Michigan
Date of Game Against Cornell: November 24
Analysis: The Wolverines have had some drama regarding the selection of their starting goaltender for the 2012-13 season.  Jared Rutledge was poised to be their starter, but in their five games that have occurred thus far, Rutledge has only played in the losses.  Michigan is 3-2-0 on the season with freshman Rutledge
                           tallying the losses to RIT and Miami and fellow freshman Racine tallying the wins against RIT, Bentley and
                           Miami.  Racine's save percentage over his games played is a respectable .9125, with Rutledge's being a
                           disappointing .8667.  Either way, they have to decide which goalie to roll with as CCHA games continue.
                           Key PWR Points: As of now, not very many.  Michigan has yet to be "Michigan" in this season.  A split
                           with Miami could prove to be useful, but a split with RIT and a win over Bentley is not as helpful as one
                           would like.  Michigan begins CCHA play this week.  They will face Northern Michigan, Michigan State,
                           Notre Dame, and Bowling Green before meeting the Big Red in NYC.  Michigan will need to pick up more
                           than a split against most teams to be truly valuable in pairwise.

Ferris State
Date of Game Against Cornell: December 28
Analysis: The Bulldogs of Ferris State haven't been as dominant as they would like, though they are still in the top 20 of the USCHO.com poll.  They're even on the season with a 2-2-2 record, having begun CCHA play last weekend with a split.  That said, Ferris State has been improving, beginning the season with a loss and a tie and garnering a complete split last weekend.  The Bulldogs will need to keep improving this season.
Key PWR Points:  Pairwise points against Ferris State thus far are few and far between.  We will have a
                           direct comparison with RPI so their tie against RPI will not be as meaningful in terms of pairwise.  Ferris
                           State's win and tie against Mercyhurst could help us in terms of TUC assuming Mercyhurst does well
                           enough in Atlantic Hockey to be a TUC.

Maine
Date of Possible Game Against Cornell: December 29
Analysis: Maine has not been off to the start expected by the university or others.  Maine was selected fifth in Hockey East, but while finishing just above half in the league, not many thought Maine would drop six of its first seven games.  Maine will need to start scoring again.  The only time they managed to score
                           more than 2 goals was in their sole win of the season.  Maine has been outscored by a margin of 20-7 this
                           season.  If Maine wants to get rolling, they will need to start clicking to score some goals.
                           Key PWR Points:  So far, there are fewer points than Michigan.  Maine beat only Army in the opening
                           weekend's Ice Breaker Tournament.  The Black Bears dropped their first game to Notre Dame and more
                           recently were swept by St. Lawrence and Providence.  Maine is going to need to get its scoring together
                           as it wades deeper into its Hockey East play if Cornell hopes to gain meaningful PWR points from a
                           comparison.

Minnesota-Duluth
Date of Possible Game Against Cornell: December 29
Analysis:  Minnesota-Duluth has been middling so far this season, starting off 2-3-1. The scoring for the season, however, has been exactly even, with UMD gaining 14 goals to the 14 of its opponents.  UMD needs to get scoring consistently as WCHA play continues.
Key PWR Points:  UMD has not swept, nor has it been swept, by any teams this season.  With splits against Ohio State and Notre Dame and a loss and tie against Wisconsin, UMD has not gone down
                            easily.  They do not allow teams to sweep them, but at the same time, they have not been able to sweep
                            a team.  The splits will be meaningful to some degree in PWR, but to be very meaningful in PWR for the
                            Big Red, UMD will need to sweep a few series.

Denver
Date of Games Against Cornell: January 4 and January 5
Analysis: Denver is shaping up to be the biggest game for Cornell this season, if all things hold.  As one of two teams in the country that has been playing for weeks that is still undefeated, Denver is likely the
                            highest-ranked opponent that Cornell will face this season.  Denver is ranked #3 in the USCHO.com poll
                            and is currently at #2 in the WAY TOO EARLY PWR rankings.  Five is the magic number for Denver. 
                            Denver has scored exactly five goals in all four of its wins, allowing in one and two goals.  Denver has not
                            pitched a shutout yet, but it has not needed to with its impressive offense.  Denver continues WCHA play
                            until it meets Yale and UNH in November and if it keeps up what it is doing, it could be ranked higher than
                            #3 by the time Cornell and Denver meet.
                            Key PWR Points:  As of now, Denver has wins over UMass-Lowell (a team seemed to be outperforming
                            expectations thus far, seen especially in its win over Colorado College but has not been able to win again
                            since then), Air Force, and Michigan Tech (who earned a split with #2 in the country Minnesota). 
                            Denver is going to be a team the Big Red could get major PWR points for beating.

Colorado College
Date of Games Against Cornell: October 26 and October 27
Result: 2-0 Cornell, 3-2 Cornell
Analysis: Colorado College begins its conference play this weekend against Wisconsin.  With Cornell's sweep over the Tigers, Colorado College has dropped out of the USCHO.com poll.  In the past three games, the Tigers have not scored more than two goals, a huge difference from the five and six goal games that the Tigers had against Clarkson and Air Force.  Hopefully the Tigers get their scoring back on
                            track as we wish them the best of luck in the rest of their season.
                            Key PWR Points:  Obviously wins over Clarkson could be garnered first-hand, but a sweep of the Golden
                            Knights are a good thing to have.  Air Force, always dominant in Atlantic Hockey, usually pops onto being
                            a team under consideration by the end of the season, especially with its own wins.  The comparison win
                            over Air Force will not be lost.  If the Tigers do well in the WCHA, their wins will be incredibly important for
                            the Big Red.

During the countdown, we at WAFT have left Good Evening, Hockey Fans to go, due to the sheer volume of posting, but we are starting it up again, now that the season is in full swing.  So look to find your weekly Good Evening, Hockey Fans posts on Tuesdays throughout the season.

A New Mask, A New Season?

Andy Iles's mask is something of note, as a Cornell goaltender's always is.  From alumnus Ben Scrivens's mask featuring the Lynah Faithful to Andy's mask last year featuring Ken Dryden as well as some wonderful Cornell features, to Omar Kanji's entertaining mask, the goaltender mask is something of note for fans of Cornell hockey.  So when Cornell equipment manager Sean Schmidt tweeted pictures of Andy Iles's new mask, it was something of note.  Iles kept the same mask his freshman and sophomore years, so it was unexpected that he would get a new one.  His new one, however, holds quite a bit of significance for the Big Red.  Instead of the red of last mask, this new one is notably white.  The incredibly sharp mask features huggy bear on one side, ivy throughout as well as the Cornell seal.  What was most notable, however, was the back.  The back of the mask has green and pink ribbons, as Iles's masks often do, but what is most interesting is the inclusion of Cornell's previous national championship years with a simple, sleek '67 on one side and '70 on the other.  It appears that Iles's goal for the season might be a bit higher than the norm.  As much as we at WAFT enjoyed the last helmet, love this iteration. 

