Team Notes: Big Red Battle Capital District Foes at Lynah

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team makes its first appearance at Lynah Rink in more than a month this weekend, playing host to Rensselaer and Union this weekend. Both the Engineers and Dutchmen are ranked in the top 15 nationally in both polls, with the Big Red currently tied with Rensselaer for seventh place in the league standings. Friday's game can be seen in Central New York and the Albany area on Time Warner Cable Sports with Mark Larson and Dan Fridgen calling the action, while both games can be heard in the Ithaca area on WHCU 870 AM with Jason Weinstein on the call of the game. Live streaming video of both games will also be available online through the Cornell Redcast subscription service.

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell claimed its first weekend sweep of the season last weekend, grabbing a pair of one-goal victories at Princeton and Quinnipiac. On Friday night in Princeton, Nick D'Agostino's game-winner with just over a minute to play sealed the win for the Big Red, while Saturday night, it was Joe Devin scoring the overtime game-winner to send Cornell home with a 3-2 win against the Bobcats. Devin led all players in scoring on the weekend, tallying three points in Saturday's game, scoring a pair of goals and assisting on the third. Mike Garman got the win on Friday at Princeton, stopping 39 of the 40 shots he faced on the night, while Andy Iles made 32 saves on 34 shots on Saturday for the victory. On the season, Greg Miller leads the Cornell offense with 12 points on two goals and 10 assists, while D'Agostino is second with 11 points on six goals and five helpers. Cornell's goaltending tandem of Garman and Iles has continued to improve every night out, with Garman posting a 2.69 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage and Iles recording a 2.32 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. The Big Red power play has converted on 10-of-60 power play chances this season (16.7 percent, tied for 33rd nationally), while the penalty-killing unit has killed off 63-of-71 penalties against (88.7 percent, second in the nation).

ABOUT RENSSELAER
Ranked ninth in the country in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey poll, the Engineers are tied with Cornell for seventh in the league standings at 4-4 in ECAC Hockey play. Rensselaer has won eight of its last 11 games, but split a pair of contests at home, losing to Clarkson, 3-2 in overtime, before coming back to defeat St. Lawrence, 5-3. Chase Polacek leads the team in scoring with 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists in 20 games, while Nick Bailen is also averaging better than a point per game, having tallied eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 20 contests. In goal, Allen York has played all but 60 minutes for the Engineers, recording a .928 save percentage and a 1.87 goals-against average with one shutout. Rensselaer's power-play unit has converted on 19-of-113 chances (16.8 percent, 32nd in the nation), while the penalty killing unit has successfully ended 87-of-105 power plays against (82.9 percent, 29th nationally).

THE SERIES WITH RENSSELAER
Cornell went 1-0-1 against Rensselaer last season, scoring a 2-1 win on Dec. 4, 2009, at the Houston Field House before the two teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the regular season finale at Lynah Rink. The Big Red holds a 57-31-6 lead in the all-time series and has won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Engineers, going 8-1-1 over that span. Rensselaer's last win over the Big Red came in game one of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals in 2009, while the last victory during the regular season came on Feb. 24, 2006, in Troy, N.Y. Cornell head coach Mike Schafer holds a 25-10-4 record against the Engineers.

ABOUT UNION
The Dutchmen, ranked 13th in the country in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey poll, are coming off a sweep of last week's games, scoring a 3-1 win over St. Lawrence before thrashing Clarkson, 8-1, on Saturday. Union enters the weekend having gone 6-4 in its last 10 games, but with three of those four losses coming outside of league play. Jeremy Welsh leads the Union offense with 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 22 games, while Daniel Carr (12-12–24) and Josh Jooris (7-15–22) are both averaging at least a point per game this season. In goal, Keith Kinkaid has seen the majority of time, posting a 2.01 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage to go along with a 12-6-2 record and two shutouts. Union ranks among the national leaders in scoring offense (fourth, 3.73 goals per game) and scoring defense (fifth, 2.09 goals allowed per game) and boasts the country's best power play unit, having converted on 31-of-98 power play chances (31.6 percent) while ranking 12th in the nation in penalty killing, having killed off 79-of-92 chances (85.9 percent).

