#15 Men's Hockey Readies for Best-of-Three Series Against Rival Harvard

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

THE PUCK DROP

• The No. 15-ranked Cornell men's hockey team returns to action following its opening-round bye as it hosts bitter rival Harvard in a best-of-three quarterfinal series of the 2024 ECAC Men's Hockey Championship.

• Friday and Saturday's games are scheduled for 7 p.m. puck drops, while Sunday's winner-take-all game, if necessary, would start at 4 p.m. All games on the weekend will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, whcuradio.com).

TAKE A BREAK!

• With its overtime loss to Clarkson on Feb. 23, Cornell officially clinched an opening-round bye in this year's ECAC Hockey Championship.

• The opening-round bye was Cornell's 14th time since 2005-06 that it did not play in the opening round of the ECAC Hockey Championship. Since Quinnipiac joined ECAC Hockey before the 2005-06 season, Cornell has reached the quarterfinals in all but one tournament (2015), excluding 2021, which had just three teams participate after Clarkson withdrew before the tournament.

• Cornell's bye extended the Big Red's lead in ECAC Hockey for opening-round byes under the conference's current alignment to 14. Quinnipiac (10) is the only other program with double-digit byes.

CLEAR THE TROPHY CASE!

• Earlier this week, ECAC Hockey released its all-league teams, featuring a pair of All-Rookie selections and two First Team and Third Team All-ECAC Hockey choices.

• Freshman forward Jonathan Castagna and freshman defenseman Ben Robertson were named to ECAC Hockey's All-Rookie Team on Monday. Castagna and Robertson are the first Big Red tandem to garner ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team honors in the same year since Mike Devin and Riley Nash in 2008.

• Sophomore forward Dalton Bancroft and Robertson were announced as Third Team All-ECAC Hockey selections on Tuesday. Bancroft and Robertson are the first pair of Cornell teammates to receive third-team distinctions since goaltender Matthew Galajda and defenseman Alex Green in 2020. Robertson is the second Cornell freshman (first skater) to earn a spot on an ECAC Hockey all-league team, as Galajda was a first-team pick in 2018.

• Senior forward Gabriel Seger and junior goaltender Ian Shane were tabbed First Team All-ECAC Hockey selections on Thursday. Shane was one of four unanimous first-team selections, joined by Quinnipiac forward Collin Graf, Dartmouth forward Luke Haymes, and Union defenseman John Prokop. It was the 11th instance that Cornell had multiple players named First Team All-ECAC Hockey and was the first since forward Morgan Barron and defenseman Yanni Kaldis in 2020.

• In addition to the ECAC Hockey honors, the Ivy League announced its all-league teams on Wednesday. Shane was unanimously named the Ivy League Player of the Year, and Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey, took home his fourth Coach of the Year honor in the last six seasons. Seger, also the Big Red's Academic All-Ivy selection, joined Shane on the Ivy League's first team, while Castagna and Robertson were named Second Team All-Ivy.

HOBEY BAKER NOMINEES

• Senior forward Gabriel Seger and junior goaltender Ian Shane were named nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as announced on Jan. 12.

• Fans are encouraged to create an account and vote for Seger and Shane daily by logging onto hobeybaker.com/awards/vote-for-hobey/.

• This year's nomination was Seger's first time being named as a nominee for the award, while Shane is on the ballot for a second consecutive season.

HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN AWARD

• After being named one of 18 nominees for this year's Hockey Humanitarian Award, junior defenseman Hank Kempf was selected as one of five finalists, as announced by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation on Feb. 12.

• Kempf is Cornell's third consecutive nominee, and the fifth overall, from either Big Red hockey program to be named a finalist. He joins women's hockey players Erin Schmalz, Alyssa Gagliardi, Morgan Richardson, and former men's player Sam Paolini, who won the award in 2003.

• Since the award was first conferred in 1997, Kempf is the ninth Big Red player nominated for the prestigious award and is just the fourth from the men's program, joining Paolini, Topher Scott, and Andy Iles.

