP

The No. 6-ranked Cornell men's hockey team takes its first road trip of the 2024-25 season this weekend when it heads to northern New England to square off against a pair of ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals in No. 17-ranked Dartmouth and No. 20-ranked Harvard.

Both contests will have 7 p.m. puck drops and be broadcast on ESPN+. Saturday's game at Harvard will also be simulcast regionally on NESN in New England. Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) will also call both games on the weekend over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).

BANCROFT EARNS WEEKLY AWARD

Junior forward Dalton Bancroft was named ECAC Hockey’s Forward of the Week, presented by Bluebird Hotels, the conference office announced Monday morning.

Bancroft’s honor marks the second consecutive week a Cornell player was tabbed ECAC Hockey’s top forward. Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh earned the distinction the week prior after his three-point weekend capped the Big Red’s season-opening sweep over then-No. 6-ranked North Dakota.

Concluding Cornell’s weekend with four points (three goals, one assist), Bancroft’s three goals were tied for the league lead with Dartmouth’s Sean Chisholm and Yale’s Donovan Frias.

The first of Bancroft’s three goals on the weekend came just eight seconds into Cornell’s contest with Yale last Friday, tying for the second-fastest goal to begin a game in program history. It was the Big Red’s quickest goal since Doug Derraugh ‘91, who is currently the Everett Head Coach of Cornell Women’s Ice Hockey, also scored eight seconds into a contest against Princeton in a 4-3 victory on Nov. 10, 1990.

Factoring in all three of Cornell’s goals in its 3-1 victory over Brown on Saturday, Bancroft netted the tying goal in the second period before tallying the eventual game-winning marker with 53.3 seconds left in the third period, one-timing a backhanded pass by sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson. Bancroft added his assist when he aided Walsh in potting his empty-net goal 17 seconds after the go-ahead tally to solidify the Big Red’s win.

STARTING WITH A BANG!

Last Friday against Yale, junior forward Dalton Bancroft opened the scoring eight seconds into the contest, tying the second-fastest goal to begin a game in Cornell program history.

Bob Murray tallied the fastest goal to begin a game on Feb. 11, 1974, when he scored six seconds into a 7-4 victory over Yale. Robert Spitzmiller (Feb. 12, 1930 vs. St. Lawrence), Pete Marcov (Dec. 13, 1983 at Princeton), and Doug Derraugh (Nov. 10, 1990 vs. Princeton) were the others to score eight seconds into their respective games.

NO ‘L’ IN BIG RED

Cornell's 3-0-1 start marks its second consecutive year going unbeaten through its first four games, following up a perfect 4-0-0 start to last season's schedule.

It is the Big Red’s 26th overall time beginning a campaign without a loss over its first four games, 13 of which have come with Mike Schafer ‘86 as head coach. Cornell had not posted consecutive seasons without a loss in its first four games of a season since going 4-0-0 to begin the 2001-02 and 2002-03 campaigns.

Along with the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, there have only been three other instances where Cornell went consecutive seasons without losing any of its first four games in a season, joining three-season spans from 1964-66 and 1996-98 and a program record four-year stretch from 1971-74.

Entering this weekend, Cornell is one of four Division I programs that have yet to lose this season, joining Colorado College (8-0-0), Dartmouth (4-0-0), and Denver (10-0-0).

Should No. 6-ranked Cornell hand No. 17-ranked Dartmouth its first loss on Friday, it would be the 16th time in program history that the Big Red has not lost any of its first five games while also accomplishing the feat for a second straight season.

Cornell's only other instance of posting consecutive seasons without a loss over its first five games was during the 1971-72, 1972-73, and 1973-74 seasons.

If Cornell does not lose any of its games this weekend, it would be the first time it has had zero losses through its first six games since 2019-20, when it opened the season with 10 consecutive wins. It would be the Big Red’s 11th time not having a loss through six games, having previously been done in 1910-11 (6-0-0), 1966-67 (6-0-0), 1969-70 (6-0-0), 1971-72 (6-0-0), 1973-74 (5-0-1), 1990-91 (4-0-2), 1997-98 (5-0-1), 2008-09 (4-0-2), 2017-18 (6-0-0), and 2019-20 (6-0-0).

