#6 Men’s Hockey Commences ECAC Hockey Play Against Yale, Brown This Weekend

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 continues its four-game, season-opening homestand when it welcomes ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals Brown and Yale to Lynah Rink for the first two conference games of the 2024-25 season.

Both contests will have 7 p.m. puck drops and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Grady Whittenburg providing play-by-play and former Cornell defenseman Tim Vanini '91 supplying analysis. Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) and former Big Red blueliner Tony Eisenhut '88 (analyst) will call the contest over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh and senior goaltender Ian Shane garnered weekly honors from ECAC Hockey, the conference office announced on Monday morning.

Walsh was named ECAC Hockey's Forward of the Week, presented by Bluebird Hotels, after logging a league-leading three points (one goal, two assists) on the weekend, all of which came in the Big Red's 5-3 victory over No. 6-ranked North Dakota last Saturday night. Walsh's three-point outing was his highest point total in a game, besting a quartet of two-point performances last season as a freshman.

Last year's ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year, Shane was named the MAC Goaltending Goaltender of the Week after backstopping the Big Red to its weekend sweep of the Fighting Hawks.

Shane registered a 2.00 goals-against average and .923 save percentage on the weekend in the pair of victories, stopping 48 of the 52 shots he faced. His 48 saves were the third-most by an ECAC Hockey goaltender on the weekend, trailing RPI's Noah Giesbrecht and Yale's Jack Stark, who recorded 50 stops in their weekend series against Miami (Ohio) and Denver, respectively.

GETTING COMFY AT LYNAH

Cornell is opening the 2024-25 season with four home games, marking the fourth time under Mike Schafer '86 that the Big Red is beginning a campaign with four consecutive games at Lynah Rink, joining the squads from 2001-02 (Alabama-Huntsville — twice, Union, and RPI), 2004-05 (Army, Sacred Heart, Harvard, Dartmouth) and 2018-19 (Michigan State — twice, Yale, and Brown).

It is the 16th overall instance that Cornell is playing its first four games at home, having previously occurred during the 1921-22, 1922-23, 1958-59, 1962-63, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1981-82, 2001-02, 2004-05 and 2018-19 seasons.

This weekend concludes the Big Red's four-game homestand, which is its longest homestand within the same season since also having four consecutive home games between Dec. 2-30, 2022, when it hosted Dartmouth and Harvard and welcomed AIC for a two-game non-conference series.

ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL

The conference office announced Sept. 25 that Cornell was picked to finish first in the ECAC Hockey preseason poll following a vote among the league's 12 head coaches.

Cornell received 10 of the 12 first-place votes and finished with a league-leading 120 points. Quinnipiac garnered the other two first-place votes and concluded with a point total of 111.

Dartmouth (93 points) and Clarkson (82 points) were picked third and fourth, respectively, in the poll, while Colgate (75 points), Harvard (73 points), St. Lawrence (66 points), and Union (60 points) assumed fifth through eighth place. Princeton (32 points), Yale (30 points), RPI (26 points), and Brown (24 points) rounded out the poll.

In addition to the ECAC Hockey preseason poll, junior forward Dalton Bancroft, sophomore defenseman Ben Robertson, and senior goaltender Ian Shane were named to the conference's Preseason All-ECAC Hockey team, marking the only ECAC Hockey program have multiple players to earn preseason accolades.

Last season's ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year, Shane received preseason honors from ECAC Hockey for a second straight year and was the lone unanimous selection on this year's team.

Robertson was among two blueliners named to the preseason team, joined by Union's junior defenseman John Prokop. Bancroft was one of three forwards named to the preseason team, joined by Dartmouth junior Luke Haymes and Quinnipiac sophomore Mason Marcellus.

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

Senior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled inside the blue paint during his time on East Hill, posting a 51-21-10 record with a 1.71 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in his 87 career appearances between the pipes for the Big Red.

Shane's 51 wins are the sixth-most by a Cornell goaltender in program history and he is seven wins away from tying Andy Iles '14 for the fifth-most wins in program history.