SHANE NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR RICHTER AWARD

• Junior goaltender Ian Shane was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Mike Richter Award, announced by the American College Hockey Association on Feb. 14.

• Following the announcement, Shane became the second Cornell goaltender (third instance) to be identified as a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award. Shane joins former Big Red netminder Matthew Galajda, who became a two-time finalist for the Richter Award following his play in the 2017-18 and 2019-20 seasons with the Big Red.

• Shane is accompanied on the list of semifinalists by Michigan State's Trey Augustine, Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel, Minnesota's Justen Close, Quinnipiac's Vinny Duplessis, Boston College's Jacob Fowler, Colorado College's Kaidan Mbereko, Wisconsin's Kyle McClellan, RIT's Tommy Scarfone, and St. Thomas' Jake Sibell.

• The three finalists for the Mike Richter Award will be announced sometime in March, and the winner will be revealed in April during the Men's Frozen Four that will take place in St. Paul, Minn., on April 11 and 13.

SHOWSTOPPER SHANE

• Junior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled inside the blue paint during his time on East Hill, posting a 44-20-10 record with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in his 78 appearances between the pipes.

• Shane is one victory shy of equalling Jason Elliott's 45 wins for the 10th-most wins by a Cornell goaltender in program history.

• With his shutout over Brown on Feb. 16, Shane upped his career shutout total to 11, matching Dave LeNeveu and Mitch Gillam for the fifth-most shutouts by a Cornell goaltender.  Shane is two shutouts shy of matching Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden for fourth in Big Red program history (13).

• Shane's 13 shutouts are tied with Wisconsin's Kyle McClellan for the third-most by all active Division I goaltenders. Michigan Tech's Blake Pietila (24) and Minnesota's Justen Close (13) are the only two netminders ahead of Shane and McClellan.

SHANE'S WORLD

• Since Jan. 1, junior goaltender Ian Shane has an 11-2-3 record with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, ranking first and fifth, respectively, among goaltenders with at least 15 games played during the span.

• Shane's 1.70 career goals-against average stands as the fourth-best in NCAA Division I history, trailing former Cornell netminder David LeNeveu (1.29), former Michigan State standout Ryan Miller (1.54), and Cornell Athletics and Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden (1.59). Former Big Red goaltender David McKee is behind Shane by one point, giving Cornell four of the top five career goals-against averages in NCAA Division I hockey history.

• Among active leaders, Shane is one of two active Division I netminders with a career goals-against average under 2.00, joined by Minnesota State's Keenan Rancier (1.98).

• Along with his impressive career goals-against average, Shane ranks fifth among active Division I goaltenders in career save percentage (.922). Wisconsin's Kyle McClellan (.926), Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel (.9245), Boston College's Jacob Fowler (.9242), and Minnesota's Justen Close (.9237) are ahead of the Cornell netminder.

RACKING UP THE POINTS

• During his tenure on East Hill, senior forward Gabriel Seger has amassed 65 points (19 goals, 46 assists), marking the most points by a Big Red player over his first two seasons at Cornell since Riley Nash (25-41—66) from 2007-09. Two more points would give Seger the most points across his first two seasons with the program since Ryan Hughes collected 25 goals and 50 assists (75 points) from 1989-91.

• Seger's 46 assists are tied for the 21st-most assists in a player's first two seasons of his Big Red career, matching Gary Cullen (1981-83) and John Olds (1978-80), and would tie Dave Peace (1972-73) for 20th-most with his next helper.

POINT SEGER

• Senior forward Gabriel Seger (12-23—35) has 35 points this season, the most by a Big Red player since Colin Greening (15-20—35) and Riley Nash, who had identical stat lines of 12-23—35, in 2009-10.