SHANE'S WORLD, IT'S PARTY TIME, EXCELLENT!

Senior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled inside the blue paint during his time on East Hill. Over his 88 career appearances between the pipes for the Big Red, Shane has a 52-21-11 record with a 1.71 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Shane’s 52 wins are the sixth-most by a Cornell goaltender in program history. Entering this weekend’s games, Shane is six wins away from matching Andy Iles ‘14 for the fifth-most wins in program history. The 52 wins also rank third-most among active Division I goaltenders, trailing Western Michigan graduate student Cameron Rowe (56) and Wisconsin graduate student Tommy Scarfone (56). Boston University senior Mathieu Caron (46) is the closest player to the 50-win threshold.

The 11 shutouts registered by Shane during his tenure at Cornell are the most of any active Division I goaltender. Shane has two more blankings than Scarfone (nine) and three more than North Dakota graduate student T.J. Semptimphelter (eight).

Among Cornell goaltenders, Shane’s 11 shutouts are tied with Dave LeNeveu and Mitch Gillam for fifth in program history. Shane is two shutouts shy of matching Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden (13) for fourth all-time at Cornell.

Entering this weekend, Shane’s 1,727 saves rank as the 14th-most by a Cornell goaltender in program history and is 18 saves away from matching former Cornell goaltender turned athletic director Laing Kennedy ‘63 (1,745) for 13th in program history. Shane is also 97 saves away from tying Doug Dadswell (1984-86) for 12th on the Big Red’s all-time saves list.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Senior goaltender Ian Shane’s career goals-against average of 1.71 stands as the fourth-best figure in NCAA Division I history, trailing LeNeveu (1.29), former Michigan State standout and 18-year NHL veteran Ryan Miller (1.54), and Dryden (1.59).

Cornell has four of the top five career goals-against averages in Division I men’s hockey history. Former Big Red goaltender David McKee’s 1.71 figure is behind Shane by nine-thousandths of a point. Cornell has five players with sub-2.00 career goals-against averages, the most of any Division I program. Maine, Miami, and Michigan State are the only others with multiple representatives (two).

Among active Division I goaltenders with at least 1,500 minutes played, Shane is one of three netminders to have a career goals-against average under 2.00, joined by Maine’s Albin Boija (1.86) and Boston College’s Jacob Fowler (1.99).

Shane ranks third in career save percentage among active Division I goaltenders with at least 500 career saves, trailing Boston College’s Jacob Fowler (.930) and Arizona State’s Gibson Homer (.925). The Cornell senior is one of six active netminders with a career save percentage of at least .920, joining Denver’s Matt Davis (.921), Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko (.921), and Boija (.921).

STOUT DEFENSE

Cornell has boasted one of the nation’s stingiest defensive units, ranking in the top 10 in scoring defense each of the last seven campaigns and in nine of the previous 10 seasons it has competed in.

The Big Red’s ranking within the top 10 in scoring defense seven times over the last eight seasons is the most by any Division I program, ahead of Minnesota State (six) and ECAC Hockey rival Quinnipiac (five).

Over the last eight-plus seasons, Cornell has averaged 1.94 goals allowed per game, joining Minnesota State (1.92) as one of two Division I programs to yield under two goals against per game during the span.

Through its first four games this season, Cornell’s 1.75 goals allowed per game average is tied with Michigan Tech for the 10th-best scoring defense in Division I hockey. Cornell ranks third among the 12 teams in ECAC Hockey, trailing this weekend’s opponents in Dartmouth (1.50 — T-3rd) and Harvard (1.67 — T-6th). Boston College paces the nation with its 1.25 goals allowed per game average.

Last season, the Big Red led all Division I programs in scoring defense, giving up an average of 1.86 goals per game. Cornell’s figure was 17 points ahead of second-place Wisconsin (2.03). The Big Red also allowed the fewest goals in Division I hockey, surrendering just 65 goals across its 35 games, 14 goals fewer than second-place Quinnipiac (79).