Cornell Once Again Rocks Three Goaltenders

Cornell began its preseason with Andy Iles and Omar Kanji as its only goaltenders.  Many of the Lynah Faithful were weary about whether having two goaltenders instead of the normal three (or four in the case of Michigan this season) would be a problem.  But at the first game of the season, Cornell dressed three goaltenders, the third of which wore the number 30 without a name on his back.  Brandon Thomas confirmed that this was Chris Hogan and that more information would be forthcoming.  Hogan played for Cornell's ACHA team as one of their goaltenders in the past.  He is an engineering student and we will keep you apprised as we learn more.

Ivy League Tops NCAA Graduation Rates

Cornell comes in with a 97.0% graduation rate which is amongst the highest in the country, in the middle of the Ivy League.  Dartmouth tops the Ivies with a 99.7% rate and Penn caps the lowest of the still high rates with a 96.4%.  It is important that the Ivies continue to graduate athletes as they graduate students, which is impressive for the amount of varsity sports which Cornell sponsors.

Cornell Women Receive Ivy Pendants
Katelyn Pippy, sophomore goaltender for Cornell, tweeted a picture of the team getting pendants.  The pendants commemorate their Ivy League title.  Here is a picture of the pendants:

After a strong showing in the first three games of the Big Red women's season, with games having five goals scored by the winning team, the opening weekend of ECAC play had much closer scores than seen in the past week as well as previous games against Yale and Brown.  Last year alone, the Big Red beat Yale and Brown 9-0 at home, and 6-1 and 5-0 respectively on the road.  This home series told a much different tale.

Friday's game against Brown opened up league play in what has been described as a battle of goaltending.  Lauren Slebodnick pitched her first shutout of the season against the Bears with the Big Red scoring two goals to snag the two points.  The first period was scoreless, with neither team being able to convert on power play opportunities (three for the Big Red and one for Brown).  The second period, however, opened up the scoring.  Just a minute and 44 seconds into the second, Taylor Woods knocked in a goal from Kelly Murray and Emily Fulton, capitalizing on their only power play opportunity of the second with the penalty that was called in the last 10 seconds of the first.  The goaltenders would refuse to allow another goal until Brown pulled their goaltender and Jill Saulnier grabbed the empty-net goal from Brianne Jenner and Lauriane Rougeau.  Brown's goaltender Katie Jamieson had an impressive game, making 35 saves.  Lauren Slebodnick earned a shutout, stopping 12 shots from the Bears's offense.

Saturday was another hard-fought game for Cornell.  Yale opened up the scoring on a power play opportunity in the first.  The Big Red responded in the second with even-strength goals from Brianne Jenner and Jessica Campbell.  Assists came from Jill Saulnier, Lauriane Rougeau, and Laura Fortino.  The second wouldn't end with the Big Red in the lead, though, as Yale scored on another power play opportunity.  The third was a tough one with the Big Red scoring their lone goal on a power play.  Saulnier netted the game-winning goal, assisted by Jenner and Rougeau.  The final score was 3-2 and the Big Red got their first sweep of the season.

Next week provides a different test for Cornell with the women at home again against Princeton and Quinnipiac.  Looking at what the teams have done thus far in the season, Quinnipiac started the season 4-3-1 and Princeton began the season at 2-2.

Princeton began the season later than other teams, like Cornell it was forced to start on the Ivy schedule.  Princeton's first weekend was against CHA teams, RIT and Robert Morris.  RIT is in its first year in DI, moving up from DIII last year.  Their sole CHA win this year was against the Penn State Nittany Lions who similarly are new to DI, transitioning from ACHA DI.  Princeton beat the other Tigers in a close and low-scoring game, 2-1.  Their Saturday match was against Robert Morris, who won the CHA tournament last year but were unable to make the NCAA tournament due to the CHA not having an autobid.  Princeton completed their first sweep of the season in their first weekend of the season, beating Robert Morris 6-3.  Last weekend was a very different one for the Tigers.  Playing Dartmouth and Harvard, Princeton dropped both games against tough Ivy foes, 1-3 and then 1-9 respectively.  In their first weekend, Princeton scored only power play goals against RIT.  They capitalized on two of the four RIT penalties while remaining perfect on the penalty kill against the other Tigers.  Against RMU, however, they were unable to capitalize on either of the two power play opporunities, instead scoring five of their six goals while at even strength with the sixth goal being a short-handed goal.  Their game against Dartmouth saw the Tigers unable to kill as many penalties as their opponent.  Princeton's one goal was on the power play, making the Tigers one for eight on the power play, unable to score even strength.  Two of Dartmouth's three goals were scored on the power play, giving the Big Green a better power play conversion percentage than Princeton.  Harvard was the toughest match-up for Princeton yet, with Princeton being unable to capitalize on either power play opportunity.  Harvard was two for five on the power play, with seven even-strength goals.  To defeat Princeton, Cornell needs to watch its special teams.

Quinnpiac's season started ambitiously with Mercyhurst.  They earned a tie in their season opener, but dropped the second game by one to the Lakers.  In their second weekend, they had a convincing sweep of Maine with scores of 6-1 and 5-2.  The following weekend, the Bobcats split with Syracuse.  After a tight win on Friday, they dropped the second game 4-0.  This past weekend, the Bobcats faced Harvard and Dartmouth, never pushover teams in the ECAC.  Harvard defeated the Bobcats with a 2-0 score, but the Bobcats got their second Saturday win of the season against Dartmouth in an 8-3 victory.  Looking at the eight games that the Bobcats have played, we can look at the games in three sets to see what Quinnpiac did to win, lose, and tie.  In their wins, Quinnipiac had a 33.3% conversion rate on the power play and killed penalties with an 89.5% rate.  In their losses, Quinnipiac was only 1 for 10 on the power play, while they were only able to kill 62.5% of penalties.  In their tie, Quinnipiac converted 40% of their power play opportunities and allowed in 50% of the penalties.  Basically, the Big Red needs to shut the Bobcats down when they are on the power play and capitalize on their own power play opportunities.

This weekend will bring another tough test for the Big Red, but they are up to the challenge.

Points on the Season (as of October 24, 2012)
7- Jenner
6- Saulnier
5 - Fulton
4 - Gagliardi, Rougeau
3 - Cudmore, Zorn
2 - Campbell, Fortino, Woods
1 - Brown, Leck, Murray, Slebodnick

From the playing of "Give My Regards To Davy" that welcomed Cornell's 97th men's ice hockey team to the ice on Friday evening to the chorus of winning team/losing team at the close of Saturday night's game, one thing was very clear. This team is ready to play. As Nick D'Agostino would imply in post-game interviews, Cornell hockey is back with a vengeance. And high ambitions motivate this team.

