Team Notes: Cornell Faces Stiff Test at Colorado College
From the flatlands of southwest Florida to the shadow of the
Rocky Mountains, Cornell's six-game stretch away from home
continues this weekend with a stiff test in the form of two games
at WCHA perennial power Colorado College. The matchup features one
of the nation's top offenses (CC) against one of the top defenses
(Cornell), as well as two of the most efficient power plays in the
country. It will be the Big Red's first trip to Mountain Time Zone
since Dec. 27-28, 1995, when it played a pair of games at the
Denver Cup. The series also concludes Cornell's annual seven-game
schedule outside of league play, where it currently sits atop both
the ECAC Hockey and Ivy League standings. The set against Colorado
College opens at 7:37 p.m. local time (9:37 p.m. EST) on Friday,
Jan. 6, followed by the finale at 7:07 p.m. (9:07 p.m. EST) on
Saturday, Jan. 7. Both games will broadcast by Jason Weinstein on
WHCU 870 AM and available worldwide through the Cornell Redcast
subscription service, which will also feature Weinstein's call.
GAME #14: #13/14
CORNELL at #6/8 COLORADO COLLEGE
DATE: Friday, Jan. 6, 2012
TIME: 9:37 p.m. EST (7:37 p.m. MST)
SITE: World Arena — Colorado Springs, Colo.
2011 RECORDS: Cornell 8-4-1, 6-1-1 ECAC Hockey; Colorado College
12-6, 9-5 WCHA
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 3-2
LAST MEETING: Colorado College won, 4-2, on Dec. 29, 2009 in
Estero, Fla.
RADIO: WHCU 870 AM (Jason Weinstein)
LIVE STATS: www.sportdesigns.com/wcha/wcha_m_scoreboard.php
VIDEO (fee): www.b2livetv.com
GAME #15: #13/14
CORNELL at #6/8 COLORADO COLLEGE
DATE: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012
TIME: 9:07 p.m. EST (7:07 p.m. MST)
SITE: World Arena — Colorado Springs, Colo.
2011 RECORDS: Cornell 8-4-1, 6-1-1 ECAC Hockey; Colorado College
12-6, 9-5 WCHA
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 3-2
LAST MEETING: Colorado College won, 4-2, on Dec. 29, 2009 in
Estero, Fla.
RADIO: WHCU 870 AM (Jason Weinstein)
LIVE STATS: www.sportdesigns.com/wcha/wcha_m_scoreboard.php
VIDEO (fee): www.b2livetv.com
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell came off a 25-day hiatus with its annual trip to the
Florida College Hockey Classic in Estero, where it finished in
third place by way of a loss to Massachusetts and victory over
Clarkson. The results led the Big Red to hold steady at a
season-high No. 13 in the USCHO.com poll, but slip one spot to No.
14 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. ... The Big Red is
currently ranked third in the country in team defense, surrendering
2.00 goals per game. Sophomore Andy
Iles is the first goalie in program history to
record five shutouts in a six-game span, also notching two shutout
streaks of 213 minutes, 35 seconds and 152 minutes, 36 seconds that
rank second and ninth, respectively, in program history. ... Junior
defenseman Nick
D'Agostino (8-7—15) and freshman
forward Brian
Ferlin (6-9—15) are tied for the team lead in
scoring, followed closely by last season's leading scorer, junior
forward Greg
Miller (4-10—14). ... The Big Red is 7-2-1
over its last 10 games, including one overtime loss. ... Cornell is
5-0 in Friday night games.
ABOUT COLORADO COLLEGE
The Tigers have won four of their last five games with the loss
coming against crosstown rival Air Force, 2-1, on Dec. 30. The
squad rebounded the following night with a 2-1 victory over ECAC
Hockey's Union. The contests were by far the lowest scoring
two-game weekend of the season for Colorado College, which averages
3.89 goals per game while surrendering 2.94 per game. ... Colorado
College is 7-2 at its home rink, World Arena, which features an
Olympic-sized sheet of ice which is 15 feet wider than the standard
NHL-sized sheet. ... Junior center Rylan Schwartz (16-11—27)
leads the team in scoring, and his average of 1.41 points per game
ranks eighth in the country. His 16 goals is ried for second in the
nation, and his six goals on the man advantage is tied for fifth.