Behind last weekend's sweep, Shane surpassed Brian Cropper '71 (1968-71) for sixth place in Cornell program history for goaltender wins. Shane joined Western Michigan's Cameron Rowe (56) and Wisconsin's Tommy Scarfone (56) as the lone trio of active Division I goaltenders to have registered at least 50 career wins.

Shane's 11 shutouts are the most of any active Division I goaltenders, having two more blankings than Scarfone (nine) and three more than North Dakota's T.J. Semptimphelter (eight).

The 11 shutouts by Shane are tied with Dave LeNeveu (LEH-neh-voo) and Mitch Gillam for fifth in Cornell program history. Shane is two shutouts shy of matching Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden for fourth (13) in program history.

Behind his 48 saves last weekend, highlighted by his 25-save outing on Saturday, Shane surpassed John Detwiler '60 (1,684 saves from 1957-60) for the 14th-most saves in Cornell history. Shane, who enters this weekend with 1,701 career stops, is 44 saves away from tying former Cornell goaltender turned athletic director Laing Kennedy '63 (1,745) for 13th in program history.

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 two-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 goaltenders with at least 1,500 minutes played, Shane is the lone active Division I netminder with a career goals-against average under 2.00. Shane's 1.71 career figure is 32 points better than the second-place holder, Boston College sophomore Jacob Fowler (2.03).

Shane ranks third in career save percentage among active Division I goaltenders with at least 500 career saves, trailing Boston College sophomore Jacob Fowler (.928) and Maine sophomore Albin Boija (.923). The Cornell senior is one of five active netminders with at least a .920 career save percentage, joining Denver senior Matt Davis (.921) and Colorado College junior Kaidan Mbereko (.921).

HOME, SWEET, HOME!

Before Thursday's contests, Cornell had recorded the third-best win percentage on home ice since the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

The Big Red owns a 71-18-8 record (.773) at Lynah Rink over the last seven-plus years, trailing Minnesota State (111-26-4 — .801) and Denver (97-22-12 — .786).

Cornell's .773 win percentage during the timeframe is 37.2 points ahead of Quinnipiac (90-31-4 — .736), who boasts the fourth-best win percentage nationally and ranks second among ECAC Hockey programs. The Big Red is also 41.6 points ahead of fifth-place North Dakota (94-31-11 — .732), 66.2 points better than sixth-place St. Cloud State (84-31-13 — .707), 84.3 points better than seventh-place Harvard (58-24-8 — .689), and 86.2 percentage points better than UMass, the top-ranked team in Hockey East, who ranks eighth (80-34-9 — .687).

MAKING A STRONG IMPRESSION

When opening a brand-new season, the uncertainty of how first-year players will acclimate to the college game is seemingly always questioned. That has been different for Cornell over the last seven seasons.

Last Friday, freshman defenseman Nicholas Wolfenberg netted his first collegiate goal in Cornell's 4-1 victory over North Dakota in its season opener, extending the Big Red's streak of a first-year player scoring in its season opener to seven.

The streak is the longest in program history for freshman players, who first became eligible to compete on the Big Red varsity team starting with the 1975-76 season. Before this, Cornell had two six-year periods where at least one player scored in the season opener during their first year of eligibility. During the first streak, only sophomores scored in the season openers from 1966-71, while in the second streak, sophomores scored in the first two years (1973-74) and freshmen contributed in the last four years (1975-78).

Wolfenberg joined the likes of Ryan Walsh (2023-24), Winter Wallace (2022-23), Ondrej Psenicka (2021-22), Jack Malone (2019-20), Max Andreev (2018-19), and Morgan Barron (2017-18). Anthony Angello also scored in his first collegiate game during the 2015-16 season, giving Cornell a first-year goal-scorer in eight of the previous nine seasons.

JOINING RAREFIED COMPANY

Wolfenberg's first collegiate goal last weekend — his first goal scored since March 11, 2022, when he scored in the now-defunct Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Okotoks Oilers against the Camrose Kodiaks — marked just the third time in program history that a Cornell freshman defenseman had scored in the Big Red's season opener.