The first thing that struck WAFT while watching the game was the evolved chemistry of the team. Players who last season did not play on the same lines typically had heightened awareness of where each other would be that generated plays that could be described as only fluid and beautiful. The greatest chemistry, or at least that which impressed me most as compared to last season's performances, was the relationship between Bardreau and McCarron. Even though the two did not score a goal in either game, the offense that they generated together in the first period of the first game in the Colorado College series was particularly noteworthy. Bardreau and McCarron together tallied on Esposito's season-opening and game-winning goal.

Esposito proved that he had his ritualistic nap before the game for those who were questioning it early in the game. Espo went on to prove to Cornell's WCHA foe how dangerous he can be when healthy with scoring the second goal for the Big Red. The goal was again assisted by Upstate New York talent, Bardreau.

The offensive efforts of the likes of sophomores Ferlin and Lowry were awarded during the second game of the series. Saturday night Lowry scored two goals continuing the trend that Esposito began the previous night while Ferlin opened scoring for the second game at approximately the midpoint of the first period. Ferlin's goal was later awarded to de Swardt while Ferlin was awarded an assist instead of a goal on the play.

The dynamic of the second game was somewhat different compared to the first. Cornell outshot Colorado College by a margin of 28 to 19 in the first game. The second night, the reverse was true. This return to a dynamic more typical of Cornell hockey in recent years did not reverse the ultimate result. The Tigers outshot the Big Red 23 to 20, but Cornell's defense and special teams continued to control the flow of the game. Iles was reliable in net throughout both games and served as a key penalty killer.

The opening ten minutes of the first game witnessed Colorado College dictate the pace and nature of the game. The game was more track-meet-esque and far less physical. Around the midpoint of the first period, Cornell seized control of the game and began to introduce the Tigers to the fearsome style of hockey for which Cornell has become known. The series took upon the pace and physical tone of a typical Cornell hockey game after that point.

The Tigers grew noticeably frustrated during the first game from the physicality and stifling defense that held a team that had scored on 20% of its power-play opportunities entering the weekend and 29% of all Colorado-College goals going into the weekend had been scored on specialty teams to no power-play or short-handed goals during the series. The ten-minute game misconduct that a Colorado College player earned in the last half of the third period showed that frustration.

What did we learn? Some commentators have pointed to the fact that Cornell scored no even-strength goals over the weekend or that over the weekend at even strength Cornell was minus two. I think that such critiques miss the big picture.

Would I have wanted the Big Red to score an even-strength goal against a prestigious program like Colorado College in Cornell's first weekend of play? Of course. Do I think that there should be panic among the Lynah Faithful because the Big Red has not scored an even-strength goal in two games? Not at all.

Cornell entered the weekend with only a finite amount of time to prepare. The members of the Ivy League could begin practice only on October 19. The fact that Cornell was ready to play at both ends of the ice with only a few practice indicates several very important things.

Firstly, unlike some programs where captains's practices did not serve those programs well in preparing for opening and statement series, Cornell's captains and the players for the Big Red put in the time and efforts to be ready not only to compete with Colorado College but to defeat them handedly with all things considered. This proves that this team is committed to its stated goals in far more than lip service or a nice talking point. These players have worked hard to prove to themselves that they are able to accomplish their lofty goals and that they will be prepared to realize these goals when the times to do such arise. The leadership of the team has been placed in the right hands. No one can make light of the role of the captains in preparing the 2012-13 team for its first series.

Secondly, Schafer and his assistants had very limited time to prepare Cornell for one of the most offensively potent teams in the nation. The Tigers had averaged more than four goals per game before their trip to Central New York. They had outshot their opponents by an average margin of almost two to one. Colorado College had scored 29% of its goals on specialty team opportunities. Most of those tallies came at crucial stages of the game and capitalized on minor defensive breakdowns. Colorado College's series against Clarkson highlights this fact as game-changing goals against the Golden Knights occurred after such sequences of events.

The Cornell coaching staff had a few days of practice to get the team ready for this challenge. Both the power play and penalty kill were thorns in the side of the 2011-12 team. Cornell's power-play and penalty-kill units both ranked 41st at the close of last season. Cornell's penalty kill that was tied with that of American International allowed goals during 20% of its opponents power-play opportunities. It appears that strategically for both the future of the season and to meet the tasks of Colorado College specifically that the coaching staff chose wisely to emphasize special teams. It would be logical and sound strategy.

The strategy paid dividends as Colorado College's otherwise potent power-play and penalty-kill units were held scoreless in two games while Cornell won the series with five power-play goals converting 35.7% of its power-play opportunities and killing off 100% of its penalties over the weekend. Cornell held Colorado College to two goals during the series while it had average four goals per game before the weekend. Assuming that Hurricane Sandy does not disrupt athletics on the Hill too much (the least of people's worries), the coaching staff will have the opportunity to begin emphasizing play that will encourage capitalizing on even-strength opportunities while reinforcing the much emphasized fundamentals that Schafer has stated needs re-emphasis at this early stage in the season.

Thirdly, did these commentators watch the game? Cornell dominated 110 minutes of a 120-minute series. Some of the noteworthy contributions came from the youngest and less seasoned players on the rosters. Many of them did not appear on the score sheet. The player who came through in crucial times but did not appear on the score sheet who impressed me most was MacDonald. His almost-goal the second evening when his hard shot rang off of a goal post rather than arcing into the net has received the most coverage, but his defensive contributions on Friday cannot be overlooked. On at least two occasions when Iles had stopped two opportunities but the puck rebounded out on an odd deflection to his weak side, it was MacDonald's stick that prevented the puck from reaching a Colorado College player who was poised to tip it into the net behind Iles and cleared it from the crease. This allowed Iles to reset and kept his shutout on the first evening alive.

A few freshmen saw action on the special-teams unit. Even though there were some mishaps with allowing the puck to leave the offensive zone on the power play, likely caused by nerves, freshmen like Willcox gelled well with their units and shined especially on clogging passing lanes on the presently perfect penalty-kill unit. Forwards from the upper class began to heed the gospel of Schafer and began to become more involved in defensive plays than is common this early in the season. Bardreau, Ferlin, and Mihalek were of particular note in this regard. Bardreau and Esposito in addition to McCarron were particularly noticeable in their physicality that tired the opposition early in the first game of the series. That is unexpected for at least one of those players and for all they raised their level of physicality to a new level.

