There is always great anticipation when one of college hockey's blue-blood hockey programs (can one have both blood and a collar of blue?) meets for the first time one of the sport's relative newcomers. The designation as newcomer tends to take upon a less-than-common meaning when one's preferred program began playing at the turn of the century (the one two turns ago). The series this weekend with Merrimack has elements, accurate and inaccurate, of such a meeting.
This is not the Red's first meeting with the Warriors. Cornell and Merrimack have met twice previously. The series is split. Both meetings occurred in the now-defunct Syracuse Invitation Tournament.
Merrimack hockey is young. It just is not that young. The Warriors first took the ice one season before the carnelian and white moved into Lynah Rink. They have earned two berths to the NCAA tournament at the Division I level, one appearance in Hockey East's championship game, and a Division II national championship in the late 1970s.
So, how did these two programs with seemingly disparate pedigrees come to arrange the first on-campus meetings of the series? Mike McMahon, who does double duty for College Hockey News and his The Mack Report, interviewed Merrimack's head coach Mark Dennehy. McMahon, despite his known suspicions of Ivy League recruiting, elicited many of the right responses. The audio is somewhat crude. This contributor transcribed Dennehy's thought-provoking comments on the series.
This is not the Red's first meeting with the Warriors. Cornell and Merrimack have met twice previously. The series is split. Both meetings occurred in the now-defunct Syracuse Invitation Tournament.
Merrimack hockey is young. It just is not that young. The Warriors first took the ice one season before the carnelian and white moved into Lynah Rink. They have earned two berths to the NCAA tournament at the Division I level, one appearance in Hockey East's championship game, and a Division II national championship in the late 1970s.
So, how did these two programs with seemingly disparate pedigrees come to arrange the first on-campus meetings of the series? Mike McMahon, who does double duty for College Hockey News and his The Mack Report, interviewed Merrimack's head coach Mark Dennehy. McMahon, despite his known suspicions of Ivy League recruiting, elicited many of the right responses. The audio is somewhat crude. This contributor transcribed Dennehy's thought-provoking comments on the series.
Mike was looking for some games down in Florida this year. Something happened where a team backed out. We had some availability. It was great to be able to put it together. They needed home games this year.
This answer from Dennehy presents as many answers as it invites questions. Firstly, Florida? Does Merrimack's head coach mean the Florida College Classic? Or, does Dennehy mean the annual coaches's conference in Naples? Both are plausible.
A coach of another program may have backed out of games during the conference in Naples. It is equally possible that slots opened in Cornell's schedule when North Dakota decommitted (readers of Where Angels Fear to Tread know that was for Dennehy) from the 2013 Florida College Hockey Classic. The series with the Fighting Hawks (née Sioux) may have included an arrangement for a home-and-home series over the next few seasons which deteriorated at North Dakota's breach.
Either way, Mark Dennehy came to the aid of Coach Schafer and Cornell hockey in arranging this game as a favor to the hockey program of New York's land-grant university. Dennehy, as much as opposing coaches can be viewed, is a friend of Cornell hockey.
A coach of another program may have backed out of games during the conference in Naples. It is equally possible that slots opened in Cornell's schedule when North Dakota decommitted (readers of Where Angels Fear to Tread know that was for Dennehy) from the 2013 Florida College Hockey Classic. The series with the Fighting Hawks (née Sioux) may have included an arrangement for a home-and-home series over the next few seasons which deteriorated at North Dakota's breach.
Either way, Mark Dennehy came to the aid of Coach Schafer and Cornell hockey in arranging this game as a favor to the hockey program of New York's land-grant university. Dennehy, as much as opposing coaches can be viewed, is a friend of Cornell hockey.
A team backed out [in Florida]. Mike had mentioned to the group that he was looking for some home games. And, I grabbed him right after. I've been talking to him the last couple of years. I wanted our program to experience Cornell hockey and Lynah Rink: the tradition, the level of play.