• Seger is the ninth player (11th occurrence) in the Mike Schafer '86 era (since 1995-96) to notch at least 35 points in a season and is just the second player under Schafer to have at least 35 points in his first two seasons with Cornell, joining Matt Moulson (18-17—35) as a sophomore in 2003-04. Over the last 40 seasons, only six players (seven instances) have had 35-point seasons in their first two years with the Big Red, joining Duanne Moeser (1983-84), Joe Nieuwendyk (twice — 1984-86), Trent Andison (1987-88), Joe Dragon (1989-90), Ryan Hughes (1989-90), and Moulson.

• In his 29 games this season, Seger has had a point in 21 contests, including 10 multi-point games. Seger is tied with Quinnipiac's Sam Lipkin for the third-most in ECAC Hockey. Lipkin's teammates Jacob Quillian (12) and Collin Graf (11) have more multi-point games.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!

• After registering 23 assists in his first season at Cornell last year, senior forward Gabriel Seger has followed up with another 23-assist season.

• Seger is the first Cornell player since Joe Nieuwendyk (1984-86) to have 23-plus assists in his first two seasons with the Big Red. In Cornell's modern era, dating back to 1957-58, only eight other players have accomplished the feat, including Murray Death, David and Doug Ferguson (1964-66), John Hughes (1967-69), Larry Fullan (1969-71), John Harper (1973-75), Lance Nethery (1975-77), and Roy Kerling (1977-78, 1979-80).

• In addition to his 46 assists at Cornell, Seger had 29 helpers in his two seasons at Union, giving him 75 career assists. His assist total is tied with Quinnipiac's Collin Graf and Augustana's Ryan Naumovski for the fourth-most helpers by an active Division I skater. Only Northern Michigan's Andre Ghantous (103), Denver's Massimo Rizzo (87), and Arizona State's Lukas Sillinger (79) have registered more assists.

• Seger is one of nine active Division I skaters with 70-plus career helpers. Behind Seger is Sacred Heart's Braeden Tuck (74), Minnesota State's Brandon Koch (73), and Clarkson's Mathieu Gosselin (73).

• With his next assist, Seger would increase his assist total on the season to 24, signifying the most helpers by a Cornell player since defenseman Yanni Kaldis (24) in 2018-19. No Big Red forward has had that many assists in a season since Greg Miller (25) in 2010-11.

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK

• With his third-period goal against RPI on Feb. 9, senior forward Gabriel Seger became the 14th active player to reach the century mark in points. Seger has since upped his career point total to 107 (32 goals and 75 assists), tied with Sacred Heart's Braden Tuck for the 11th-most points by an active Division I skater entering this weekend.

• Seger is one of three active ECAC Hockey players with at least 100 career points, joining Quinnipiac's Collin Graf (51-73—124) and Clarkson's Mathieu Gosselin (41-70—111).

• Of the active players who have surpassed the century mark for career points, Seger (Union ? Cornell) is one of four who has transferred, joining Graf (Union ? Quinnipiac), Lukas Sillinger (Bemidji State ? Arizona State), Alex Campbell (Clarkson ? Northeastern), and Ryan Naumovski (Niagara ? Augustana).

NET 30

• Following his assist on Kyle Penney's empty-net goal in the Big Red's 3-0 shutout of Brown on Feb. 16, senior forward Gabriel Seger became the first Cornell player to have consecutive 30-point seasons since Morgan Barron in 2018-19 (15-19—34) and 2019-20 (14-18—32).

• Seger, who had seven goals and 23 assists last season, became the first Big Red player with 30 points in his first two years at Cornell since Riley Nash in 2007-08 (12-20—32) and 2008-09 (13-21—34).

• The Feb. 16 assist made Seger the 26th player in the program's modern era, since 1957-58, to reach the 30-point plateau in each of his first two seasons. It is just the third instance under Mike Schafer '86, joining Kyle Knopp (1995-97) and Nash (2007-09), and is the 11th time since 1975-76 the feat has been accomplished. The others include Lance Nethery, Brock Tredway, Roy Kerling, John Olds, Gary Cullen, Duanne Moeser, Joe Nieuwendyk, Trent Andison, Knopp, and Nash.