Cornell enters its second weekend of play with ten players who have tallied a point. The crediting of what was believed to be Ferlin's first goal of the season to de Swardt raised this total from the recorded nine players. Two players have scored two goals. Three players have scored more than one point. Additionally reassuring is the fact that Lowry has professed since the second game that he was trying to generate a juicy rebound for teammate Ferlin when he scored one of his two goals. When a team amasses these gaudy statistics against a respected and potent team, its highest scorers are more worried about helping the team than their personal goal totals, and it has stated national ambitions, one thing is certain: it is ready to play.

Is there room for improvement? Yes, I am sure the team has been informed of such. But, the work ethic of the team is already apparent and with such a work ethic, improvement should be all but guaranteed. This first outing has given the Lynah Faithful much to b

Cornell will face a tough test against Colgate this coming weekend as the Raiders upended a nationally and league well-regard Quinnipiac team last weekend, 5-1. I do not think this Cornell team will overlook them. It looks like it will be an exciting week leading up to a weekend of quasi-rivalry play.

19. Colorado College Tigers
Record: 3-1-0
Series Record: 4-2-1 Cornell
Friday October 26 & Saturday October 27

Last Meetings:
January 6, 2012 & January 7, 2012
Cornell earned a win and a tie against the Tigers of Colorado College last season. The Big Red used the three-point weekend at World Arena in Colorado Spring to stanch the bleeding from a disappointing lost to UMass at the 2011 Florida College Classic. The series at CC last season marked an upswing in Cornell's fortune. The Tigers would suffer a much different fate as they went on to miss the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time in ten years. The series in the mountain timezone witnessed John McCarron score his first collegiate goal. He has not looked back since then.

The main difference between the two games at World Arena last season was perhaps most to do with CC's key player: Jaden Schwartz. Jaden Schwartz was unable to compete in the first game of the series due to prior commitments. Cornell went on to dominate that game behind goals from Jillson, McCarron, and Miller. CC was able to convert only on the power play in the first game. Despite what CC head coach Owens said were around 95 attempted shots, he concluded that few threatened Cornell's lead and control of the game. The next evening, Jaden Schwartz returned to the lineup. The game ended in a 3-3 tie. He scored two goals and assisted to his brother, Rylan Schwartz, on the remaining tallying. If one removes Jaden Schwartz's contributions from last season, the second game of the series likely would have ended very similarly to how the first game did. Disappointingly for college hockey, but advantageously for Cornell, Jaden Schwartz departed early for the St. Louis Blues after last season.

This Season:
Colorado College has faced off against Clarkson, Air Force, and UMass-Lowell already this season in four games. The only loss came against UMass-Lowell. The games in which the Tigers have been involved have been high-scoring affairs relative to Cornell standards. At this early stage in the season, CC has produced 4.25 goals per game with scoring five goals or more in the three games that they have won to date. It goes without saying that the Tigers possess immense offensive threats even in the immediate wake of Jaden Schwartz's departure.

CC has converted 20% of its power-play opportunities thus far this season. Power-play goals account for 18% of all goals that CC has tallied this season. That conversion rate does not spell definitively disaster for a Big Red team that has not faced NCAA Division I competition this season. However, the speed and offensive upside of the Tigers leads to one stark development in the very few games they have played. They capitalize brilliantly and quickly upon defensive breakdowns, even when they are on the penalty kill. Two of CC's goals this season, 12% of their total goals scored, have been scored shorthanded.

The Tigers from Colorado Springs will arrive at Lynah Rink with one player who has averaged one point per game. However, the manner in which Hamburg has earned this accolade is atypical. Instead of scoring his goals over a span of the four games that the Tigers have played, Hamburg scored a hat trick and one against cross-town rival Air Force last weekend. Six Tigers have averaged a point or greater per game this season. They are Hamburg, Rapuzzi, Winkler, Schwartz, McDermott, and Bradley.

Colorado College has come from behind to claim two of its three victories this season. The Tigers have outshot their defeated opponents by an average margin of nearly two to one (specifically, 1.8:1.0). Owens has given Thormibert the nod to start in 75% of CC's games. He will be the goaltender that Cornell will face likely Friday evening. He has generated a goals against average of 2.68 and a save percentage of 0.905 over those games. He has allowed four goals once this season. It was against Clarkson.

Keys To The Game:
Considering that this is the first game of the 2012-13 regular season for Cornell what Cornell shows itself and its fans will be likely as important or more important than what it can do to Colorado College. The first priority, one recognized fairly publicly by Schafer and Syers, is that Schaferian defense needs to return to this team. With a passion. Quickly.

It is axiomatic that defense wins championships and Cornell has not exactly set its sights all too low this season. The fact that specialty teams have scored 29% of CC's goals highlights how relentless and error-free defense will be crucial if Cornell hopes to have success this weekend against the Tigers at Lynah. Even when Cornell is on a man advantage, the defense must not rest. Those defensive newcomers in Craig Esposito, Stoick, and Willcox who may see ice time this series will be entrusted with collectively closing the gap left by the graduation of Ross and Whitney.

Cornell will be looking to prove to itself that the days of a lackluster power play within a team that was otherwise impressive last season are over. Cornell finished the 2011-12 season ranked 41st in power-play conversion. The Big Red converted only 16.5% of its man advantages for a goal last season. Capitalizing on what power-play opportunities that Cornell will have during this CC series will go a long way toward belief that the lulls of last season's power-play attempts are gone. Doing so would be a great psychological victory for the Big Red.

The Tigers are accustomed to playing on an Olympic sheet. Colorado College hockey prides itself on its open ice speed. Assistant Coach Rud lamented that the team's speed will be of less use on the NHL-size ice of Lynah Rink. CC's head coach Owens stated last year that Cornell forwards and defensemen "makes their living" along the board. Schafer in a recent interview said that grit and physicality are two things that Cornell will have when the season starts while it may lag briefly behind CC in terms of game-honed finesse due to less playing time. Competition along the boards, and winning both physical and puck battles along the boards will be key to tire an otherwise relentless and fast offensively oriented Tigers team.

It seems cliche for a Cornell writer to acknowledge, but Andy Iles will be key to this game as well.

Historical Dimensions:
It is for considerations of history that this series is particularly interesting. Foremost, every Colorado College post or CC fan forum that I have encountered has been respectful if not reverential of both Cornell hockey and the opportunity to play at Lynah Rink. For those who did not know this already, this is the first time that the Colorado College Tigers will play in Lynah. Such respect of our program will not go unnoticed.

There are many similarities between Cornell and Colorado College. Both are historic programs. Both have incredibly dedicated fan followings. Both programs have earned two national championships. Colorado College earned its first and second national championship 17 and 10 years before Cornell earned its first respectively. Both Colorado College and Cornell have since been ever so close to returning to those heights. Therefore, while we hope that Cornell defeats the Tigers at Lynah Rink this weekend, we must salute the willingness of such a great program to come play in our historic barn and honor their proud traditions. We will wish them well after this weekend as well. That is why this post closes with a video tribute from a few years ago that highlights how Colorado College hockey conceives of itself and its history.

