Take Note: Legacies Selected

Anthony Angello, forward, #17

Summer is now in full swing. For the Lynah Faithful, the offseason and summer began much too early. Next season's freshman class, like the entire team, inherits a loyal but ravenous fanbase that is woefully in need of sating. Cornell hockey is championships, Whitelaw Cups, at the very least, specifically, and five seasons have passed without that silver and oaken prize being hoisted above the heads of carnelian-and-white sweaters. Too long.

This is no fault of the incoming freshman. Nevertheless, they will be expected to right the missteps of the last couple of seasons. In this coming class of nine skaters, there is greatness and great potential. Their choices of uniform numbers indicate that they are ready to pick up the mantle and expectations of Cornell hockey in various ways.

Coach Schafer asks all incoming players to research "the best player" who wore their jersey number. Well, Class of 2019, you are all in luck. Consider this your Take-Note (do those still exist on campus?) abridgment to that task. The following are the numbers that the members of the incoming class have chosen and the likely style of a former icon that they can emulate. 

The list, like Cornell hockey itself, has a heavy prejudice toward celebrating former champions.

Three names leap out when searching through the history of #17 in Cornell hockey: Ed Ambis of the perfect 1969-70 team, Doug Derraugh of his particular, transcendent offensive skill set, and Matt McRae of the superlative 2002-03 team. So, why make a rule with no intent to break it? While Ambis and McRae may be former champions, I think the on-ice performance of Derraugh and his continually evolving legacy within the program make his legacy best suited. Doug Derraugh was the last Cornell player to tally 30 goals in one season. He accomplished this feat during his senior year. As a junior, Derraugh scored the game winner of the first game of the 1990 ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal that led to Cornell's sweeping of Harvard and ending the career of its archnemesis coach, Bill Cleary. In the biggest single-game victory of the era between Cornell's 1986 and 1996 Whitelaw-Cup victories, Derraugh assisted on the overtime winner against Michigan at Yost Ice Arena in the 1991 NCAA Tournament. The high-scoring forward accumulated nine points, including fives goals, in that three-game series alone. Such could be expected with a career line of 66 goals and 153 points. Brian McCutcheon, Derraugh's head coach, marveled at the forward's inevitable release. Doug Derraugh never received a ring as player but as head coach of Cornell women's hockey now, he embraces and encourages the high expectations of the Lynah Faithful as a privilege rather than a burden.

Luc Lalor, forward, #28

The #28 typically belongs to a player who is an integral cog in the workings of Cornell hockey because they do the little things that are required to win, and they do them well. Joel Lowry, the most recent wearer of the number, lived that reality for his four seasons. Predecessors like Shane Hynes and Joe Scali, both champions, prove that as well. Jim Gibson of the 1980 Whitelaw Cup team is a player whose legacy that Luc Lalor may emulate. Gibson played in the highest scoring era of Cornell hockey. He is not as well remembered as the likes of Lance Nethery, leader in all-time career points tallied, Brock Tredway, leader in all-time career goals scored, and Roy Kerling, rival of the other two. However, in the same era, Gibson held his own against those greats, twice appearing in the top five point producers during his four-year career. In the 1980 championship run, Gibson assisted the game-winning goal against Boston College, assisted the beginning of the three-goal rally against Providence, and scored the championship-sealing goal against Bob Gaudet of Dartmouth. The statistical accolades of Nethery, Tredway, and Kerling may overshadow Gibson in that era. Of the champions of that era, Tredway and Kerling in particular, Gibson was no less integral.