The previous two instances occurred in the 2004-05 season opener when former first-round NHL draft pick Sasha Pokulok scored against Army in a 7-1 Cornell win and in 2011-12 when future NHLer Joakim Ryan scored twice in a 5-4 loss to Mercyhurst.

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.

Over the last eight-plus years, Cornell has averaged 1.94 goals allowed per game, only one of two Division I programs to yield under two goals against per game, joining Minnesota State (1.92). The Big Red has ranked within the top 10 in scoring defense seven times over the last eight seasons, the most by any Division I program, ahead of Minnesota State (six) and Quinnipiac (five).

The Big Red led all Division I programs in scoring defense last season, giving up an average of 1.86 goals per game, 7 points ahead of second-place Wisconsin (2.03). Cornell has finished either first or second in scoring defense four times in the last six seasons it has participated in. Cornell also allowed the fewest goals in Division I hockey a season ago, surrendering just 65 goals across the 35 games it played, 14 goals fewer than second-place Quinnipiac (79).

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 weekend, Cornell has maintained its goal of repeating last year's scoring production, as 15 of the 19 skaters (78.9 percent) who appeared in games last weekend 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 half of the team's scoring (11 points), while also leading the team in assists (8). Cornell's senior class (four) is slightly ahead of the sophomores (three) in goals.

The Big Red had five players register at least 10 goals a year ago, highlighted by Gabriel Seger's 14 goals. Dalton Bancroft (12), Ryan Walsh (12), Jonathan Castagna (11), and Kyle Penney (10) were the others. It was Cornell's most players with 10-plus goals in a season 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).

ON THE PLUS SIDE…

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 with Minnesota's Mason Nevers for fourth nationally. The pair trails Denver's Jack Devine (plus-62), Ohio State's Aidan Hansen-Bukata (plus-58), and Minnesota State's Rhett Pitlick (plus-52). Rego ranks ninth with his plus-45 rating and Penney is tied with Denver's Boston Buckberger for 10th with a plus-43 figure.

Along with senior forward Jack O'Leary's plus-40 rating, Cornell is the only Division I program with four players with career plus-minus ratings north of plus-40. The Big Red is one of three programs with multiple players with plus-40 ratings, joined by Minnesota, which has three players (Nevers, Mike Koster, and Jimmy Snuggerud) and Denver (Devine and Buckberger).

Rego's plus-45 rating is the fifth-highest figure among active Division I defensemen, trailing Hansen-Bukata (plus-58), Boston College's Eamon Powell (plus-47), Michigan's Jacob Truscott (plus-47), and Koster (plus-46). Fellow senior defenseman Hank Kempf (plus-37) is tied with Minnesota's Luke Mittelstadt for the ninth-best plus-minus rating by a blueliner.

The Big Red is one of three programs with at least two defensemen with a rating of at least plus-30, joined by Denver (Buckberger — plus-43 and Zeev Buium — plus-38) and Minnesota (Koster — plus-46 and Mittelstadt — plus-37).

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 544 wins are the 18th-most wins by a Division I head coach in college hockey history and is 11 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).

SCOUTING YALE

Yale enters this weekend with an 0-2-0 overall record after being swept in its season-opening series against the reigning national champions, Denver, at Ingalls Rink last weekend.

Denver outscored Yale 11-1 and out-shot the Bulldogs 61-44 over the two-game series as the top-ranked Pioneers came away with 6-0 and 5-1 victories.

Sophomore forward Will Richter scored the lone goal for the Bulldogs, the opening marker in last Saturday's setback to Denver. First-year forward Zach Wagnon and senior defenseman Dylan Herzog registered the assists.

Jack Stark (0-2-0, 5.50, .820) was Yale's goaltender in both contests against Denver. Stark made 50 saves over the two-game series, tied with RPI's Noah Giesbrecht for the most saves in ECAC Hockey last weekend.

122 YEARS, 259 MILES, 164 MEETINGS

Friday will be the 165th meeting between the Ancient Eight rivals, which dates back to the first meeting on Feb. 22, 1902, in New York City at St. Nicholas Rink.