THE SERIES WITH UNION
Cornell went 2-0-1 against Union last season, with the two teams skating to a 2-2 tie in the opener at Messa Rink. The Big Red then claimed a 4-1 win at Lynah Rink and won the third meeting of the year, a 3-0 victory in the ECAC Hockey championship at the Times Union Center in Albany. Cornell holds a 29-12-6 lead in the all-time series against the Dutchmen, with Cornell head coach Mike Schafer boasting a 20-8-5 record against Union. The Dutchmen last defeated the Big Red on Feb. 15, 2008.

BREAK OUT THE BROOMS
Last weekend's sweep at Princeton and Quinnipiac marked the first weekend sweep for the Big Red since winning the ECAC Hockey tournament last march, claiming back-to-back 3-0 wins against Brown and Union at the Times Union Center in Albany. The last time the Big Red swept an opponent during the regular season came on Jan. 29-30, 2010, when the Big Red defeated St. Lawrence at Clarkson at Lynah Rink. Cornell's last road weekend sweep came nearly two years ago when the Big Red scored a 4-1 win at Union and a 3-0 victory at Rensselaer on Jan. 16-17, 2009.

WORKING OVERTIME
Cornell has played six overtime games so far this season, including four of the last five. The six overtime games match the total played during all of 2009-10, while the stretch of four overtime games in the last five hasn't happened since the 1998-99 season. That year, the Big Red played seven overtime games and had a stretch of five of seven games going beyond regulation.

SAVING THE DAY
Mike Garman stopped 39 of the 40 shots he faced on Friday night at Princeton night in a 2-1 victory. The 39 saves are tied for the 12th-highest total in a single game by a Cornell goaltender, tied with the total set by David McKee at St. Lawrence on Feb. 11, 2006.

GARMAN LIKES PRINCETON
While still relatively young in his collegiate career, Mike Garman has saved two of his finest performances for Princeton's Hobey Baker Rink. Garman has made just 11 appearances in his career, with two of those coming at Princeton, and he has stopped 60 of the 61 shots he has faced on the road against the Tigers.

THREE FOR ALL
Joe Devin's three-point night on Saturday at Quinnipiac marked the third such contest of the career of the senior from Scituate, Mass. Devin scored two goals and added an assist in the 3-2 victory, equaling his highest single-game point total in his career. 

COLLECTING HARDWARE
Andy Iles became the first Cornell hockey player to earn a medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships when he was a part of Team USA that claimed bronze at this year's tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. Iles is just the second Cornell player to be a member of the United States team, joining Jean-Marc Pelletier in 1998. The last Cornell player to earn a medal for any nation at the IIHF World Junior Championships was Sasha Pokulok, who claimed gold with Canada in 2006. The bronze medal won by Iles is the first bronze of the seven medals claimed by Cornellians at the world's most prestigious junior hockey tournament.

WHERE'S THE WHISTLE?
Cornell is one of the least-penalized teams in the nation, ranking 48th out of the 58 teams in college hockey in averaging 11.5 minutes per game in penalties. One wouldn't guess that, however, by taking a look at the power play numbers from the Big Red's games this season. Cornell has had more power play chances than its opponent in a game five times this season, while the Big Red's opponent has had more chances with the man advantage six time on the year (the teams have had equal chances four times). Among the top 15 teams in the country in fewest penalty minutes, only Cornell (-0.5), Harvard (-1.6) and American International (-0.5) have a negative differential in penalty minutes per game. Cornell has had fewer power play chances than its opponent in each of the last four games – over that stretch, the Big Red has just seven power-play chances, while its opposition has ammassed 17 over the same span.