Dennehy still fails to sate the curiosity of the Lynah Faithful as to which programs reneged on their agreement to play at Lynah Rink. He does not clarify what he means by "Florida" either. However, that is not Dennehy's purpose. He arrives at a far more interesting point in that comment as well. Merrimack hockey sought to end its 17-year gap between meetings with Cornell for "years." Merrimack's and Dennehy's admiration for Cornell hockey is clear. It grew more obvious throughout the interview. The respect expressed did not relegate itself to dust found on the carnelian and white's oldest banners.
Mike Schafer is a good coach. He has a belief system in how a team should play. He has recruited for that throughout his tenure. Although I think he is smart enough, and I believe he has changed a little bit with the times, they are still going to be a defense-first team. It is going to be very hard to get to their net.
The respect for Coach Schafer speaks for itself. I will not insult the intelligence of the readers of Where Angels Fear to Tread with attempts to glean more from Dennehy's share words. I will note that the bench boss of the Warriors is very astute in his assumptions and observations (he proclaimed that he has not dissected tape with his team, but might have seen footage elsewhere). Like Jack Parker, a coach deserving of recognition for his on-ice products as one of the all-time great coaches, Mark Dennehy knows that Cornell's approach to the game is mutable in degrees. The alterations to the Red's forecheck that are lost on partisan, both foe and friend, and national media are not lost on the best of coaches. Cornell's style during the 2015-16 season proves that Coach Schafer, like coaching greats, "change[s] a little bit with the times." Dennehy's penultimate statement expressed the obvious. It is his comments on the ability of Coach Schafer to adapt with the times that indicate that the charges of a modern great will face off with those of a savvy underappreciated bench boss. Who will prevail?
Listen, I've got all the respect in the world for Mike Schafer. I've got all the respect in the world for the history of the Cornell hockey program. I was lucky enough at Princeton to go up there every year. It's a great college environment.
An assistant coaching position at Princeton served as a two-season stopover for Merrimack's head coach before he landed his current head coaching job by way of another stint as assistant and associate head coach at the University of Massachusetts. The first of Dennehy's years as assistant in New Jersey enjoyed Princeton's winning its first Whitelaw Cup (you know, the one people forget about because Guy Gadowsky did not win it before he bolted for Central Pennsylvania). The Tigers bested Cornell in ECAC Hockey's play-in game en route to that title. Needless to say, Mark Dennehy is familiar with the antics of the Lynah Faithful. He knows of the incomprehensibility of the 1969-70 team. The last time that he coached in Lynah Rink, the Big Red owned only 11 tournament titles, not its current 14. Dennehy's last game as an assistant coach at Princeton was 6-5 playoff victory at Hobey Baker Rink that ended the Big Red's season. Like the series with Cornell of the program that he is coaching presently, Princeton went 3-3-1 when he assisted there.
He knows Cornell. He knows how to beat Cornell when it matters.
He knows Cornell. He knows how to beat Cornell when it matters.
It's going to be a great experience for our players.
This places the burden on the Lynah Faithful. Fans, regional students, and nearby alumni need to rise to the occasion and bring their chronistic chants. Mark Dennehy will have his team ready for Lynah Rink's worst (say, for example, a reminder that the most famous player to play for Merrimack College is Mike Eruzione...and he did not even go there) (Background: Eruzione committed to Merrimack College before Jack Parker discovered him in a Boston-area hockey game). The more moribund that Lynah Rink is during this intercession contest, the more likely Merrimack is to become emboldened in its efforts. The Warriors will remember Lynah Rink as a place that is comfortable to play. Cornell hockey cannot abide that.
Dennehy does know what to expect. He experienced Lynah Rink firsthand as a player. Boston College braved Lynah Rink during his senior season. Merrimack's head coach assisted on the Eagles's third goal. Four goals from Cornell's Ryan Hughes, an assist from Doug Derraugh began the Red's attempt at a rally, was not enough. The Eagles won, 5-4.
Former players of Boston College often quake about the horrors that they experienced on East Hill.