Cornell leads the series, 92-62-9, and is 10-1-3 over its last 14 games against Yale. Across the previous 14 games, the Big Red has scored at least three goals all but three times, averaging 3.57 goals per game while holding Yale to just 1.71 goals per game, computing an average margin of victory of 1.86.

The Big Red have dominated the series lately, posting a 7-0-1 record over the last eight games with Yale and having a plus-23 edge in goals, 30-7. Cornell's defense has stymied the Bulldogs during its unbeaten streak, holding Yale to two or fewer goals in all contests and logging a trio of shutouts.

Over the last seven games against Yale at Lynah Rink, Cornell has a 5-0-2 record while outscoring the Bulldogs 24-11.

CORNELL - YALE CONNECTIONS

Jack Stark was teammates on the Chicago Steel with Ian Shane (2020-21) and Charlie Major (2022-23) ... Bayard Hall played on the Youngstown Phantoms for two seasons (2020-22) with Tyler Catalano and Winter Wallace ... Sullivan Mack and Tucker Hartmann played on the 2020-21 Salmon Arm Silverbacks ... Will Dineen played on the Sioux Falls Stampede with Nick DeSantis (2019-20) and Sean Donaldson (2020-21) ... Micah Berger also spent time with Donaldson in Sioux Falls during the 2021-22 season ... Berger and Parker Murray played with the Wenatchee Wild in 2022-23 ... Kieran O'Hearn was teammates with Donaldson for two years on the Trail Smoke Eaters (2017-19) ... Kalen Szeto and Hoyt Stanley were teammates on the 2021-22 Victoria Grizzlies ... Elan Bar-Lev-Wise and Justin Katz played on the 2021-22 West Kelowna Warriors ... Jimmy Rayhill and Luke Pearson played on the 2019-20 Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

#12 MEN'S HOCKEY CLAIMS 26TH IVY LEAGUE TITLE WITH SHOOTOUT VICTORY OVER YALE

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (FEB. 17, 2024) — Goals from sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft and senior forward Gabriel Seger in the shootout helped lift the No. 12-ranked Cornell men's hockey to its 26th Ivy League title after playing to a 1-1 tie with Yale before a sold-out crowd of 4,267 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Cornell has won consecutive Ivy League titles for the first time since collecting three straight Ancient Eight titles from 2018 to 2020. The Big Red has claimed the league title five times over the last six seasons of competition after the Ivy League did not compete in any sport for the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freshman forward Tyler Catalano netted his first collegiate goal in regulation for the Big Red, extending its unbeaten streak to 14 games (10-0-4).

Will Richter also found the back of the net for the first time in his collegiate career for Yale, which has gone 4-1-1 over its last six contests.

Junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced on the night, while his counterpart, Jack Stark, shoved aside 22 Cornell shots.

Both goals in regulation came within 66 seconds of each other late in the first period.

SCOUTING BROWN

Brown opens its 2024-25 season this weekend when it makes its annual trip to Central New York to square off against Colgate and Cornell.

The Bears are coming off a 8-19-3 overall record and 6-14-2 mark in ECAC Hockey play last season. Brown is returning 80 percent of its scoring production from last season, tied with St. Thomas for the eighth-highest total in Division I hockey, and 85 percent of its goals scored, which ranks fifth nationally, just behind Cornell's 88 percent clip.

Of the Bears' returners from last year, Brown brings back its six of its top seven scorers, featuring forwards Ryan St. Louis (13-11—24), Max Scott (7-11—18) and Tyler Kopff (6-12—18), and defensemen Alex Pineau (7-8—15), Ethan Mistry (0-11—11), and Brett Bliss (2-7—9).

Sophomore goaltender Lawton Zacher is poised to return to his starting goaltender role for Brown this season after posting a 6-14-3 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and .909 save percentage as a freshman. Junior Tyler Shea appeared in 10 games last season for the Bears, logging four starts and posting a 2-5-0 record with a 3.27 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.

65 YEARS, 326 MILES, 139 MEETINGS

Saturday will mark the 140th meeting between the two Ivy League rivals since the inaugural meeting between the programs on Feb. 21, 1959.