The preseason has come to an end. It is at this time that players, the program, and we as a fanbase must begin to gauge what our expectations will be for the 2012-13 season. It is hard to establish a barometer of success. That is why such a metric will be avoided in this post. This post will serve to outline what is within reasonable reach of this impressively talented team.

One must look at where Cornell hockey has been to discern where we can expect it to go. Few programs have the history of Cornell. Institutional history and pride will buoy any talented class at Cornell onward to further greatness.

There is little reason to doubt that fact. Few programs in the nation return as much talent from their 2011-12 rosters as Cornell does. Cornell upended the second overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament in a commanding victory and was well within the grasp of returning to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2003 last season. Cornell's roster last season included eight freshmen. Two of whom were among the top-five scorers on the team. The freshmen who were essential to Cornell's successes last season can be relied upon to improve and those who contributed less in terms of ice time seamlessly will fill critical niches this season.

Eight of Cornell's top-ten scorers from last season return. Cornell will present opponents with one of the most balanced attacks in the nation if its core of offensively minded players can remain healthy this season. The loss of four integral seniors will not long hamper the development of the 2012-13 team. Five skilled freshmen will don the carnelian and white for the first time and will find roles of their own soon enough. The defensive core is sound with maturity and refortified with skilled youth. Cornell returns one of the most talented and the most reliable goaltender in college hockey. Cornell will overwhelm opponents up front and stifle their best efforts behind the blue line.

This overview highlights that the 97th team to represent Cornell in collegiate hockey has potential greater than the achievements that Cornell enjoyed last season with a near-berth in the Frozen Four. There remains only one rung higher on the ladder of collegiate hockey accolades than attainment of a Frozen-Four berth. This team has the potential to reach that rung.

Coach Schafer emphasizes that each season is unique. The path of no season is identical to one taken previously or one that will be taken later. He analogizes the development of a team and a season to a journey. It is from this appropriate analogy that Where Angels Fear To Tread believes that the 2012-13 season will be a Journey To Three for Cornell.

It will have been 43 years since Cornell hoisted its most recent and second national championship trophy in Lake Placid, NY when the 2013 Frozen Four begins in Pittsburgh, PA. This team and its stellar senior class will end this drought. The senior class has helped Cornell claim one Whitelaw Cup, one Ivy-League title, two NCAA-Tournament appearances, two ECAC Championship Final appearances, three ECAC Championship Semifinal appearances, and six wins over Harvard in three years while also earning victories over prestigious programs including the University of New Hampshire, the University of North Dakota, Colorado College, and the University of Michigan. There is no reason to doubt this class's ability to add the greatest possible accolade in the sport to that already impressive list. They will help Cornell claim its third national championship.

This season as the Journey To Three will not be easy always. There must be no misconceptions about that. Unquestionably, there will be ups and there will be downs. Lofty expectations and goals will make the highs seems all the higher in their seemed allusion to possible realization of the most ultimate goal and the lows seem lower as foretelling of possible disappointment. Journeys are not easy. There will be dynamics and dimensions that yet cannot be foreseen. Two things will remain unchanged throughout this season, no matter its result: our belief and pride in this team.

Misfortune can strike at any moment. It can change the complexion or result of a season. We realize this. That is why lack of attainment of the namesake goal of the Journey To Three never can be termed failure. We know that this team will make its fanbase proud no matter the result of a given game or the season. It is our privilege to support the players of this team.

It is for these innumerable reasons that Where Angels Fear To Tread will become never a forum for fair-weather fandom. We will never single out for ridicule the student-athletes on this roster who represent our proud program and University so very well. We will highlight the achievements of individuals when it is deserved. We will point out when the team falters relative to its immense potential, but never shall ridicule be focused upon individual student-athletes.

Cornell will succeed as a team and our coverage will treat it as a team. No individual student-athlete that will represent Cornell over the 2012-13 season will be dispensable in helping Cornell achieve its ultimate goal. This mindset from the fanbase and within the team will augment Cornell's ability to complete the Journey To Three.

The 2012-13 team will have the potential to beat any opponent in any given game. The depth of the roster provides little reason to doubt this fact. We believe that this 97th hockey team to represent Cornell University will earn a third national championship.

Where Angels Fear To Tread will support this Cornell team wholeheartedly. We hope that the Lynah Faithful do the same. That is why we will add the above poster image with hashtag insignia to the side panel of our main page when the season begins on October 26. We invite the Faithful to use the two images atop this post and join in using #JT3 on twitter to show their support for this team and its national ambitions. We believe in this team.

The Cornell men's ice hockey season will begin in two days, but before we begin formal preview posts for the men's season, WAFT would like to provide you with a recap of the countdown so that you can become acquainted with or revisit the posts along our countdown that survey many of the players who will be key to the successes of both the men's and women's ice hockey seasons. Click the jersey number icon below and it will lead you to the post about the player that WAFT previewed who wears that number during the 2012-13 season.

Cornell women's hockey has been very busy the past few days.  Since Saturday, the Big Red have started their season opening with a two-game series at Boston University before their home opener yesterday against St. Lawrence in what was touted as a rematch of last year's ECAC championship game.  We're going to take a look at what the Lady Rouge (and their opponents) have done so far this season and what we have to look forward to this coming weekend.

Opponents last week: Boston University, St. Lawrence University
Opponents this weekend: Brown University, Yale University

Boston University started their season with a local rival: Boston College.  They beat BC 4-2 on the road and continued the season on a tear, winning all of their games before Cornell game to town.  Boston University handily defeated RPI and Union at home and Northeastern on the road.  It was a different story when the Lady Rouge came to meet the familiar opponent.  (The last meeting between the two teams occurred in the NCAA Tournament in a memorable 3OT game.)  The Big Red dominated in the first game, skating to a 5-2 victory with all five goals scored by different players.  Freshmen Anna Zorn and Taylor Woods scored their first NCAA goals while sophomores Emily Fulton and Monika Leck netted two more and junior Jessica Campbell got the empty netter for a decisive outing from the forwards of the team.  Two of the goals were even strength, two were short-handed goals and the remaining was an empty-net goal. Alyssa Gagliardi and Hayleigh Cudmore notched a pair of assists while Jill Saulnier, Brianne Jenner, Lauriane Rougeau, and Lauren Slebodnick (yes, our GOALTENDER) also made their way to the box score with assists.  Speaking of Slebodnick, she had a total of 25 saves for a save percentage of 0.926 on the night.

For as well as Saturday went, Sunday was not the Big Red's day.  They dropped a 5-1 game to the Terriers with the sole goal being scored on the power play by Laura Fortino with assists from Jill Saulnier and Brianne Jenner.  The Big Red earned a split on the weekend which was incredibly impressive given that it was the first weekend of games for Cornell when Boston University had 4 NCAA DI games under their belt already.