Lynah Faithful who can attend must attend to make sure that Mark Dennehy and his team do not leave disappointed.
Dennehy does know what to expect. He experienced Lynah Rink firsthand as a player. Boston College braved Lynah Rink during his senior season. Merrimack's head coach assisted on the Eagles's third goal. Four goals from Cornell's Ryan Hughes, an assist from Doug Derraugh began the Red's attempt at a rally, was not enough. The Eagles won, 5-4.
Former players of Boston College often quake about the horrors that they experienced on East Hill.
Lynah Faithful who can attend must attend to make sure that Mark Dennehy and his team do not leave disappointed.
When I took the Merrimack job and looked at Lawler, I thought we could make it like Lynah. I thought that the tight confines, our style of play, basically try to copy what they did.
Okay, this is where it got personal. The contributors found themselves dabbing tears from the corner of their eyes. Lawler Rink is one of the most feared venues in all of college hockey. It faults the publicity or hype, often deserved, of Yost Ice Arena or Lynah Rink. It is no more kind to opponents. Mark Dennehy is successful in making Lawler Rink nearly as hostile as Lynah Rink. The contributors of Where Angels Fear to Tread would love for the Red to travel to North Andover to face the test that is an environment based upon the atmosphere of a hockey contest in Ithaca.
Readers, take heed at Dennehy's emulation of Cornell's style. There are two frequent opponents of Cornell that imitate Coach Schafer's style of play in recent years: Union and Quinnipiac. Union, well, Union did not pose a problem for Cornell despite its rise under Nate Leaman and Rick Bennett until they met in games of extreme consequence.
The Dutchmen have rattled off three unanswered postseason victories against the carnelian and white. And, Quinnipiac, well, they are this era's great thorn in its side. The Bobcats claw and gnash, and wrest victory from the Big Red far too often. Astutely, Dennehy implies that the style that Merrimack will present Cornell is similar to those of Union and Quinnipiac. The weekend will be a good test to see how this Cornell team in this new season will fair against a Union or Quinnipiac with at least three games guaranteed against those programs in the coming weeks.
Classes may be out, but this weekend's test, like all those on East Hill, will have a steep curve.
Readers, take heed at Dennehy's emulation of Cornell's style. There are two frequent opponents of Cornell that imitate Coach Schafer's style of play in recent years: Union and Quinnipiac. Union, well, Union did not pose a problem for Cornell despite its rise under Nate Leaman and Rick Bennett until they met in games of extreme consequence.
The Dutchmen have rattled off three unanswered postseason victories against the carnelian and white. And, Quinnipiac, well, they are this era's great thorn in its side. The Bobcats claw and gnash, and wrest victory from the Big Red far too often. Astutely, Dennehy implies that the style that Merrimack will present Cornell is similar to those of Union and Quinnipiac. The weekend will be a good test to see how this Cornell team in this new season will fair against a Union or Quinnipiac with at least three games guaranteed against those programs in the coming weeks.
Classes may be out, but this weekend's test, like all those on East Hill, will have a steep curve.
(Laughter)
The only non-verbal response that Mark Dennehy gave said the most. It was the most disappointing.
Laughter was the extent of any reaction that Merrimack's head coach had to Mike McMahon's implied inquiry. The writer of The Mack Report opened his questioning about the Cornell series dryly, "I assume with the way you guys schedule now that they'll be coming back to Lawler at some point." Dennehy responded with laughter.
Dennehy with ease danced around the direct question. He did not give an outright denial that Cornell will not visit Lawler Rink in the coming years. So, in that there is the possibility, that Cornell will return the trip. However, Mark Dennehy intimated very obviously that Coach Schafer does not plan to repay a two-game trek for Merrimack with any game, let alone a series.
Coach Schafer seems to be grappling with the above paradox of azurine blood and collar. Most Cornellians do.
