Q & A With Cornell Men's Head Coach Mike Schafer

Rick from Toronto:
What is the most important quality you look for in a prospective hockey recruit? With a goalie from Texas (!?!) do you find that you and your assistants are paying more attention to the hockey talent in the US?

Coach Schafer's answer:
There are really two characteristics that we look for-work ethic and character. You have to assume that they have the necessary skills needed to play at the Division I level, so these two characteristics can make the different in them making the transition from the kind of hockey they are currently playing to college hockey. We pay attention to detail regarding hockey talent in both the US and Canada, but with the academic standards at Cornell University, we have to recruit everywhere to find the best players with high academics for admissions, as do the rest of the Ivy League schools.

Ryan from New York:
There are a whole lot of penalties being called so far this year because of the NCAA officiating issue. How do you prepare for all the special teams play? Do you spend a lot of time working on the PK and PP in practice? Are you spending more time on that this year than in years past?

Coach Schafer's answer:
We practice PP and PK each day and we probably spend close to one-half hour each day in practice. I've always spent a lot of time on it, so we are spending the same amount of time on it this year, as in previous years. The difference this year is that we are practicing with three PP units. Which gives more players the opportunity to kill in games. We are making sure we have a lot of depth at those positions during games so we don't wear people down.

Sarah from Pennsylvania:
Recruiting seems to have gone really well again last year. What do you like most about this year's freshman class? Anyone coming in next year you can tell us about?

Coach Schafer's answer:
What I like about the freshmen class is the confidence that they have in themselves as players. The biggest transition is they come in talented, but then have to make the transition to the team. I give our captains a lot of credit for their leadership in helping them to adjust. I like the fact that the two defensemen can bring an offensive element to our blue line. I like Troy Davenport and think that he will be a very good Division I goaltender. I like the blend of the players up front with Topher Scott and Raymond Sawada-a skilled forward and a power forward. Matt McKeown is still adapting to college hockey.

Kevin '88 from NYC:
What do you think of the changes in the league this year? From a fan's point of view, the new structure seems great and having the conference office in Albany makes so much sense. Anything we can expect from the new regime?

Coach Schafer's answer:
I like the changes in our league this year as far as the new structure. The total focus is on men's and women's hockey and it made sense to restructure and it does nothing but help. I think it makes a lot of sense to have the office in Albany. They will be able to get out and promote the ECACHL Championships. It will help to have a local contact and presence and I believe it will help our attendance and Championships this year.

Jim asks:
Vermont has struggled of late. Do you think the move to Hockey East is a wise one for them, and how long do you think it will be before they experience some degree of success there?

Coach Schafer's answer:
The move to Hockey East is Vermont's. I think that Kevin Sneddon will do a good job at the University of Vermont. I think it will only be a matter of time, no matter what league Vermont would be in, for Kevin to have success. How long it will take, no one really knows. Kevin is very persistent and a good coach. He has assembled a very good staff and they will have success.

Chris from Ontario:
Cornell always has great defensive teams, but seems to lack some scoring punch. Where do you think your scoring will come from this year? Any chance on seeing more 7-1 wins?

Coach Schafer's answer:
Cornell has always had great defensive teams, it has been the cornerstone to our success. We lacked some scoring punch last year, but I believe the scoring will come from a lot of different people this year. There has been a lot of improvement from players that stayed here for the summer. I think we have added a nice element to increase our scoring from the blue line. Everyone is a year older so we will score. How much we score is not a concern. Winning games is the concern. If we can win games 6-4, 5-3 fine, but if we win games by 2-1 that is also fine. We will not attempt to increase our scoring and sacrifice our defense. I think all good teams do this.

Jeffrey from Ithaca:
My questions concern something other than skills development and team play, but rather, fitness optimization: How much is game and season length stamina and fitness emphasized? What sort of training program is used?

Coach Schafer: From our fitness aspect, I have always had a lot of pride in our fitness level. Tom Howley is one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country, and a very humble man. He does a tremendous job with our team. Our players are in tremendous shape when they first get back on campus. We pay attention to their strength and body fat throughout the season. A season length stamina is something that needs to take place in the summer, that they form the base. Tom Howley does a tremendous job of balancing our strength and cardiovascular program where we are not just one or the other.

How much do you emphasize the importance of daily, adequate rest, and the planning (for academic success) that is required?

Coach Schafer: The importance of daily and adequate rest-every team is different. Over nine years of being at Cornell I now know and understand which times of the year the guys start to get worn down on a physical aspect. Where we need to reduce our practices, reduce our lifts in order for them to meet the rigors of both academic and athletic side. We do pay attention to see that they get adequate rest and exercise, but also what they are eating throughout the course of the season.

Lastly, do you think that there is a line changing schedule that is best, that might change during the course of the game or season, and does it differ from one player to another? Do players pace themselves in intensity and style of play in the course of a game?