Tuesday brought ECAC foe St. Lawrence to Lynah Rink in a non-conference match between the reigning ECAC Champions and the Big Red.  St. Lawrence, much like Boston University, has played 4 games so far this year, but they could not have started more differently than BU.  The Saints dropped their first four games, two to Clarkson (currently ranked #4 in the country) and two to the University of Minnesota (currently ranked #1 in the country).  And the luck was not with St. Lawrence again for their fifth game of the year.  The first period started off slow until a run of 59 seconds that proved to be explosive for the Big Red.  In less than a minute, Cornell scored three times with three different players scoring a goal.  At 15:01 Emily Fulton scored her second goal of the season unassisted.  Thirty seconds later, Brianne Jenner got her first goal of the season assisted by Jess Brown and Emily Fulton.  The third goal came 29 seconds after that, from either Alyssa Gagliardi or Anna Zorn, depending on who you believe. (At the time, it was credited to Zorn, and that is what the commentators seem to think happened, but the box score gives the goal to Gagliardi.)  The other assist was given to Jill Saulnier.  Immediately after the third goal, St. Lawrence swapped out their goaltender (Carmen MacDonald, last year's tournament MVP) for Guilia Mazzocchi who played the remainder of the game.  The second period was scoreless for both teams.  Scoring picked up again in the third with two goals from the Big Red.  The first was scored by Emily Fulton, her second of the night, from Alyssa Gagliardi and Hayleigh Cudmore.  The final Big Red goal of the evening went to Anna Zorn, from Brianne Jenner.  Overall Cornell scored 4 even-strength goals and one power-play goal.  The Saints attempted to rally, scoring one a little less than halfway through the third, but their rally fell short there.  Cornell improved to 2-1-0 on the season.

Next weekend begins ECAC and Ivy play for the Big Red with Brown and Yale both coming to Lynah Rink for afternoon games.  Brown has only played one game this year, losing 4-2 to Princeton.  Yale comes to town on Saturday.  Yale has started the season with two losses.  Both games were against CHA teams.  Robert Morris beat the Elis 2-0 and new DI team RIT shut out Yale 3-0.  This weekend looks to be a big one for Cornell hockey in general, with the men and women both playing at home.  Should all go well, the women should look to start conference play with a great record.

Points on the Season (as of October 24, 2012)
4 - Fulton, Gagliardi, Jenner
3 - Cudmore, Saulnier, Zorn
1 - Brown, Campbell, Fortino, Leck, Rougeau, Slebodnick, Woods

The regular season for Cornell will begin on this Friday. So, WAFT has decided to kick off its planned weekly analysis of how Cornell's major out-of-conference opponents for the 2012-13 season are faring. The Pedantic Pairwise Prognostication (PPP) will take account of any and all other major developments in the college hockey world that might have reverberations throughout the pairwise network or national post-season, and affect Cornell's ultimate national ranking.

WAFT knows that it is far too early to pay attention to the specific pairwise rankings. They will not appear in these post until much later in the season, but the thrust of these posts will be to highlight the successes or failures of the programs whose successes or failures upon which Cornell will depend ultimately when selection and seeding of 2013 NCAA Tournament teams occurs at the end of the season while also focusing upon results that may alter the complexion of the national college hockey landscape.

Colorado College
Date of Games Against Cornell: October 26 and October 27
Analysis: The momentum from the Tigers's first weekend of regular-season play capped off with two wins against Clarkson continued with Colorado College defeating Air Force 6-2. The following night, the Tigers dropped disappointingly a game against UMass-Lowell losing 3-1 with the River Hawks adding an empty-net tally to produce the final score.
Key PWR Points: Colorado College comes to East Hill in three days. The main PWR points that they
                            bring with them so far are from the win over Air Force that will provide comparisons for Cornell against
                            most of Atlantic Hockey, as Air Force is the dominant program in that conference, if Cornell earns victory
                            against the Tigers this weekend as well as the WCHA slate that the Tigers will play later in the season.

Michigan
Date of Game Against Cornell: November 24
Analysis: Michigan has not been behaving very Michigan-like in its play at this early point in the season. Michigan managed to salvage only a split against RIT last weekend and this weekend, Bentley nearly made Atlantic Hockey 2-1-0 at Yost this season. The Wolverines avoided the embarrassment with a fiery
                             response in the second and third periods to claim a 6-3 victory after starting somewhat lethargically.
                             Key PWR Points: Surprisingly few. CC's win over Air Force will prove likely more valuable for any
                             comparisons against Atlantic Hockey teams than Michigan's split against RIT. Michigan does have the
                             entire slate against the CCHA that will prove beneficial to Cornell in the long run, especially if Michigan
                             starts playing Michigan hockey again. I have little doubt that it will.

Ferris State
Date of Game Against Cornell: December 28
Analysis: The PWR overlap with the Bulldogs will be quite extensive and Cornell will have many opportunities to capitalize on the likely success of the 2012 Frozen Four participants and national runners-up. This is due in large part to RPI's convincing and laudable series against Ferris State last weekend in which RPI defeated the Bulldogs 3-1 and then tied them the next night. The win was big for the Appert-led Engineers as well as the ECAC in proving that Cornell's and Union's post-season successes were not anomalous. This last weekend, the Bulldogs played Atlantic Hockey's Mercyhurst. The Lakers
                             that upset Cornell last season in the regular-season season opener lost to Ferris State in their first game
                             and tied in the second.
                             Key PWR Points: The CCHA slate. The RPI win was bigger for the conference than for the PWR resume
                             of Cornell this season. Cornell will have direct comparisons against Ferris State from the meeting in
                             Estero and PWR comparisons via the regular-season series against RPI.

Maine
Date of Possible Game Against Cornell: December 29
Analysis: The Black Bears began the season with a game that would amount to an early season success for the ECAC. While Union a heavy favorite to win its season opener against Merrimack dropped that game, the ECAC saved face and continued momentum from last season when Quinnipiac upset Maine at
                              the Alfond with 2-1 season-opening win for both programs. Success has been rare to Maine in the two
                              weeks since then. The Black Bears lost to Notre Dame, 1-0, but defeated Army. St. Lawrence defeated
                              Maine convincingly in a display of a possibly resurgent ECAC with a sweep of 5-0 and 5-1 victories.
                              Key PWR Points: The Hockey East slate. The losses to St. Lawrence and Quinnipiac have little value to
                              Cornell's PWR resume either way because of the guaranteed ECAC series against those programs. The
                              loss against Notre Dame likely would have proven highly valuable had it been a win.