... Sophomore Jaden Schwartz (5-13—18) is tied for second in
team scoring and typically plays on the left wing of his older
brother's line, but he has missed the last four games while serving
as captain for Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships.
The tournament concludes Thursday, meaning Jaden Schwartz could
return this weekend. ... Junior Mike Boivin (6-12—18) is one
of just six defensemen in the nation to average better than a point
per game. ... Sophomore Josh Thorimbert has become the goaltender
of choice, starting the last five games since junior Joe Howe was
pulled in a Dec. 9 home loss to Alaska-Anchorage. Thorimbert has a
7-2 record, 2.50 goals-against average and .912 save
percentage.
THE SERIES WITH COLORADO COLLEGE
Cornell leads the all-time series against Colorado College, 3-2,
with four of the five contests coming on neutral ice. In the teams'
last meeting on Dec. 29, 2009, CC skated away with a 4-2 victory at
the Florida College Hockey Classic. Cornell's first goal scored by
then-freshman Greg
Miller and the second assisted by
classmate Nick
D'Agostino. ... Cornell defeated CC, 3-2, on March 25,
2006 in an NCAA regional semifinals in Green Bay, Wis. ... The
series began with Cornell's 9-8 victory on Dec. 28, 1973 at the
defunct Syracuse Invitation Tournament. ... This will be the teams'
first meeting at 13-year-old World Arena.
A.I. — THE NEW ANSWER
With three consecutive shutouts in November, sophomore
goalie Andy
Iles recorded the second-longest shutout streak in
program history, spanning 213 minutes, 35 seconds over a five-game
span. The only Cornell shutout streak that went longer was posted
by Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens, who held the opposition
scoreless for 267:11 during the 2010 playoffs. But Iles wasn't done
there — he posted back-to-back shutouts against St. Lawrence
and Clarkson on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, respectively, spurring another
lengthy shutout streak of 152:36 that ranks ninth all-time in Big
Red history. Iles is tied for second in the nation with five
shutouts. While his goals-against average of 1.91 is fifth in the
NCAA, it's third among goalies who have played the majority of his
teams' minutes. Iles also picked up his first collegiate point with
an assist Dec. 30 against Clarkson, which was the Big Red's first
goalie assist since Ben Scrivens garnered one March 9, 2008 —
a span of 120 games.
DANGEROUS D'AGOSTINO
Junior defenseman Nick
D'Agostino is tied for the team lead in scoring with
eight goals and seven assists for 15 points entering the weekend.
His average of 1.15 points per game ranks fourth in the nation
among blueliners; his five game-winning goals is tied for the NCAA
lead; and his six power-play goals is tops nationally among
defensemen. D'Agostino earned ECAC Hockey Player of the Week honors
Nov. 14 after a gaudy four-goal weekend in victories at Harvard and
Dartmouth. The Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick scored three
power-play goals over the weekend, including a pair of goals on the
man advantage just 56 seconds apart against the Crimson. He then
scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Niagara on Nov. 22, then
accomplished the same feat in a 1-0 win against St. Lawrence on
Dec. 2. D'Agostino then was Cornell's lone representative on the
Florida College Hockey Classic's all-tournament team last weekend
after he posted a goal and an assist in the Big Red's opener
against Massachusetts.
STELLAR 'D'
Junior defenseman Braden
Birch went two months without being on the ice for
an even-strength goal against. The streak of 668 minutes, 49
seconds covered all 12 games in which Birch has appeared, ending
with Clarkson's final goal Dec. 30 at the Florida College Hockey
Classic. The pairing of Birch and senior Sean
Whitney — which has been in tact for most of
the team's games this season — still has not surrendered a
five-on-five goal this season.
FERLIN'S FURIOUS START
Freshman forward Brian
Ferlin, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., is second the
nation in rookie points per game (1.15) and is also tied for second
in the ECAC Hockey scoring race after posting 11 points in the Big
Red's first eight conference games. Teams around the league have
taken notice, tabbing the Boston Bruins draft pick as the Rookie of
the Week on consecutive weeks of Nov. 7 and Nov. 14.