Coach Schafer: The players dictate when they change and their line changes together. This can change from game to game. Some nights they are more fatigued than others and then some nights they have an endless supply of energy. As a coach, you need to read your players on how they are feeling that night and pay attention to which guys have energy and which guys don't.

Larry from Ithaca:
Now that Greg Hornby has graduated, who will take over his role? Anyone we should keep an eye on this year?

Coach Schafer's answer:
Greg Hornby was obviously a special player. To take over his role, we have a bunch of players that will play physical. I think Paul Varteressian has done a great job as a person who has come back and has himself in better shape. He is quicker getting around the ice and he plays a very physical role. He gives us some PK ability that Greg couldn't do. Raymond Sawada will play very physical and he has some PP abilities that Greg couldn't do. Greg was a special player, but we will have guys that can play on our special teams which is important.

Mike asks:
Who are the "unsung heroes" on your team? The guys who may not have the most talent, but who are very important to the team.

Coach Schafer's answer:
We try to build our team around a bunch of "unsung heroes". I think that guys, when you look on the roster who block shots on a daily basis. Guys like Jeremy Downs, Jon Gleed and Paul Varteressian don't get a whole lot of press. They do a tremendous job, but we have a lot of guys with a very similar mindset.

Beth from Ithaca:
Lynah is always so loud and crazy. You've said before, and current players too, that the Faithful help influence recruits to come to Cornell. We pride ourselves on being the best fans...are there any favorite cheers/taunts we do, or anything spontaneous/new that's made you laugh on the bench?

Coach Schafer's answer:
I really don't have any favorite cheers. As a coach you really don't hear the cheers that happen. You hear the noise and that is something that you hear all the time. Usually when the fans are cheering between whistles I'm usually talking with our players.

Greg '86 from Point of Rocks, Md:
In your first season coaching Cornell, 1995-96, you famously gave the team "three goals." They went 3-for-3 en route to sell-outs, a sweep of Harvard, and an ECAC championship.

Coach Schafer: The three goals...obviously when I came back I set the three goals as a standard for ourselves. Where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do.

What are the "three goals" for this season's team?

Coach Schafer: Things have really changed in our program right now. We don't necessarily have three goals for ourselves. The expectations within our hockey team are to have success. Obviously success and expectations are to get to the ECAC's and perform well and win and to get into the NCAA's. There aren't any specific goals for this team except to meet their expectations and have a lot of success. I try to stay away from setting small goals from that stand point because I think that teams can get caught up in achieving small goals and don't they don't reach the ones they really want...and that is to win at the end of the year. Our team just has high expectations for ourselves, along with our fans, alumni and the University.

Kurt from New Jersey:
The ECACHL race seems like it will be down to the wire again this year. Given that St. Lawrence is off to a strong start and with Vermont beating UMD over the weekend, do you think there will be any surprise teams this year - like Colgate last year?

Coach Schafer's answer:
I've said before that there is great parity in our league and that we are going to be really good this year. I think there are going to be a lot of teams that will do really well. It doesn't surprise me that St. Lawrence is off to a strong start. I felt that the competition is kind of reflective of the non-conference schedules with some teams at the start of the year at the start of the year, which is great for our league. I don't think there we will be any surprise teams, maybe from a media standpoint. I think there are a number of teams that will be capable of winning the regular season championship. There might be surprises, but if you go down a long list, a lot of teams, if their players have improved throughout the summer, could have very similar success as Colgate did last year.

1) Who is your favorite former alumni of Big Red Hockey performing at a higher level currently?

Coach Schafer: My favorite alumni currently playing hockey is Joe Nieuwendyk. It is good to see him have such a long NHL career. I also have to say Duanne Moeser who was my roommate in college who is still currently playing in Germany. Just being teammates with those guys and having them continue to play, and to have such long professional careers is impressive. I'm very proud of all that they have accomplished during their careers.

2) Why is playing at Lynah so tough for opposing teams?

Coach Schafer: I think there are a lot of reasons. I think the fans are right on top of you throughout the course of the game. I think our team plays extremely hard for all 60 minutes and we have had a lot of success. The dimensions of the rink are a little different, the deep corners, are not part of a traditional rink. I think that also makes it tough.

3) What do you think of the "Fish" tradition??

Coach Schafer: I think there are so few traditions left in college sports that as long as the tradition of throwing fish on the ice remains under control and I think the fans have done a great job, in the last couple of years, that they get thrown on the ice once and that there isn't a constant delay in game. I think that is important, it is a tradition, but not a delay the actual event itself. It's also important to not be out of control.

Frank from Boston
There's been talk the last few years of renovations to Lynah Rink? Any truth to that? If so, what kinds of things are in the plans and when will it happen?

Coach Schafer's answer:
There will be renovations to Lynah Rink. Whether they are a year, or two years from now. We have plans on renovating it, to update the facility. Not much has been done to it since it was built in 1957. We are hoping to update all our facilities-locker rooms, offices and visiting teams locker rooms. It is in the works and hopefully it will be done in a couple of years.