Minnesota-Duluth
Date of Possible Game Against Cornell: December 29
Analysis: The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs have had an early season full of splits. However, the results may proven beneficial for comparisons for Cornell if the Florida College Hockey Classic develops in a manner that allows Cornell to meet the 2011 National Champions. The Bulldogs have earned splits against a surprisingly skillful Ohio State team and a perennially competitive Notre Dame program.
Key PWR Points: A split with Notre Dame along with the likely favorable comparisons with WCHA
                               programs.

Denver
Date of Games Against Cornell: January 4 and January 5
Analysis: The Pioneers have had the opportunity to compete in only two games so far this season. The two games, unsurprisingly, show promise for the Pioneers in the 2012-13 season. Denver defeated
                              UMass-Lowell and Air Force by margins of 5-1 and 5-2 respectively. These victories are stark when
                              compared to the above listed results of fellow Gold-Pan rival, Colorado College, against the same
                              programs. The UMass-Lowell victory could become quite crucial for Cornell's comparisons in Hockey East
                              if the River Hawks do as well as they did last season and if Cornell can tally a win at Magness Arena.
                              Key PWR Points: The early season win against UMass-Lowell will provide possibly very favorable
                              comparisons against Hockey East programs if the River Hawks have the same measure of success that
                              they did last season.

Penn State
Date of Game Against Cornell: None in the regular-season.
Analysis: The newest addition to the NCAA Division I college hockey landscape has made some waves already. The Nittany Lions of Happy Valley gained some suspicious glances and were the target of condescension after the results of the Lions's first games. The Nittany Lions split against American
                               International and then were shut out against the Division III Buffalo State Bengals. However, the news
                              since has been dominated by the epicenter of a shockwave throughout the college hockey world as the
                              Nittany Lions went to RIT's homecoming at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester, NY and
                              defeated the Tigers 3-2 while dominating at least two-thirds of the game. The likelihood of an independent
                              earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament is slim, but if Gadowsky's Lions can continue to
                              progress, PWR points will be within reach against Air Force, Michigan State, and Wisconsin,
                              and possibly Union. The Dutchmen of the Capital Region better take notice that these kitties have claws.
                              RIT learned the hard way. At this point, the Nittany Lions have more PWR points and more marquee wins
                              than their only ECAC opponent this season: Union. A win over RIT at the Blue Cross Arena, the same
                              venue where Cornell dropped a decision to RIT in 2007, is worth far more than a loss against Merrimack
                             and a sweep of Bowling Green. Penn State may become quickly the most valuable out-of-conference
                             opponent that Union will face in terms of PWR. Also, the commentators who scoff at Penn State's
                             first-game loss against AIC should consider history. Of ten of the most successful programs in NCAA
                             Division I hockey, including Boston College, Boston University, Cornell, Denver, Maine, North Dakota,
                             Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, only Boston University and North Dakota won their first NCAA
                             Division I games. All future Big Ten Hockey members lost theirs. Cornell lost its first NCAA Division I
                             game 9-0 against Army en route to a winless season. Penn State is in good company with the result of
                             its first game and after last weekend looks to be headed quickly in the right direction.
                             Key PWR Points: No direct comparisons for Cornell because the teams will not meet in the regular
                             season. However, Penn State's series against Union in November and Cornell's regular-season series
                             against Union will provide for PWR comparison between the two land-grant institutions. Penn State is one
                             of four programs that I hope that Cornell can manage to schedule within the next few seasons.

The countdown until the beginning of the 2012-13 season has begun to wind down. Cornell’s first of two exhibition games was played last evening. With six days remaining until the Big Red meets Colorado College for the season-opening regular-season clash, we recognize one of the players who will be most crucial to realization of Cornell’s national ambitions in this coming season. His number may place him last on this countdown and he may patrol behind the blue line often, but Nick D’Agostino will be at the forefront of many of Cornell’s successes this season as he has been throughout his first three years at Cornell.

Nick D’Agostino arrived on East Hill with his talented class for Cornell’s 2009-10 campaign. His leadership was already evident even when he was among the youngest members of the team. One could foretell reasonably that it would be he who would be a captain at the helm of the Big-Red juggernaut by the time he embarked upon his senior campaign with his classmates. One who guessed such would have been proven correct as D’Agostino will serve as one of Cornell’s three captains in this coming season.

D’Agostino’s leadership and assertiveness were never a question for the Lynah Faithful. His first collegiate game was against the Purple Eagles of Niagara. Surprisingly, for a team that would later earn Cornell the appellation of “the dream-crushing, soul-devouring juggernaut,” the Purple Eagles looked poised to dampen the early-season successes of a team that in retrospect seems an all-but-inevitable ECAC Championship team.

Niagara tied the game in the waning minutes of the third period. The clock had marked more than three minutes of overtime before a quite serendipitous series of events occurred. D’Agostino had stayed on the ice for a very long shift (a fact that now seems blasé to most of the Faithful, but at the time was very impressive for a freshman). He saw the crucial opening play develop before him and made a crisp pass to then-captain Colin Greening who directed the puck to then-junior Joe Devin. Cornell claimed victory in the opening-game of the 2009-10 season with play from now nearly legendary captain Colin Greening with future captains Joe Devin and Nick D’Agostino. It seems all but preordained in retrospect that D’Agostino would join their ranks as a leader who wears the “C” for Cornell.

D’Agostino is an intimidating and dominating defenseman. So, it may seem at first glance to be odd to highlight his offensive contributions to the program when discussing his countless successes. Teams who opposed D’Agostino in the 2009-10 made his presence felt and developed a reputation as one of the most successful defenseman in the ECAC. A descriptor whose scope D’Agostino has made relevant to a national stage in his sophomore and junior seasons.

Clogging passing lanes and blocking shots became a thing for which the Lynah Faithful could depend upon D’Agostino at the end of his freshman campaign. He became as reliable and effective of a defenseman as then-senior blueliners Joe Scali and Justin Krueger, the eventual winner of the ECAC’s Hockey Defenseman of the Year Award in 2010. Rivaling Scali in shots blocked and Krueger in terms of effectiveness was impressive for a freshman defenseman. D’Agostino has gotten only better since then.

Offensively, D’Agostino’s skills cannot be underestimated. He is one of the most prolific scorers for Cornell. This began early in his career. D’Agostino led then-freshmen in lifting his team with 18 points during the 2009-10 season. He climbed the relative rankings his sophomore season but ceded his claim to being the member of the Class of 2013 who tickled the twine most to then-sophomore forward Greg Miller. Even behind the blue line in a leadership role with a surging Greg Miller and a freshman class with extreme offensive upside, D’Agostino still registered as the team’s sixth-most offensively productive player.