Alec McCrea, defenseman, #29

No, this selection was not made for phonetic facetiousness. The Lynah Faithful may have to adjust to adopting a new spelling of a similar sounding surname. So, why not make it more confusing in choosing the forewearer whose play that Alec McCrea may hope to emulate. So, why not consider Mark McRae? Mark McRae was an offensively minded defenseman who factored in many key goals during his four seasons on East Hill. Mark McRae played alongside Doug Murray. The former outpaced the point production of the latter by 98 career points to 84 career points. McRae's numbers, 98 points and 30 goals, fit more alongside the totals of 107 points and 48 goals, 118 points and 31 goals, and 134 points and 54 goals of Pete Shier, Chris Norton, and Dan Lodboa, respectively, than they do any more recent contemporaries. From the blue line, Mark McRae widened ledgers and scored key goals in joining his class in leading the winningest team in Cornell hockey history to its 2003 Whitelaw Cup and eighth Frozen-Four appearance. It may be a little much to expect Alec McCrea to score 0.75 points per game over his four-year career, but I am sure that he looks forward to scoring a goal or two like this. We do as well.

Matt Nuttle, defenseman, #5

The legacy of Jerry Kostandoff, a legend from the brief Lynah Rink Era before the Harkness Era, makes a strong case for his consideration for #5. Particular note must be given when it is a defenseman who chooses to wear #5. The legacy of only one defenseman who wore #5 rises to the level of all-time greatness. Pete Shier played in the highest scoring, fastest paced era of Cornell hockey. Shier proved that defensemen can more than keep pace with the times. In this period, Cornell was the highest scoring team in the nation. Shier never dropped lower than the eighth-most prolific point producer on his squad. During his senior campaign, he scored 24 goals, surpassing the same-season goal total of all-time point leader Lance Nethery. His 24-goal season tied the senior season of Dan Lodboa for the highest goal-scoring season for any defenseman in the history of the program. Shier was an automatic consensus all-American. The legendary #5 was gifted with a blistering, laser-like shot from the blue line that alumni still recall today. His talents are far from forgotten. Choosing his numbers reflects Nuttle's bold choice of mantle that he will attempt to lift as a defenseman.

Chad Otterman, forward, #22

The jersey that bears #22 is one that has particular import over the last few seasons. Cole Bardreau took a hiatus with the sweater to win a gold medal for the United States in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Then, upon his return he endured a life- and career-threatening neck injury. He battled back to become, like he was for the United States, a great two-way forward who logged major minutes on special teams. Then, during his senior season, unexpectedly, he led his team in scoring. Bardreau was a fan favorite. However, it is the legacy of another later bloomer and tireless battler that perhaps should guide Chad Otterman. Joe Devin began his career in the 2007-08 season. He only scored three goals. By his junior season, he scored the championship-winning goal for his most dominant ECAC Hockey championship team in history. As is expected of wearers of #22, he became an overwhelming fan favorite during his 2010-11 senior campaign. He scored four playoff goals including the overtime winner that sent Cornell to championship weekend in Atlantic City in a closely contested series against Quinnipiac. Devin in four years transitioned from a quiet leader into a game changer. He led his senior squad, a team that suffered the loss of three 100-point scorers, an NHL-calibre goaltender, and several key components on special teams, with a steady hand and a better release to Cornell's third consecutive appearance in Eastern hockey's championship final. Joe Devin was the last Cornellian to lead ECAC Hockey in goal scoring during his senior campaign.

Trent Shore, defenseman, #23

Constancy and reliability seem to be the virtues of #23 in the history of Cornell hockey. The last player to hang up this sweater in his locker stall was Jacob MacDonald; a player of many minutes and far fewer mistakes. Six years before MacDonald pulled the jersey over his head, another player set the tone for what it meant to wear #23 on the ice of Lynah Rink. Jeremy Downs wore the twill numeral at the other end of that six-year period. Downs is in élite company as a two-time Whitelaw-Cup champion. The steadfast, responsible blueliner was a crucial part of both the 2003 and 2005 Whitelaw-Cup seasons. Doug Murray was Downs's defensive partner for much of the 2003 ECAC Hockey championship and Frozen-Four season. His zonal play contributed mightily to the half-decade-long dominance that Cornell hockey enjoyed over its conference. The defense around legendary netminders Dave LeNeveu and Dave McKee, party to which Downs always was, helped both goaltenders shatter all college-hockey records in goaltending and team defense. There was no more of a steadfast defenseman in the era of Cornell hockey's second-greatest dominance than Jeremy Downs. His name never left the line-up in four complete seasons.