THE GAME'S ON HIS STICK

• Freshman forward Ryan Walsh has scored 10 goals this season and paces the Big Red in game-winning goals with four.

• With his game-winning tally against Brown on Feb. 17, Walsh joined Brock Tredway (1977-78) and Michael Regush (2018-19) as the lone Cornell freshmen players to pot four game-winning goals in a season.

• Should Walsh record another game-winner this season, he would be Cornell's first player to log five game-winning goals since Anthony Angello in 2017-18 while entering a seven-way tie for the eighth-most game-winning goals in a season.

• John Hughes is the only Big Red player in the program's modern era, since 1957-58, to have five game-winning goals in his first season with the Big Red, doing so as a sophomore in 1967-68.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

• Freshmen forwards Jonathan Castagna (9-13—22) and Ryan Walsh (10-9—19) and defenseman Ben Robertson (3-16—19) have all registered at least 19 points this season, making Cornell one of seven Division I programs to have three freshmen with at least 19 points (Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Robert Morris).

• Castagna, Robertson, and Walsh are the first Big Red freshmen trio with at least 19 points in the same season since Joel Lowry (6-16—22), Brian Ferlin (8-13—21), and John McCarron (6-13—19) in 2011-12.

• It is the third instance where a trio of Cornell freshmen have had 19-plus points in a season since 1975-76, which was the inaugural season first-year students were eligible to play for the Big Red. Trent Andison, Doug Derraugh, and Bruce Frauley initially accomplished the feat in 1987-88.

• Should Robertson and Walsh also reach the 20-point plateau this season, it would be the first time in program history a trio of freshmen logged 20-plus points in the same season.

CLIMBING THE RANKINGS

• With his next point, freshman defenseman Ben Robertson would become the third Cornell freshman defenseman to reach the 20-point mark, joining Chris Norton (4-19—23 in 1984-85) and Mark McRae (5-16—21 in 1999-00).

• A two-point weekend by Robertson would equal McRae's 21 points from 1999-00 (5-16—21), tying him for the second-most points by a first-year blueliner.

• Robertson's 16 assists are tied with McRae (5-16—21 in 1999-00) for the third-most assists by a Cornell freshman defenseman, and his next helper would supplant Robertson into third place. Two assists this weekend would match Frauley's 18 helpers in 1987-88 for the second-most assists by a first-year blueliner.

• Robertson's 19 points (3-16—19) are the 14th-most by a freshman defenseman in Division I hockey. Among freshmen in ECAC Hockey, Robertson has the second-most points by a first-year blueliner behind Dartmouth's CJ Foley (5-15—20), and is tied for seventh overall in the conference with teammate Ryan Walsh (10-9—19) and Princeton's Kai Daniells (8-11—19).

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.

• Cornell has allowed the fewest goals in Division I hockey this season, surrendering 54 goals across its 29 games, 12 fewer than second-place Quinnipiac (66).

• The Big Red's 1.86 goals allowed per game also leads the nation, making Cornell one of two programs to allow less than two goals per game, joined by Quinnipiac.

• Entering this weekend, the Big Red has allowed just 635 shots on goal this season, 149 shots fewer than second-place Providence (784). Cornell's 21.9 shots per game average is 1.2 points lower than Providence's 23.1 average.

SCOUTING HARVARD

• Harvard enters the weekend series with a 7-17-6 overall record and a 6-10-6 mark in ECAC Hockey contests. The Crimson are coming off a 1-0 victory over Princeton in the opening round of the 2024 ECAC Hockey Championship behind a 38-save shutout by sophomore goaltender Aku Koskenvuo. Ian Moore netted the contest's lone tally at the 13:18 mark of the first period.

• Joe Miller (11-14—25) paces the Crimson offense in goals, assists, and points. Ryan Healey (9-12—21), Cam Johnson (4-11—15), and Michael Callow (3-11—14) all have double-digit assist totals.