ELITE COMPANY
Cornell's victory over Colgate on Nov. 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., gave head coach Mike Schafer the 300th victory of his coaching career. Schafer became the 46th coach in NCAA Division I history with 300 career wins, and is just the 14th active coach to reach that mark. He ranks third in ECAC Hockey in career victories among active coaches, trailing Joe Marsh of St. Lawrence (460) and Rand Pecknold of Quinnipiac (312), with Dartmouth's Bob Gaudet (288) and Colgate's Don Vaughan (287) both closing in on 300 victories themselves.

ANOTHER MILESTONE NEARS
The Big Red's 3-2 overtime win at Quinnipiac on Jan. 8 marked the 992nd all-time victory in the history of the Cornell program. Cornell ranks 17th all-time in wins by current NCAA Division I programs.

ANOTHER MILESTONE WILL HAVE TO WAIT
Cornell needs another 10 victories at Lynah Rink to post the 500th win at the storied venue, a feat that will have to wait until the 2011-12 season to be reached. Cornell has just seven guaranteed home games the rest of the season, and even with hosting a playoff series, the Big Red could only reach 499 wins at Lynah Rink. The Big Red claimed win number 490 on Dec. 3 against Alabama-Huntsville, a 3-1 victory. 

INTO THE GAME
Sophomore Chris Moulson made his season debut on Dec. 30 against Maine and immediately collected his first goal of the season, scoring a second-period tally that gave Cornell a 2-1 lead. Moulson has appeared in six games in his two seasons with the Big Red and has collected a pair of goals. His first career goal came in just his second career game last season against St. Lawrence.

OUT IN FRONT
Cornell is 5-2 this season when scoring the game's first goal, but has lost six of the eight games that it has given up the opening tally of the contest. Cornell has also gone 3-2 this season when leading after one period.

A BALANCED ATTACK
While Cornell's offense has accounted for 41 goals through 15 games, the Big Red has benefitted from a wide balance in scoring among the 107 points recorded on the year. All but three of the skaters who have seen time this season have recorded at least one point on the year. 

TAKE YOUR PICK
Entering the season, head coach Mike Schafer felt very confident in his goaltending options with junior Mike Garman and freshman Andy Iles, and with both netminders having played three league games, the numbers back up the quality Schafer has in both players. With the duo having split the eight ECAC Hockey contests to this point, their numbers in league games are nearly identical, and both players are among the league's leaders. Garman is third in both goals-against average (1.76) and save percentage (.944), while Iles ranks sixth in goals-against average (1.98) and fourth in save percentage (.937). 

PUT IT IN NEUTRAL
When Cornell and Colgate met at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 27, it marked the 22nd time that the two programs have played at a neutral site among the 138 contests played between the two schools. In those 22 games, the two teams are split evenly, with Cornell holding a 10-10-2 record in those games. Prior to the game at the home of the New Jersey Devils in November, the last neutral site game between the two programs came on March 22, 2008, in the consolation game of the ECAC Hockey tournament, a game won by Cornell, 4-2. 

RISK/REWARD
Cornell has had some success playing with the extra attacker this season when trailing late in games. While the Big Red has allowed four empty-net goals – one in each of the first three games of the year and one against Yale on Nov. 19 – Cornell has also scored three times with the extra attacker. The Big Red also scored a delayed penalty goal on Nov. 20 against Brown

ANOTHER LONG AWAITED DEBUT
A pair of sophomores this season have made their collegiate debuts after being scratched for every game last season. Vince Mihalek made his debut on Oct. 30 against RIT, collecting an assist in that contest. Meanwhile, defenseman Jarred Seymour made his first career appearance on Nov. 13 against Princeton after Nick D'Agostino and Mathieu Brisson were sidelined. Every skater on the Cornell roster has appeared in at least one game in his career, and every player but sophomores Chris Moulson and Omar Kanji have played this season.

NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF STREAK
Cornell has posted a pair of three-game losing skids this season, something that hasn't happened since the 2006-07 season. That year, Cornell dropped three straight from Dec. 30 through Jan. 12, before closing out the season with four straight defeats. Cornell is trying to avoid its third three-game losing skid of the year, a feat that hasn't happened against Cornell since the 1986-87 season.

WORKED WELL LAST TIME
Cornell opened the 2010-11 season with three straight defeats, something that hasn't happened since the 1979-80 season. While Cornell finished that season with a 16-15 record, the Big Red peaked at the right time, winning the ECAC championship and advancing to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1973. 

BALANCED ATTACK
When Cornell got its first win of the season on Nov. 6 at Clarkson, it came by way of a balanced offensive attack. A total of 13 different skaters collected at least one point on the night, with four players – Jordan Kary, Kirill Gotovets, Locke Jillson and Dan Nicholls – collecting a pair of points.

SHORT-HANDED
John Esposito's goal against New Hampshire on Oct. 29 marked the first short-handed goal for a Cornell player in a span of 59 games since Riley Nash scored short-handed against St. Cloud State on Dec. 27, 2008, in Estero, Fla. 

THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY
Freshman Andy Iles picked up his first win of his career on Nov. 6 at Clarkson, picking up 35 saves in the victory. Iles is now 2-3-1 on the year and has seen action in seven of the Big Red's 11 games this season. Mike Garman, meanwhile, scored his first victory of his career when he stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced on Nov. 12 against Quinnipiac at Lynah Rink and has a 2-3 record this year.

NOT BLANKED OFTEN
Cornell's shutout loss at St. Lawrence on Nov. 5 marked the first time that the Big Red had been shut out since falling to Yale in the 2009 ECAC Hockey championship game in Albany, N.Y., by a 5-0 margin. Cornell went both NCAA tournament games that season, all of last season and the first two games of 2010-11 without being blanked, a span of 38 games. Despite Cornell's struggles this season, the Big Red has only been shut out once.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
All six members of the freshman class made their collegiate debut during the season's opening weekend on Oct. 29-30 against New Hampshire and RIT. Dustin Mowrey, Rodger Craig, Kirill Gotovets and Andy Iles saw time in both games, while Mathieu Brisson and Armand de Swardt both played in one game apiece, with Brisson appearing in the RIT game and de Swardt playing against New Hampshire.

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE
When New Hampshire scored seven times against the Big Red in the season opener on Oct. 29, it marked the first time that an opponent scored seven goals at Lynah Rink since Providence did so on Jan. 5, 1999, in a 7-3 Friar victory. It's been even longer since Cornell gave up seven in a season opener - in fact, it's never happened since Lynah Rink has been open. The last time the Big Red gave up seven goals in a season opener came in the 1947-48 season when Cornell lost, 9-0, to Army.

ALLOWING A DOZEN
Traditionally one of the nation's top defensive teams, Cornell allowed 12 goals in the first weekend of the season on Oct. 29-30 against New Hampshire and RIT. The Big Red hadn't given up 12 goals in a weekend since Feb. 6-7, 1999, at Yale and Princeton. That weekend, Cornell dropped the opener, 11-0, at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, Conn., before rebounding the following night with a 4-1 victory at Princeton. The last time Cornell gave up at least 12 goals in back-to-back losses came in Brian McCutcheon's final games as head coach, losing at Clarkson on March 6-7, 1995, by 6-2 and 7-2 scores.

0-2 OPENERS
The last time Cornell began a season 0-2 was the 2007-08 season, when the Big Red dropped contests to RIT and Princeton to begin the year. The Big Red rebounded in the third game to record a 5-3 win against Quinnipiac to avoid going 0-3 to begin the season. Cornell concluded that season with a 19-14-3 record and a third-place finish in the ECAC Hockey tournament. The Big Red last began a season 0-3 in 1979-80, falling twice to Notre Dame and at Brown before picking up a victory in game number four at Yale. In spite of the start, Cornell wound up winning the ECAC Hockey championship that season and finished fourth at the NCAA tournament.