Brendan Smith, defenseman, #2

Mike Devin from the Class of 2011 earned the reputation as a reliable assister, often on the goals of his brother during their senior campaign. Mike Devin furthermore scored the goal that defeated North Dakota at Lynah Rink in January 2010. John Parry wore the number when Brendan Smith's mother was a senior of East Hill. It was a player who played six years later who symbolizes the pinnacle and expectations of those who brave wearing #2 for the Big Red. A career ended in 1991 is the one that comes to mind when that carnelian digit rushes across the ice. Dan Ratushny was an all-American defenseman for Cornell in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ratushny was an immediate star when he stepped on the ice of Lynah Rink. He was named to ECAC Hockey's all-rookie team after his initial campaign. Dan Ratushny joined his native Canada's gold medal-winning national team in the 1990 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. The touted blueliner registered 14 goals and 65 points over the span of his collegiate career. His seemingly effortless efficiency contributed the primary assist on Cornell's NCAA-Tournament game winner over the University of Michigan in March 1991.

Beau Starrett, forward, #10

There are uniform numbers where there are close calls. Then, there is #10. Kevin Pettit was many, if not all, things to Cornell hockey at any given stage in his career. Competing with the legendary likes of Doug Ferguson, John Hughes, Dan Lodboa, and Pete Tufford as contemporaries, Kevin Pettit put himself in the upper echelon of point producers from Cornell hockey's modern golden age. He amassed 58 goals and 126 points. However, it was his emotions, and sometimes his fists, that left an indelible mark on his opponents. Cornell lost only four games when Pettit was in the line-up over his last two seasons. The Big Red played 56 games. Opponents labeled him as a rogue "bad boy" from Ithaca. His 227 career penalty minutes do very little to plead his case. Kevin Pettit insisted that he merely liked to play hard in the corners. He was a sincere player who played his game with passion and motivated his team. Pettit's most common tactics targeted rivals. Boston University and Harvard (an intriguing note for Beau Starrett) bore the brunt of his off-ice commentaries to motivate his team and psych out opponents. As his statistics indicate, Kevin Pettit was more than idle talk. A member of the 1969 and 1970 Whitelaw-Cup championship, and 1970 NCAA championship teams, Pettit delivered on the ice. Wearing #10 in the 1969 postseason, Kevin Pettit scored the game winner against Boston University 31 seconds into overtime of the ECAC Hockey semifinal and the championship-clinching goal against Harvard in the ECAC Hockey final. Pettit's head coach, Dick Bertrand, still maintained that Pettit's greatest asset was his unselfish, team-first mentality.

Mitch Vanderlaan, forward, #14

The most famous wearer of #14 for Cornell hockey is unquestionably Dan Lodboa. Exceptions must be made when considering a forward who chose this number. Pete Natyshak was one of the drivers of Cornell's run to the 1986 Whitelaw Cup. Natyshak captained the squad with Duanne Moeser and Mike Schafer as they guided young talent, including Joe Nieuwendyk. When the season ended, Natyshak found himself second on the team's scoring three points behind the total of that phenomenal sophomore. The senior forward captain recorded six points in the postseason run to Cornell's seventh Eastern championship. His most impressive playoff performance came in the resulting 1986 NCAA Tournament at Denver Arena. Natyshak scored one of Cornell's two goals in the first game of the series against Denver. Nieuwendyk and he exchanged assisting and scoring duties on Cornell's 1986 national-tournament victory over the Pioneers. Beyond his 59 career goals and 124 career points, Pete Natyshak helped re-cultivate in Cornell a sense of pride and winning in the only way that one can: inspiring the actual results on the ice.

Well, there you have it. This reveals by implication what the anticipated roster for next season will be.

Careful readers will note that a non-graduated player owned #2 over the last two seasons. It is unclear what Eric Sade's future will be with the Cornell hockey program. Regrettably, his name does not appear on the roster. One can draw reasonable conclusions from that. We, the contributors at Where Angels Fear to Tread, wish him the best in his future studies at Cornell University and future endeavors. This writer is sure that the Lynah Faithful extend the same wishes.