• Goaltending duties have been split lately, with Derek Mullahy (2-12-2, 3.21, .896) making 16 of the Crimson's 30 starts between the pipes. Koskenvuo (5-5-4, 2.87, .914) has the other 14 starting nods and has yielded two or fewer goals in his last five outings.

113 YEARS, 329 MILES, 164 MEETINGS

• Cornell leads the all-time series against its Ivy League rival, 80-71-13, despite having just one win over its last eight against the Crimson (1-5-2). Seven of the previous 10 meetings between the programs have been decided by one goal or less.

• The Big Red and Crimson split the regular season series as Harvard posted a 3-2 victory at Lynah Rink on Nov. 11 behind a pair of third-period power-play goals by Alex Gaffney. Junior goaltender Ian Shane lifted Cornell to a 2-0 shutout at Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Jan. 26 behind a 17-save effort. Junior forward Kyle Penney assisted on first-period goals by Jack O'Leary and Tim Rego in the win.

POSTSEASON HISTORY

• Cornell and Harvard are guaranteed to meet for the 26th and 27th time in the ECAC Hockey Championship this weekend. The first meeting between the rivals was in the championship game of the 1969 ECAC Hockey Tournament, held at the old Boston Garden. Should the weekend series go to three games, Sunday would be the 28th postseason meeting.

• This year is the second consecutive season that Cornell and Harvard will meet in the ECAC Hockey playoffs. The Crimson posted a 1-0 overtime victory over the Big Red in the semifinals at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. Alex Laferriere scored 4:28 into the extra frame and Mitchell Gibson stopped all 15 Cornell shots in the victory. It is the first time Cornell and Harvard are playing in the postseason in consecutive seasons since squaring off in the championship game in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

• The last time Cornell and Harvard played in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals was in 2009-10 when the Big Red swept the best-of-three series at Lynah Rink behind triumphs of 5-1 and 3-0, which also signifies the last time Cornell defeated Harvard in the playoffs. It is the fifth time Cornell and Harvard will square off in the quarterfinals (1990 — Cornell; 1994 — Harvard; 1997 — Cornell; 2010 — Cornell).

CORNELL - HARVARD CONNECTIONS

• Ryan McInchak, Hank Kempf, Alex Gaffney, and Kyle Aucoin were members of the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2018-19 ... Kempf also played with Gaffney and Aucoin in 2019-20 on the Lumberjacks ... Kempf and Gaffney also played for Team USA at the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup ... Kempf, Luke Devlin, and Philip Tresca were teammates in Muskegon in 2020-21 ... Michael Suda, Jack O'Leary, and Derek Mullahy played on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in 2019-20 ... Kyle Penney (Chilliwack Chiefs) and Nick DeSantis (Sioux Falls Stampede) played with Tommy Lyons during the 2019-20 season ... Penney also played with Cam Johnson on the Chiefs in 2020-21 ... Ondrej Psenicka and Ryan Drkulec played on the Waterloo Black Hawks in 2019-20 ... Ian Shane was teammates with Ian Moore, Joe Miller, and Jack Bar in 2020-21 on Chicago Steel ... Remington Keopple, Derek Mullahy, and Zakary Karpa were teammates on the Des Moines Buccaneers in 2020-21 ... Marian Mosko, Ryan Fine, and Salvatore Guzzo played at Don Bosco Prep in 2020-21 ... Sean Donaldson and Ryan Healey played on the Sioux Falls Stampede from 2020-22
... Devlin and Matthew Morden played at St. Andrew's College from 2020-22, and Jonathan Castagna joined the team in 2021-22 ... Devlin and Ryan Healey represented Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in 2021 ... Keopple and Ian Moore played at the 2021 World Juniors for Team USA ... DeSantis and Casey Severo played on the 2021-22 Madison Capitols ... Luke Devlin and Ryan Fine played on the 2021-22 U.S. NTDP Under-17 Team ... Devlin and Marek Hejduk also played on the U.S. NTDP Juniors team in 2021-22 ... George Fegaras was teammates with Matthew Morden and Michael Callow last year on the Muskegon Lumberjacks ... Devlin and Ben MacDonald played on the West Kelowna Warriors last season.