Cornell has finished first or second in scoring defense four times in the last six seasons it has participated in.

ON THE PLUS SIDE…

Entering this weekend’s contests, senior forwards Ondrej Psenicka and Kyle Penney and senior defenseman Tim Rego rank within the top 10 nationally for the highest career plus-minus ratings among active Division I hockey players.

Psenicka’s plus-49 rating is tied for fourth nationally with Michigan graduate student defenseman Jacob Truscott. Only Denver forward Jack Devine (plus-62), Ohio State defenseman Aidan Hansen-Bukata (plus-55), and Minnesota State forward Rhett Pitlick (plus-52) have higher plus-minus ratings. Penney and Rego’s plus-44 rating is good for 10th among active skaters.

Senior defenseman Hank Kempf and senior forward Jack O’Leary also have plus-40 ratings, making Cornell the lone Division I program to have at least four players with career plus-minus ratings of at least plus-40.

The Big Red is one of four programs with multiple players to log plus-40 ratings, joined by Minnesota’s trio of Mason Nevers, Mike Koster, and Jimmy Snuggerud, Boston College’s Eamon Powell and Ryan Leonard, and Denver’s Devine and defenseman Boston Buckberger.

Cornell is one of two programs with multiple forwards having career plus-minus ratings of at least plus-40, joined by Minnesota (Nevers — plus-48 and Snuggerud — plus-42). Psenicka’s plus-49 rating is the third-highest figure by a Division I forward, while Penney (plus-44) and O’Leary (plus-40) have the fifth- and eighth-highest clips, respectively.

Rego’s plus-44 rating ranks sixth among active Division I defensemen, trailing Hansen-Bukata (plus-55), Truscott (plus-49), Powell (plus-48), Koster (plus-46), and Buckberger (plus-45). Kempf’s plus-40 rating ranks eighth among blueliners.

The Big Red is one of three programs with at least two defensemen with a rating of at least plus-30, joined by Minnesota (Koster — plus-46, Luke Mittelstadt — plus-37, Sam Rinzel — plus-30) and Denver (Buckberger — plus-45 and Zeev Buium — plus-38).

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Cornell received production from nearly every skater who appeared in at least one game last season, as 21 of the 23 skaters (91.3 percent) registered at least one point, and 19 of the 21 players with a point last season logged at least two points.

Through its first two weekends, Cornell has maintained its goal of repeating last year’s scoring production, as 17 of the 20 skaters (85.0 percent) who appeared in the first four games have registered at least one point.

The current sophomore class — who led the team in goals (44), assists (70), and points (114) last season — is picking up right where it left off, generating nearly half of the team’s scoring (16 points — 45.7 percent), while also leading the team in assists (12). Cornell’s senior class (five) is slightly ahead of the sophomores and juniors (four apiece) in goals.

The Big Red had five players register at least 10 goals a year ago, featuring Gabriel Seger (14), Dalton Bancroft (12), Ryan Walsh (12), Jonathan Castagna (11), and Kyle Penney (10). It was Cornell’s first time having five-plus players with double-digit goals since 2007-08 (14, Colin Greening; 12, Riley Nash; 10, Topher Scott; 10, Raymond Sawada; 10, Michael Kennedy).

AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!

Senior forward Kyle Penney was named captain of the Cornell hockey team for a second consecutive season on Sept. 5.

Penney is the seventh player under Mike Schafer ‘86’s tenure as the Big Red’s head coach to be named a two-time captain, joining Mitch Vanderlaan ‘19, John McCarron ‘15, Colin Greening ‘10, Stephen Bâby ‘03, Kyle Knopp ‘99, and Brad Chartrand ‘96. Penney is the 14th player in Cornell program history to be named a two-time captain.

“He does everything the right way and cares about his teammates,” Schafer said. “He connects across all classes, and he’s done that since he’s been here. He speaks up and picks his spots to make his point. He’s not soft-spoken but doesn’t waste his words. He checks all the boxes of great leaders. It’s an honor for him to be a two-time captain, and it was going to be evident that the honor was going to be bestowed upon him by his teammates.”