D’Agostino ranks fifth in terms of points produced per game of those players returning from the 2011-12 season. His production of 0.59 points per game is particularly impressive considering the Lynah Faithful can breathe particularly easy when he is on the ice knowing that offensive opportunities for the opposition will be extremely poor and very limited.

The greatest trait that D’Agostino has developed over his three seasons on East Hill is the trait that makes him best suited to serve as captain as Cornell seeks to reach new heights on the college hockey landscape. D’Agostino becomes whatever Cornell needs him to be in a given situation.

Few players have shown such versatility and even fewer are able to do it so seemingly effortlessly as Nick D’Agostino. The team awarded D’Agostino the privilege and responsibility of wearing an “A” as an alternate captain his junior season. He rose to the challenge of wearing the mantle of formal leadership.

A skilled but still young freshman class joined the ranks of the Big Red in Fall 2011. D’Agostino took charge of leading the program including these freshmen during the early games of the 2011-12 season. Not unexpectedly, D’Agostino occupied central roles on the power-play and penalty-kill units for the Big Red. It was the poise that he demonstrated that began the tidal wave of success that propelled Cornell to the 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional Final. The alternate captain quarterbacked the power-play unit with great skill. His ultimate tally of eight goals from last campaign included six that were earned on the power play.

This was but one of many ways that the Ontario-native blueliner showed his leadership in becoming what and who Cornell needed him to be. The most recognizable example of this trait is his ability to seize a given opportunity, convert upon it, and then transition effortlessly in employing his considerable defensive skills over several long shifts to protect a lead.

The striking statistical manifestation of this is found in D’Agostino’s number of game-winning goals. D’Agostino’s impressive total of five game-winning goals from last season placed him sixth nationally in that category. He was not only pivotal in gaining such leads but in defending those leads once earned in most of the contests in which he tallied for that statistic. He will be even more crucial to the success that he has envisioned for Cornell during his last campaign in carnelian and white.

D’Agostino is the epitomic leader of Cornell hockey in the modern era. He is a grinding defenseman who limits scoring opportunities while demonstrating impressive speed and offensive upside. However, leading and standing up for one’s team does not always occur in the context of in-game activity, especially when playing for a program that defines itself historically by its grit and physicality. The January 2011 edition of the Cornell-Harvard rivalry at Bright Hockey Center allowed D’Agostino to demonstrate his willingness to fill even the least favored of leadership roles if needed.

The 2010-11 season saw Cornell heavily in a rebuilding year after the departure of a very talented senior class. Cornell had swept Harvard with four victories during the 2009-10 season. Needless to say, our rivals in Crimson were upset when a stellar Andy Iles delivered a stunning performance to defend a 2-1 lead through three periods of play.

The cantankerous Cantabs were very displeased with the result. Unable to contain their displeasure, they took it out on the Cornell players on the ice after the last whistle. Cheap shots and punches were thrown from Harvard at Cornell. The Harvard announcers on the broadcast can be heard noting that Harvard started the altercation. D’Agostino, unable to abate his overwhelming desire to defend his teammates from such unsportsmanlike violence, leapt from Cornell’s bench onto the ice to assist his teammates in whatever manner that he could.

Even though the Lynah Faithful and WAFT do not condone such behavior or laud it, one must respect D’Agostino’s willingness to sacrifice for his team and defend it against such deplorable behavior. D’Agostino per NCAA rules was awarded a one-game suspension for leaving the bench during an on-ice altercation. His alacrity in sacrificing everything against the Harvard Crimson received particular recognition at the end of last season.

D’Agostino was awarded the Crimson Cup. The Cup is presented to the player who stood out most during Cornell’s games against its most hated foe in a given season. D’Agostino contributed two goals against the Crimson in Cornell’s November 2011 meeting against them and then an assist in the last regular-season meeting of the two archrivals. His two goals against the Crimson at Bright last season can be seen in the above video. These impressive contributions earned D’Agostino this award unquestionably, but his career performance against the Crimson may deserve him yet another title.

In every generation there is a chosen Cornell player, he almost seemingly alone stands against the Crimson and their hopes of success. He is “the Crimson Killer.”

D’Agostino is this generation’s “Crimson Killer.” His performance against the Cantabs is noteworthy for even a player as skilled as he. In three years, D’Agostino has tallied nine points against the Crimson. This total includes five goals. Two of those five goals were the game-winning goal in the contest. He opened the scoring against Harvard in the 2010 ECAC Quarterfinal series against Harvard at Lynah Rink with an assist to Colin Greening. An assist was not enough for this era’s “Crimson Killer” as he felt compelled to tally two goals within twenty minutes before the time expired. This offensive outburst propelled Cornell to claim the only 4-0 season sweep in the history of the 102 year-old Cornell-Harvard rivalry. Cornell has gone 6-2-1 against the Crimson since D’Agostino donned a carnelian and white sweater. His ability to elevate his game in what is typically the regular season’s most emotionally charged game augments his ability to become or do whatever Cornell needs.

It would be amiss to conclude this post without mentioning that the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Nick D’Agostino in the 2008 NHL Draft before he arrived at Cornell. The Lynah Faithful and WAFT will follow and support him as he plays for the Penguins. He will be a great addition to their franchise when he departs East Hill. However, it is difficult to discuss the departure of such an integral and great player for Cornell on the cusp of what the team and he thinks will be a historic season for Cornell hockey.

Nick D’Agostino is foremost a leader for Cornell. That is clear from offensive and defensive statistics as well as conduct on the ice. He will ask of no one any more than he is willing to do himself. His long shifts that he began as a freshman? They have gone nowhere. If anything, they have lengthened as his resolve to help his team in any way possible as increased.

D’Agostino is the best defenseman in the ECAC. He is one of the best defensemen in the nation. He will have the opportunity to claim the latter title outright this season. While other defensemen in the ECAC may gain more preseason acclaim, if one delves deeper into their statistics and contributions, it is discernible that they sacrifice defensive accountability and contributions for the glory of goal scoring. D’Agostino, unlike them, is not just a forward behind the blue line. He is a reliable and skilled defenseman who does what his team needs to win and never sacrifices the benefit of the team for personal goal-scoring glory. He is the best defenseman in the nation at both ends of the ice.

There is no better player to lead Cornell into a rigorous 2012-13 schedule than Nick D’Agostino. He has shown leadership qualities since he first stepped on the ice at Lynah Rink. His season is off to a great start already as he has totaled two assists in just 60 minutes of an exhibition game in the tilt against the United States Under-18 Development Program.

His offensive and defense skill sets as well as his undeniable and integral leadership will help propel Cornell to the pinnacle of the college hockey world yet again. D’Agostino’s willingness to do what is necessary to assist his team and to become what his team needs in a moment’s notice should allow the Lynah Faithful to rest assured that success will come this season. The cap’n will make it happ’n.