PENNEY, SHANE SHINE IN #13 MEN'S HOCKEY'S SHUTOUT OF HARVARD

BOX SCORE I RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (JAN. 26, 2024) — Junior forward Kyle Penney recorded two assists, and junior goaltender Ian Shane made 17 saves to aid the No. 13-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 2-0 shutout over Harvard at Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Friday night.

Shane's shutout was the 10th of his collegiate career, tying Wisconsin's Kyle McLellan and Notre Dame's Ryan Bischel for the third-most by all active Division I goaltenders. The shutout also tied Shane with Laing Kennedy '63 for the seventh-most in Cornell history.

Junior forward Jack O'Leary and junior defenseman Tim Rego scored first-period tallies for Cornell, extending its unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2).

Harvard goaltender Derek Mullahy concluded the night with 21 saves between the pipes for the Crimson.

GOSSELIN LIFTS CLARKSON PAST #11 MEN'S HOCKEY, SNAPS UNBEATEN STREAK

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 1, 2024) — Union's John Prokop and Colby MacArthur registered multi-point nights to lead Union to a 3-2 victory over No. 13-ranked Cornell men's hockey at Lynah Rink before 3,855 on Friday night.

MacArthur, Chaz Smedsrud, and Liam Robertson tallied the markers for the Garnet Chargers to snap their nine-game winless streak against Cornell. It is Union's first victory over the Big Red since taking the first game of a best-of-three quarterfinal round on March 15, 2019. Kyle Chauvette made 21 saves between the pipes for Union.

Freshman Jonathan Castagna and senior forward Gabriel Seger recorded the tallies for Cornell. Junior goaltender Ian Shane stopped 18 shots in the setback for the Big Red.

#13 MEN'S HOCKEY CLINCHES NO. 2 SEED WITH SENIOR NIGHT VICTORY OVER RPI

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS | GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 2, 2024) — A two-assist night from freshman forward Jonathan Castagna and a 21-save performance from junior goaltender Ian Shane lifted the No. 13-ranked Cornell men's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over RPI in front of 3,723 on Senior Night at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.

The victory for the Big Red (17-6-6, 12-6-4 ECAC Hockey) solidified Cornell as the No. 2 seed for this year's ECAC Hockey Championship, denoting Cornell will host the second-lowest remaining seed after next weekend's opening-round matchups.

Junior forwards Jack O'Leary and Sullivan Mack and freshman forward Jake Kraft all scored in the victory for the Big Red.

Tyler Hotson spoiled Cornell's bid for a shutout with a goal late in the third period. Jack Watson stopped 25 shots in the setback for the Engineers, who will enter the ECAC Hockey Championship as the No. 12 seed and travel to Clarkson for a 7 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, March 9.
 

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.

Over this past 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 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.

• Should Cornell win this weekend's series over Harvard, the Big Red will advance to the ECAC Hockey's Championship Weekend, which will be held in Lake Placid, N.Y., next weekend.

• The Big Red's semifinal contest will be played at either 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. at Herb Brooks Arena, where Cornell played a pair of 2-2 ties in the Adirondack Winter Invitational earlier in the year against No. 11-ranked UMass (Dec. 29) and No. 13-ranked Arizona State (Dec. 30).

• With a trip to Lake Placid, it would be Cornell's first time making consecutive trips to the conference semifinals since appearing in three consecutive semifinals from 2017-19. Cornell is vying for its first appearance in the ECAC Hockey championship game since falling to Clarkson, 3-2, in overtime in 2019. The last time Cornell hoisted the Whitelaw Cup was when it shutout Union, 3-0, in 2010.