PREVIEW: Males’s Hockey Returns Dwelling to Host Dartmouth, Harvard

The newly minted No. 7 males’s hockey staff returns residence to Lynah Rink seeking to proceed its successful begin to the season. The Crimson (4-0-0, 2-0 ECAC) will face Dartmouth (1-1-2, 1-0-2 ECAC) on Friday, Nov. 10. The following night time, in one of the anticipated matchups of the season, Cornell will verse Harvard (0-1-2, 0-1-2 ECAC) on Saturday, Nov. 11.

“[I’m] tremendous excited. It’s one thing you hear rather a lot about,” mentioned freshman defenseman Ben Robertson. “Simply to have the ability to expertise it with the group of fellows right here is tremendous particular and [it’s] one thing that I’ve been wanting ahead to for a very long time.”

However earlier than the fish go flying on Saturday, the staff must face a strong Dartmouth staff. Its dropping report deceives the Massive Inexperienced, who has garnered some spectacular outcomes up to now, together with a 7-2 domination of the Underneath-18 Nationwide Growth staff, a 2-2 tie (and eventual shootout victory) over reigning nationwide champion and No. 8 Quinnipiac and 1-1 tie with No. 17 Harvard.

“Dartmouth performs exhausting — they’re properly structured, [and] they’ve received an important goaltender,” mentioned head coach Mike Schafer ’86. “Hopefully we discovered our lesson from final week.”

Referring to the Crimson’s slower begin towards Yale on Friday, Schafer is anticipating a targeted, rejuvenated staff to assault this weekend’s video games, maybe essentially the most tough take a look at for the Crimson up to now. Cornell can even look to its d-corps, whose .75 objectives towards per sport is the very best within the nation.

Robertson has performed an enormous half in these numbers. The primary-year has been driving a four-game level streak to start his collegiate profession, registering 5 assists for 5 factors.

“Our coaches [are] harping on the small print each single day,” Robertson spoke of his protection. “Whether or not it’s our sticks or simply counting on our companions, it permits us to play aggressive and never give the opposite staff a number of room to make performs and have scoring probabilities.”

Cornell additionally owes its defensive prowess to sophomore goaltender Ian Shane. His .958 save proportion in 4 begins has earned him back-to-back ECAC goaltender of the week honors, and the title of MAC Goaltender of the Month. Whereas acknowledging the awards, Shane offers credit score to the group in entrance of him and emphasizes his staff’s focus extra on the consequence, and fewer on the accolades and rankings.

“It’s cool to be talked about and put in a few of these classes,” Shane mirrored. “But it surely’s by no means been a forefront of my focus.”

“It’s simply six large ECAC factors and Ivy League factors on the road [this weekend],” Shane added.

Within the marquee matchup of the season, the Crimson will face the Crimson on Saturday.

It’ll be a distinct Harvard staff that arrives in Ithaca on Saturday from previous years. Significantly, the Crimson noticed the important thing departures of forwards Matt Coronato, Alex Laferriere and Sean Farrell, who scored the unorthodox OT winner towards the Crimson at residence on Dec. 2, 2022. Laferriere, who made his NHL debut final month, was the one who despatched the Crimson residence within the ECAC semifinals at Lake Placid on March 17, scoring the sport’s solely purpose 4 minutes into extra time and leaving Cornell with a bitter style in its mouth.

The 2023-24 Crimson staff, very similar to Cornell, is a comparatively younger, inexperienced staff. However in contrast to the Crimson, this new Harvard staff has struggled to search out its identification, going winless in its first three video games.

That shouldn’t be a motive to miss the Crimson, nonetheless.

“Throw the data proper out the window [in] a rivalry sport,” Schafer mentioned. “The freshmen have by no means skilled [playing against Harvard], so [it’s all about] controlling feelings and being current.”

With the departure of beginning goaltender Mitchell Gibson final season, senior Derek Mullahy will possible be between the pipes for the Crimson, giving the higher hand in expertise to Shane, who has performed a number of video games within the coveted Cornell-Harvard rivalry.

“I believe the expertise of getting these video games prior to now, particularly final 12 months not being a Covid 12 months and getting to really see the gang and be in that environment type of prepares you higher,” Shane mentioned. “ what to anticipate strolling into it.”

The Crimson has been winless in its final six conferences with the Crimson, with the final Cornell win approaching the highway on Dec. 6, 2019, when the Crimson gained 3-1. Regardless of this, Cornell nonetheless leads the rivalry with an all-time report of 79-70-13.

Puck drop for each video games is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the video games could be streamed on ESPN+.