Joining Penney on the leadership team for the season will be senior defensemen Hank Kempf and Tim Rego and senior forward Jack O’Leary, who will all serve as alternate captains.

O’Leary is the second player in Cornell program history to be named an alternate captain in consecutive seasons, joining Cole Bardreau ‘15 (2013-14 and 2014-15).

ALL HE DOES IS WIN, WIN, WIN…

Mike Schafer ‘86, the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey, is one of eight active collegiate men’s hockey head coaches with 500 career victories.

Schafer’s 545 wins are the 18th-most wins by a Division I head coach in college hockey history and is 10 wins shy of matching former Michigan Tech head coach John MacInnes, who won 555 games with the Huskies during his 26-year tenure from 1956-82.

Among active Division I men’s head coaches, Schafer has the fourth-most career wins, trailing Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold (645), Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin (609), and Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson (594).

BATTLE OF RANKED OPPONENTS

Since Harvard and Dartmouth became travel partners in the 2005-06 season, there have only been two instances where Cornell faced the Big Green and Crimson on the same weekend when both programs were ranked.

Both times saw Cornell host Dartmouth and Harvard at Lynah Rink. The most recent instance occurred Jan. 24-25, 2020, when the top-ranked Big Red defeated No. 20-ranked Dartmouth, 2-1, before tying with the No. 16-ranked Crimson, 1-1. The other instance occurred Nov. 16-17, 2012, when the No. 10-ranked Big Red fell to the No. 17-ranked Crimson, 4-1, and tied with No. 12-ranked Dartmouth, 1-1.

SCOUTING DARTMOUTH

No. 17-ranked Dartmouth enters the weekend with an overall record of 4-0-0 and a 3-0-0 mark in ECAC Hockey play.

The Big Green’s four wins to begin the season is its best four-game start since 1957-58 when it won its first six games. This season’s start is Dartmouth’s first time going unbeaten over its first four games since the 2012-13 campaign when it opened with a 5-0-1 record.

Nikita Nikora (1-6—7) paces Dartmouth’s offense behind his team-leading six assists and seven points. Sean Chisholm (4-1—5) has a team-high four goals on the year. Hayden Stavroff (3-1—4), John Fusco (2-2—4), and CJ Foley (1-3—4), the reigning ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week, are all averaging at least a point per game.

Goaltending duties have been split between sophomores Roan Clarke (2-0-0, 1.45, .950) and Emmett Croteau (2-0-0, 1.56, .929), as both players have two starts on the season. 

115 YEARS, 301 MILES, 147 MEETINGS

Cornell leads the series against Dartmouth, 88-50-9, and is unbeaten over its last eight against the Big Green (5-0-3). A win or tie on Friday would mark the Big Red’s longest streak without a loss to Dartmouth since going 7-0-3 against the Big Green from Jan. 28, 2011 and Jan. 18, 2014.

Contests at Thompson Arena between Cornell and Dartmouth have been close, with the last five, nine of the previous 10, and 13 of the prior 15 games having been decided by one goal or less. Overall, against Dartmouth, eight of the last nine, nine of the previous 11, and 22 of the prior 33 contests have been decided by a goal or fewer.

The Big Red will play a ranked Dartmouth team for the 12th time on Friday. Cornell has a 7-2-2 record against the Big Green when it has been ranked, including a 5-0-2 record over the last seven instances, dating back to Jan. 28, 2011.

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh has scored in his last two games against Dartmouth (Jan. 27, 2024 in Hanover and March 22, 2024 in Lake Placid). With a goal Friday, Walsh would be the first Cornell player to score in three consecutive games against the Big Green since Dustin Mowrey in the 2011-12 season (Jan. 20, 2012, March 9, 2012, and March 10, 2012 — all at Lynah Rink).