Teammate Joakim
Ryan earned the honor on Oct. 31, meaning the Big
Red had ECAC Hockey's top newcomer for the first three weeks of its
season.
BIG STAGE PERFORMERS
Seniors Sean
Whitney and Locke
Jillson have shown a knack for producing in front of
the biggest crowds they've seen in their college careers. Both
scored goals against Boston in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,200
at Madison Square Garden in 2009, then the duo teamed up to score
the Big Red's lone goal against BU on the same stage on Nov. 26.
Whitney had the initial shot on Jillson's goal, which came on a
sharp-angle shot off a rebound.
RYAN OFF AND RUNNING
Freshman defenseman Joakim
Ryan got his season off to a flying start with two
goals and an assist in the opening 5-4 loss to Mercyhurst on Oct.
29. For his efforts, Ryan was awarded as the ECAC Hockey Rookie of
the Week. It was actually the second straight year that a freshman
potted two goals in his debut for the Big Red — Dustin
Mowrey did it on Oct. 29, 2010 against New
Hampshire. But it was the first time a Big Red freshman has scored
three points in the opener since Byron Bitz also had two goals and
an assist against Western Michigan on Oct. 31, 2003.
NEW SUPPORT STAFF
Mike
Schafer returns for his 17th season as the Cornell
head coach, but he has three new assistants this year. While the
new assistant coaches will be new faces in their positions behind
the bench, their faces will still be familiar. Ben
Syer joins the Big Red after eight seasons as an
assistant coach for ECAC Hockey opponent Quinnipiac, andTopher
Scott returns to East Hill just 3½ years
since he last competed for the Big Red as a senior co-captain who
eclipsed 100 career points. Volunteer assistant coach Kris
Mayotte is also familiar with ECAC Hockey, having
tended goal for Union from 2002-06 — a span which included a
trip to Colorado College's World Arena.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Cornell head coach Mike
Schafer is quickly moving up the ranks of the
coaching fraternity in his win totals. Now in his 17th season,
Schafer has 321 career victories, ranking him third in ECAC Hockey,
but with the shortest tenure of the two ahead of him in the
rankings. Schafer trails only St. Lawrence's Joe Marsh (475) and is
closing the gap on Quinnipiac's Rand Pecknold (324). Schafer is
tops among Ivy League coaches, with Dartmouth's Bob Gaudet recently
reaching his 305th career win.
CLASS-Y KEIR
Captain Keir
Ross is one of 20 national candidates for the Lowe's
Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete
must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable
achievements in four areas of excellence — community,
classroom, character and competition. Ross posted a plus-12 rating
last season, good for second on the team, and was penalized the
least of any defenseman despite frequently being matched up
against some of the opposition's best forward combinations.
Outside of the rink, Ross is a two-time selection to the ECAC
Hockey Academic All-League team and was the Big Red's Hockey
Scholar Athlete last season. He was also named to the College
of Human Ecology Dean's List in 2010, carrying a 3.57 grade point
average in Human Biology, Health and Society.
FEEL THE DRAFT?
Cornell has six players on the roster who have been selected in
the NHL Entry Draft, including picks in the fourth and fifth rounds
last June. Freshmen Brian
Ferlin (Boston Bruins) and Joel
Lowry (Los Angeles Kings) were selected in a span of
20 picks, giving the 2011-12 Big Red the program's highest number
of draft picks on a single team since 2006-07. Other players whose
NHL rights are already owned are senior Sean
Collins (Columbus Blue Jackets),
juniors Braden
Birch (Chicago Blackhawks) and Nick
D'Agostino(Pittsburgh Penguins) and
sophomore Kirill
Gotovets (Tampa Bay Lightning).
AMERICAN INFLUENCE
Seven of this season's nine freshmen were born in the United
States, giving the Big Red a more American feel than it's seen in
quite a while. Cornell has 12 players who were born in the United
States, which is the most on a Mike
Schafer-coached team at Cornell. The previous high was
10, which came in 1997-98.
BLANK YOU VERY MUCH
Sophomore goalie Andy
Iles made 15 saves for his first collegiate shutout
on Nov. 18 in a 4-0 victory over Princeton. With that result, the
Big Red extended its streak of seasons with at least one shutout to
17. The last time Cornell went a full schedule without posting a
shutout came during the 1994-95 season under former coach Brian
McCutcheon, as Cornell finished that year 11-15-4. The following
year marked the first season for head coach Mike
Schafer, and his clubs have never gone a full year
without recording a shutout.