Q & A With Harvard Women's Head Coach Katey Stone

Heather from Minnesota:
Congratulations on the success your team had last season. Heading into the new year, what do you think your team's biggest strengths are? What do you see as needing to improve as the season goes on?

Coach Stone's answer:
Hi Heather, thanks for writing. Our strengths are team chemistry and depth. We have some great returning players as well as some explosive new players. I am excited about the season starting.

Mike from Boston:
Harvard is expected to do well on the national scene again this year. Who do you think will step up and replace all-everything Angela Ruggiero?

Coach Stone's answer:
Mike, my hope is that everyone will step up and fill holes from graduation. Angela Ruggiero was one of the best player to wear a Harvard sweater, but our program was built on "all and not just one". There is great opportunity in our program and lineup this year, and I am anxious to see who is going to make a significant impact.

Ralph from Virginia:
Do you emphasize one type of drill over another in practices? Got one or two that you could share with us?

Coach Stone's answer:
Ralph, one of the goals of our program has been to be the best passing team in the country. We have achieved that through repetition and discipline. We spend a tremendous amount of time on fundamentals. I would be glad to share some drills with you through a fax. My email is kbstone@fas.harvard.edu.

Susie from Andover:
What made you want to be a hockey coach? Who did/do you look up to in the hockey world?

Coach Stone's answer:
Susie, everyone in my family, with the exception of my Mum, was a coach at one time or another. It just seemed the natural thing to do. Coaching is a wonderful profession and truly a great way to make a living. My college hockey coach, Russ McCurdy, was a great influence on me. He taught me to focus on doing a few things really well versus trying to do a lot of things average.

Greg from Ontario:
I've been a fan of your team for a few years now and am always impressed with the amount of talent you have on your teams. How do you go about recruiting? Are there certain areas that you target or tournaments that are "must see" events each year? Is it hard competing against scholarship dollars?

Coach Stone's answer:
Greg, each year recruiting becomes more and more competitive. Harvard's academic standards are second to none, our Admissions office is truly our greatest competition. Having said that, I love the process. We have an opportunity to meet some terrific kids and their families. The order in which our staff recruits a prospective student-athlete is as follows; 1. Character 2. Academic Standing 3. Hockey Ability.

How much is game and season length stamina and fitness emphasized? What sort of training program is used?

Coach Stone: Jeffery, the hockey season is very long and grueling. The only way to sustain oneself without injure is a discipline strength and conditioning program. We lift weights, guided by a profession coach, throughout the season. The program is based on work and appropriate rest periods.

How much do you emphasize the importance of daily, adequate rest, and the planning (for academic success) that is required?

Coach Stone: I give my players two days off a week. Rest is critical. We focus on having a lot of energy on game days. It doesn't matter what you know if you can't get there on the ice.

Lastly, do you think that there is a line changing schedule that is best, that might change during the course of the game or season, and does it differ from one player to another? Do players pace themselves in intensity and style of play in the course of a game?

Coach Stone: I think it depends on each coach, team, and system they are running, and frankly what's happening in a game at a given time. Our philosophy is to sprint, sprint, sprint.

Helen from Taunton:
You return some prolific scorers in Nicole Corriero and Julie Chu this season. What are your expectations for them this year? Who else will you look to to provide offensive leadership? What can we expect from your defense this year?

Coach Stone's answer:
Each year my standards are higher for returning players. There should be improvement in their game, no matter who they are and what their role is. Freshmen are given a grace period during their first year, to play without and pressure on them. Just play!

Steve from Michigan:
I see your roster is filled with players who have attended prep schools...is this a recent trend? If so, do you see the trend continuing to grow in the future?

Coach Stone's answer:
Hi Steve, it just happens that right now we have a lot prep school kids. We look for the best, most qualified, kids for our program. On any given year the landscape of our freshmen class can change.

Jim from Connecticut:
The ECACHL has some of the top women's teams in the country. What's it like having to compete against them in the regular season? Do you prepare for those games any differently during the year?

Coach Stone's answer:
In order to be the best you need to play and beat the best. My players and I love competition. We prepare for every game as if it's the biggest game on our schedule. There is great parody in Women's Hockey now, it would be foolish to prepare any other way.

Amy from New York:
You've been coaching for some time, aside from an increase in the number of programs, what have been the biggest changes in the women's game?

Coach Stone's answer:
Amy, the overall level of the game has been elevated. And I think it's awesome that there are so many opportunities for women to play hockey at some tremendous institutions for some quality people.

Tom from New Hampshire:
Harvard's women's team always ranks among the best in the nation...what are the pros and cons of being highly ranked year after year?

Coach Stone's answer:
Hi Tom, there are no cons. I love having a top ranked team every year. What a great challenge. That means we are doing good things in our program consistently. We attract some of the best talent in the hopes of being the best team in the country every season.