CORNELL - DARTMOUTH CONNECTIONS

Cornell associate head coach Casey Jones coached Emmett Croteau last season while at Clarkson ... Matt Fusco was teammates with Luke Devlin and Justin Katz on the 2022-23 West Kelowna Warriors ... Sullivan Mack and Nate Morgan played on the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in 2020-21, while Liam Steele, Owen Desilets, CJ Foley, and Hayden Stavroff played on the 2022-23 Silverbacks ... Nicholas Wolfenberg was teammates on the Okotoks Oilers with Tucker McRae (2021-22) and Jack Silverberg (last season) ... Colin Grable played alongside Jake Kraft and Ryan Walsh on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in 2022-23 ... Hoyt Stanley and Tim Busconi played on the 2022-23 Victoria Grizzlies ... Tim Rego and Sean Chisholm on the Brooks Bandits for two years (2019-21).

FIVE-GOAL THIRD LIFTS #14 MEN'S HOCKEY TO VICTORY OVER DARTMOUTH

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | GALLERY - ONE | GALLERY - TWO

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (MARCH 22, 2024) — The No. 14-ranked Cornell men's hockey team scored five goals in the third period to guide the Big Red to a 6-3 victory over Dartmouth, clinching its spot in the ECAC Hockey championship game for the first time since 2019.

Sophomore forward Nick DeSantis registered a team-high three points (two goals, one assist) and was one of six Cornell players with multi-point nights. He was joined by junior forwards Kyle Penney and Ondrej Psenicka and sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft (one goal, one assist apiece), and senior forward Gabriel Seger and freshman defenseman Ben Robertson each tallied two assists in the victory for the Big Red, marking the 14th 20-win season under Mike Schafer '86's tenure.

Junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 27 shots for Cornell in its victory, matching Mitch Gillam for the ninth-most wins by a Big Red goaltender (47).

John Fusco scored two of Dartmouth's three goals in the second period, while Sean Chisholm (one goal, one assist) and Braiden Dorfman (two assists) also had multi-point nights for the Big Green. Sophomore goaltender Cooper Black also made 27 saves in the setback.

SCOUTING HARVARD

No. 20-ranked Harvard enters the weekend with a 2-1-0 record overall and in ECAC Hockey play.

Mick Thompson (1-3—4) leads the Crimson in assists and points, as he is the lone player with multiple assists so far on the season. Ben MacDonald (2-1—3) is the only Harvard player to have scored multiple goals.

Aku Koskenvuo (2-1-0, 1.64, .931), the reigning MAC Goaltending Goaltender of the Week, has been Harvard’s goaltender in all three of its games so far this season. He registered his third career shutout in last Saturday’s win over then-No. 15-ranked Quinnipiac, where he stopped all 25 shots.

114 YEARS, 329 MILES, 166 MEETINGS

Saturday will be the 167th meeting between the two bitter Ivy League rivals. Cornell leads the series over Harvard, 82-71-13. Eight of the previous 12 meetings have been decided by one goal or less.

The Big Red has won the last three matchups against the Crimson. With a win Saturday, Cornell will up its win streak over Harvard to four games, the program’s longest win streak against the Crimson since winning five straight contests between the 2009-10 and 2011-12 campaigns.

Cornell is 8-3-3 over its last 14 contests at Bright-Landry Hockey Center and has scored at least two goals in its previous 15 games.