COLLECTING HARDWARE
Goalie Andy
Iles became the first Cornell hockey player to earn
a medal for the United States at the IIHF World Junior
Championships when he was part of Team USA that claimed bronze at
the 2011 tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. Iles is just the second
Cornell player to be a member of the U.S. 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 tournament. Iles was been named the U.S. emergency goalie for
this year's World Junior tournament, but was never summoned to join
the team.
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
Andy
Iles isn't the only Cornell player to experience
international competition recently. Freshmen forward Brian
Ferlin and defenseman Joakim
Ryan were also at the Junior Evaluation Camp from
Aug. 6-13 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Ferlin had a goal and three assists
in five games with the United States and Ryan trolled the blue line
for Sweden. Ferlin was then invited to the U.S. World Junior
Pre-Tournament Camp in mid-December, but did not make the final
cut. Sophomore defenseman Kirill
Gotovets also played for his native Belarus in the
2010 IIHF World Championships.
CLOSER TO HOME
Hometown fans of the Big Red got a rare treat last season when
goalie Andy
Iles became the first Ithaca native to play for the
team since Mark McCutcheon in 2006-07. But when
freshman Kevin
Cole made his collegiate debut Dec. 30 against
Clarkson, it became the first time in at least 50 years — and
perhaps the first time in program history — that two Ithaca
natives have played for the Big Red in the same season. Cole was
born in Ithaca and raised in nearby Lansing before heading off to
junior programs in Syracuse and Cornwall, Ontario. His father,
Dave, lettered for the Big Red in the 1981-82 season. This is the
ninth consecutive season that the son of a former Big Red player
has also suited up for Cornell.
PROSE ABOUT PROS
All seven players who graduated after playing with the Big Red
last season have played professionally this season. The group
includes forwards Joe
Devin (AHL's San Antonio Rampage and ECHL's
Cincinnati Cyclones), Tyler
Roeszler (Sweden's Vita Hästen), Patrick
Kennedy (ECHL's Idaho Steelheads and Trenton
Titans), Jordan
Kary (CHL's Texas Brahmas), Dan
Nicholls (CHL's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and
Texas Brahmas, and SHL's Fayetteville FireAntz),
defenseman Mike
Devin (ECHL's Elmira Jackals) and goalie Mike Garman
(ECHL's Colorado Eagles and CHL's Tulsa Oilers). Two players who
left Cornell after the 2010 season have also made their NHL debuts
this season — goalie Ben Scrivens with the Toronto Maple
Leafs and forward Riley Nash with the Carolina Hurricanes.
SOUTHERN FLAIR
None of the other 57 schools in Division I men's hockey have as
many players that call states bordering the Gulf of Mexico home as
Cornell. The Big Red has four players that fit into that category
— Florida native Brian
Ferlin and the three Texans, Locke
Jillson, Keir
Ross and Armand
de Swardt. Northern Michigan is the only other team in
the country that has three players from Texas.
MILESTONE MANIA
The Big Red's 2-1 win over Quinnipiac in game one of the ECAC
Hockey quarterfinals last season marked the 1,000th victory
all-time for the Cornell men's hockey program. Cornell became the
17th program to reach that milestone. The Big Red then surpassed
another milestone this season by recording the 500th victory
all-time at storied Lynah Rink with a 1-0 shutout of Niagara on
Nov. 22.
THE OFFENSIVE DEFENSE
The Big Red scored four short-handed goals last season after going
without a goal on the penalty kill since Dec. 28, 2008. The trend
has continued early this season, with Joakim
Ryan scoring a short-handed goal in the team's third
game of the season at Brown and Vince
Mihalek adding another shorty on Nov. 19 vs.
Quinnipiac.
UP NEXT
Cornell returns to Ithaca, N.Y. for a few days before heading back
on the road to start a stretch of 14 ECAC Hockey games to wrap up
the season. The Big Red visits Quinnipiac on Friday, Jan. 13, then
Princeton on Saturday, Jan. 14.