THREE RIVERS RECAP
Cornell answered a lot of questions about its offensive abilities with a five-goal first period in its exhibiton opener against Quebec at Trois-Rivieres on Oct. 21. Joe Devin and Tyler Roeszler both had a pair of goals in the first period, with Roezler tallying three points in all on the evening. Freshman Armand de Swardt had a goal and an assist, while Braden Birch and Greg Miller both had a pair of helpers. Mike Garman got the start in goal, posting 23 saves for the victory.

USA! USA! USA!
Cornell's offensive outburst continued in the second exhibition of the season, defeating the U.S. U18 National Team, 6-0, on Oct. 23. Joe Devin had a pair of goals and a pair of assists for a four-point night to lead the way for the Big Red. Junior Sean Collins had a goal and two assists, while John Esposito and Keir Ross both had a pair of assists. Kirill Gotovets had a goal and an assist, with Rodger Craig and Tyler Roeszler both adding a goal. Andy Iles posted 30 saves in his unofficial Cornell debut to record the shutout.

A SOUTHWEST FLAVOR
Cornell's roster in 2010-11 features a trio of players from the state of Texas, in juniors Locke Jillson and Keir Ross and freshman Armand de Swardt, with all three calling the Dallas area home. Cornell has now had four players from the Lone Star State, as the trio joins David McKee in hailing from Texas.

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
Freshman Kirill Gotovets got a taste of the big time in May when he was selected to represent his native Belarus in the 2010 IIHF World Championships – not an age group World Championships (though he did play for Belarus at the U20 World Championship as well) – but playing against some of the best players the world has to offer. He played in three of Belarus' eight games at the World Championships, recording two shots and two minutes in penalties, helping his nation to a 10th-place finish. Gotovets has been in the United States for the last two years while attending school at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota.

BROTHERLY LOVE
A pair of Cornell players have older brothers who are currently on rosters of NHL clubs, with four players having older brothers playing professional hockey at some level. Junior Sean Whitney's older brother, Ryan, plays for the Anaheim Ducks, while sophomore Chris Moulson's brother, Matt, plays with the New York Islanders. Another player, sophomore John Esposito, has an older brother, Angelo, who plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (Atlanta affiliate), with senior Patrick Kennedy's older brother, Michael, playing in the ECHL for the Florida Everblades.

IS THERE A DRAFT IN HERE?
Cornell has four players on the roster for 2010-11 who have been selected by NHL clubs. Junior Sean Collins (Columbus), sophomores Braden Birch (Chicago) and Nick D'Agostino (Pittsburgh) and freshman Kirill Gotovets (Tampa Bay) are each the property of NHL clubs after having been drafted prior to beginning their careers at Cornell.

AMERICAN INFLUENCE
The Big Red roster in 2010-11 has nine players who call the United States home, up from seven last season and tied for second-most on a Mike Schafer-coached Big Red team. Cornell had 10 Americans on the roster in 1997-98, Schafer's third season, and had nine in 1999-2000, 2006-07 and 2008-09. 

HOMETOWN HERO
With programs in major cities like in Boston and Minneapolis, it's commonplace for a hometown player to suit up for the local college team, but that's not something as common in a city like Ithaca. So when freshman goaltender Andy Iles made his official collegiate debut on Oct. 29 against New Hampshire, he became the first Ithaca native to play for Cornell since Mike Tallman, who suited up for 37 games in three seasons from 1986-87 to 1988-89.

UP NEXT
After a one-year break to accomodate North Dakota's first-ever visit to Lynah Rink last season, Cornell and Colgate will resume the annual home-and-home series next weekend. Cornell plays host to the series opener on Friday, Jan. 21, in a 7 p.m. contest at Lynah Rink before the scene shifts to Hamilton's Starr Rink the following night.