CORNELL - HARVARD CONNECTIONS

Ian Shane was teammates with Jack Bar, Ian Moore, and Joe Miller on the 2020-21 Chicago Steel, which had former Cornell goaltender Mike Garman serving as an associate head coach ... Charlie Major was teammates Mick Thompson for two seasons on the Chicago Steel (2022-24) while Garman was head coach ... Major, Cam Johnson, and Thompson were teammates on Steel in 2022-23 ... Kyle Aucoin and Philip Tresca played on the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks with Hank Kempf and Luke Devlin ... Alex Gaffney spent two years (2018-20) with Kempf on the Lumbjeracks and George Fegaras teamed up with Michael Callow, William Hughes, Matthew Morden, and Justin Solovey on the 2022-23 Lumberjacks ... Moore played with Remington Keopple on the 2022 United States World Junior team ... Keopple and Zakary Karpa played with the Des Moines Buccaneers in 2020-21 ... Justin Katz, Devlin, and Ben MacDonald spent 2022-23 on the West Kelowna Warriors ... Katz and Sean Keohane also played with West Kelowna last season ... Ben Robertson was teammates with Callow, Ryan Healey, and Marek Hejduk on the 2020-21 USNTDP Juniors ... Healey also played with Sean Donaldson for two seasons on the Sioux Falls Stampede (2020-22), which also included Will McDonough in 2021-22 ... Devlin was teammates with Salvatore Guzzo, Marek Hejduk, and Ryan Fine on the 2021-22 USNTDP Juniors ... Aucoin played with Kyler Kovich on the 2020-21 Tri-City Storm ... Morden played at St. Andrew’s College with Devlin and Jonathan Castagna in 2021-22 ... Parker Murray spent two years (2021-23) on the Wenatchee Wild with David Hejduk ... Tommy Lyons was teammates with Nick DeSantis (Sioux Falls Stampede) and Kyle Penney (Chilliwack Chiefs) in 2019-20 ... Penney was also teammates with Johnson on the 2020-21 Chiefs.

SEGER'S FOUR-POINT NIGHT SPURS #15 MEN'S HOCKEY TO SWEEP OVER HARVARD

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 16, 2024) — Senior forward Gabriel Seger factored in all four goals scored by the No. 15-ranked Cornell men's hockey team, spurring the Big Red to a series sweep of Harvard, 4-1, in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals before a sold-out crowd of 4,267 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Seger recorded two goals and two assists in the Big Red's victory, while freshman defenseman Ben Robertson (two goals) and junior forwards Ondrej Psenicka and Kyle Penney (two assists apiece) also joined in having multi-point nights. Junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 21 of the 22 Harvard shots he faced.

Ian Moore netted the lone tally for Harvard (7-19-6), which also had a 21-save outing from goaltending Derek Mullahy.

BANCROFT GUIDES #6 MEN'S HOCKEY TO VICTORY OVER BROWN

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (NOV. 9, 2024) — Junior forward Dalton Bancroft factored in all three goals for the No. 6-ranked Cornell men's hockey team, which included netting the game-winning goal with 53.3 seconds in the third period, as it defeated Brown, 3-1, before a sold-out crowd of 4,267 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Bancroft scored twice and assisted on sophomore forward Ryan Walsh's empty-net goal en route to his fourth career three-point game. Senior goaltender Ian Shane made 18 saves in the victory for the Big Red (3-0-1, 1-0-1 ECAC Hockey).

Max Scott tallied Brown's lone goal on the night as Tyler Shea made 28 saves in his season debut for the Bears (0-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC Hockey).

2024-25 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 68th year serving as the home of Big Red hockey this season, was formally dedicated on April 6, 1957, a month after its opening to the public on March 4, 1957. The facility, which was built following a $500,000 anonymous donation (approximately $5.59 million in 2024), honors the late James Lynah '05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

The donation to build Lynah Rink reresurrected the Cornell hockey  program following a 10-year hiatus, ensuring hockey returned as a varsity sport for the 1957-58 season.

Cornell began sponsoring hockey as a varsity sport with 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 — literally — on thin ice, causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.

Since its opening in March of 1957, Lynah Rink has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural event on March 21, 1957, a 7-3 victory for the NHL’s New York Rangers in an exhibiton against the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Gump Worsley stopped 44 shots in the victory for the Rangers.

Among the renovations, Cornell spent nearly $1 million in the summer of 2000, to replace 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.

Over last season’s winter break, updated Cornell branding on the façade and south concourse brought a more modern look to the facility.

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 13 tournament championships (1967-70, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996-97, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024) and 26 Ivy League titles, 22 of which have been won outright.

Cornell will return to Lynah Rink next weekend when it hosts No. 19-ranked Quinnipiac and Princeton for a pair of ECAC Hockey contests. Puck drop for both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).