Stopping Raiders' 1-2 Punch is Key for Cornell
The following article appeared in the January 27 issue of the Ithaca Journal.
By Tom Fleischman
ITHACA -- When Cornell men's hockey coach Mike Schafer looks at Colgate, his team's opponent in a weekend home-and-home series that starts Friday night at Lynah Rink, he doesn't have to look for very long to see where his team needs to focus its attentions.
Linemates Austin Smith and Chris Wagner are the unquestioned leaders of the Raider offense, and the drop-off after those two is Grand Canyon-esque. Between Smith's nation-leading 24 goals and Wagner's nine, they account for nearly 45 percent of the team's 74 goals. In ECAC Hockey play, it's even more pronounced: The pair has combined to score 22 of Colgate's 37 goals.
"You've got to take care of the one line, with Smith and Wagner and whoever else they put with them," Schafer said. "A tremendous amount of offense comes from those two guys. If they don't score, I like our odds."
Complete article can be accessed via the Journal Web site by clicking here.