Cornell has the series lead over Brown, 87-44-8. The Big Red has an 18-1-3 record over the last 22 meetings and has outscored the Bears by 51 during that span, 79-28, posting an average margin of victory of 2.32.

The Big Red has won the last four games against Brown, outscoring the Bears 20-2 during the span. Cornell has also prevailed in eight of the last nine against Brown with a plus-30 edge in goals, 37-7. Seven of the previous eight victories for Cornell over Brown have been by at least three goals.

Home ice has fared kindly to Cornell against Brown recently, as the Big Red is unbeaten over its last 10 games against the Bears at Lynah Rink (9-0-1). During that span, the Big Red has outscored Brown 37-14 and scored three-plus goals in all but one game.

CORNELL - BROWN CONNECTIONS

Ben Robertson and Ryan St. Louis played on the 2020-21 United States Under-17 Team ... Marian Mosko and Max Scott were teammates on the 2021-22 Lincoln Stars ... Ethan Mistry spent the 2021-22 Nanaimo Clippers with Jack O'Brien and Sean Donaldson ... Jackson Munro was teammates with Jimmy Rayhill (2019-20 Alberni Valley Bulldogs) and Kyle Penney (2020-21 Chilliwack Chiefs) ... George Fegaras and Jack Hewitt teamed together on the 2021-22 North York Rangers ... Tyler Shea was teammates with Nick DeSantis (Madison Capitols) and Parker Murray (Wenatchee Wild) during the 2021-22 season.

WALSH, BANCROFT LOG MULTI-POINT NIGHTS IN #12 MEN'S HOCKEY'S SHUTOUT OF BROWN

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (FEB. 16, 2024) — Freshman forward Ryan Walsh (one goal, one assist) and sophomore Dalton Bancroft (two assists) logged multi-point nights, and junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped all 10 shots he faced to lead the No. 12-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-0 victory over Brown before a sold-out crowd of 4,267 at Lynah Rink on Friday night.

Freshman defenseman Hoyt Stanley and junior forward Kyle Penney also found the back of the net for the Big Red to extend the program's unbeaten streak to 13 games (10-0-3).

Shane's shutout was the 11th of his collegiate career, moving him into a tie with Dave LeNeveu (2001-03) and Mitch Gillam (2014-17) for the fifth-most blankings by a Cornell goaltender.

Brown freshman goaltender Lawton Zacher shoved aside 30 shots for the sixth time so far in his collegiate career for the Bears.

THIRD-PERIOD SURGE SPARKS #9 MEN'S HOCKEY TO SERIES SWEEP OVER #6 NORTH DAKOTA

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (NOV. 2, 2024) — Third-period goals by sophomore forward Ryan Walsh and senior defenseman Tim Rego and an empty-net goal by senior forward Kyle Penney avenged a 3-2 deficit to guide the No. 9-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 5-3 victory over No. 6-ranked North Dakota before a crowd of 4,091 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

Walsh paced the Big Red offense behind his career-high three points, registering one goal and two assists. Sophomore forward Jake Kraft and Rego also logged multi-point nights, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Senior forward Jack O'Leary also scored for Cornell, who has opened each of its last two seasons with two-game sweeps of NCHC opponents.

Senior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 25 of 28 shots to break his tie with Brian Cropper '71 for the sixth-most wins by a Cornell goaltender in program history.

North Dakota freshman forward Sacha Boisvert led the Fighting Hawks with a two-point outing, scoring a goal and chipping in a helper. Junior forward Dylan James and fifth-year forward Louis Jamernik V also potted markers for the Fighting Hawks. Sophomore goaltender Hobie Hedquist shoved aside 23 of the 27 shots he faced between the pipes.

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 remain in ECAC Hockey and Ivy League play next weekend when it makes its annual trip to northern New England to square off against Dartmouth (2-0-0, 1-0-0 ECAC) and Harvard (0-1-0, 0-1-0 ECAC).

Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. puck drops and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com). Saturday's game with Harvard will be broadcast regionally in New England on NESN.