This season is a mixed bag in that regard. Cornell began the season on the road at Dwyer Arena. It was a great experience. It was a great environment. It was great for college hockey. Now, the Lynah Faithful and contributors at Where Angels Fear to Tread hear that the Cornell hockey program may, not definitely, remain tainted with the very programmatic arrogance that Coach Schafer boldly broke in other programs with refusing to play a program in its building unless it returned the trip.
The hypocrisy is a bit disconcerting. Cornell should travel to Lawler Rink. It is great for the game. It is great for both programs. How can the coaching staff of a program demand that its team respects each opponent on its schedule equally after disrespect caused humiliation when that staff does not respect each prospective opponent equally in making the schedule?
Coach Schafer knows the right thing to do. He proved that this season. This writer hopes he will do the same with Merrimack.
Laughter was the extent of any reaction that Merrimack's head coach had to Mike McMahon's implied inquiry. The writer of The Mack Report opened his questioning about the Cornell series dryly, "I assume with the way you guys schedule now that they'll be coming back to Lawler at some point." Dennehy responded with laughter.
Dennehy with ease danced around the direct question. He did not give an outright denial that Cornell will not visit Lawler Rink in the coming years. So, in that there is the possibility, that Cornell will return the trip. However, Mark Dennehy intimated very obviously that Coach Schafer does not plan to repay a two-game trek for Merrimack with any game, let alone a series.
Coach Schafer seems to be grappling with the above paradox of azurine blood and collar. Most Cornellians do.
This season is a mixed bag in that regard. Cornell began the season on the road at Dwyer Arena. It was a great experience. It was a great environment. It was great for college hockey. Now, the Lynah Faithful and contributors at Where Angels Fear to Tread hear that the Cornell hockey program may, not definitely, remain tainted with the very programmatic arrogance that Coach Schafer boldly broke in other programs with refusing to play a program in its building unless it returned the trip.
The hypocrisy is a bit disconcerting. Cornell should travel to Lawler Rink. It is great for the game. It is great for both programs. How can the coaching staff of a program demand that its team respects each opponent on its schedule equally after disrespect caused humiliation when that staff does not respect each prospective opponent equally in making the schedule?
Coach Schafer knows the right thing to do. He proved that this season. This writer hopes he will do the same with Merrimack.
It's going to be like Hockey East hockey.
Those are fighting words.
Mark Dennehy, a former player, assistant coach, and associate head coach, and current head coach in Hockey East, intended that comment as a compliment. Well, in ECAC Hockey, we do not take comparisons to the lesser of the Eastern half lightly. Cornell, the historic standard bearer of ECAC Hockey, will have to set Dennehy straight with a healthy dose of ECAC Hockey. Unless Dennehy was making a comment on officiating. If he is doing that, then everyone should plan for a four- to five-hour game because Hockey East officials or ECAC Hockey officials imitating Hockey East officials become embroiled in the game and degrade all flow to the contests. Yes, there are officials worse than those in ECAC Hockey.
All ribbing aside, Mark Dennehy shows great respect for Coach Schafer, Cornell hockey, and the Lynah Faithful (even in the last comment). The weekend should be an exciting occasion of college hockey before the Red resumes ECAC Hockey play.
Mark Dennehy, a former player, assistant coach, and associate head coach, and current head coach in Hockey East, intended that comment as a compliment. Well, in ECAC Hockey, we do not take comparisons to the lesser of the Eastern half lightly. Cornell, the historic standard bearer of ECAC Hockey, will have to set Dennehy straight with a healthy dose of ECAC Hockey. Unless Dennehy was making a comment on officiating. If he is doing that, then everyone should plan for a four- to five-hour game because Hockey East officials or ECAC Hockey officials imitating Hockey East officials become embroiled in the game and degrade all flow to the contests. Yes, there are officials worse than those in ECAC Hockey.
All ribbing aside, Mark Dennehy shows great respect for Coach Schafer, Cornell hockey, and the Lynah Faithful (even in the last comment). The weekend should be an exciting occasion of college hockey before the Red resumes ECAC Hockey play.
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