The Lynah Faithful will come one step closer to having its appetite for competitive Cornell hockey this weekend as the Red hosts an exhibition match against Wilfred Laurier, a program from Waterloo, Canada tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m.
Last weekend the team graced the Lynah ice for the first time before an audience as the Cornell Hockey Association sponsored the annual Red-White game.
Head coach Mike Schafer ’86 has expressed satisfaction with the team’s preseason progress.
“It’s going good. We’re working really hard. The work ethic has been impressive and that’s all a coach can ask for,” he lauded.
It’s hard to argue with Schafer’s praise given the intensity of the team’s play last Saturday evening.
Senior forward David Kozier looked to be back in form, as he lit the lamp twice for the White team, which won the scrimmage 4-1. He will play an integral part in the Red’s ambition to stake a legitimate offensive attack this year.
The rookie class showcased its talents as well, raising some eyebrows along the way. Charlie Cook, who notched a tally in game, displayed potential to be a solid two-way defenseman on a team that sports an already stingy defense.
Schafer is treating tomorrow’s contest as another step in the Red’s preparation for the upcoming season.
“We’re not really concerned with Wilfred Laurier. We got to look at ourselves and play solid hockey. We want to execute the things we’ve talked about throughout the course of the week,” he reasoned.
Given the seven new faces added to the rooster, Schafer praised the squad’s chemistry.
“Individual players are pushing each other hard but they have a lot of respect for each other,” the coach observed. “They compete very hard against each other.”
The Red also had a chance to show off two new netminders. Sophomore Todd Marr surrendered four goals last Saturday but had a strong overall effort, highlighted by a first period that saw him turn aside 12 shots. At the other end of the ice was freshman David LeNeveu who may have the opportunity to compete for limited playing time behind standout senior goalie Matt Underhill. LeNeveu made 18 saves on the night.
Wilfrid Laurier comes to East Hill coming off a 5-2 win over Toronto. Prior to that the Golden Hawks were embarrassed, coming up scoreless in an 11-0 pummeling at the hands of the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The Red will officially open its schedule next weekend when it hosts a pair of games against Alabama-Huntsville.
Archived article by Gary Schueller