Recent Contributions from Mitchell Drucker

Crimson, Green Come to Lynah

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Tonight and tomorrow, Lynah Rink will host what could be two of the most crucial home games for the Red this year. Tonight, the Red (2-0-2, 2-0-2 ECACH Hockey) will square off against the visiting Harvard Crimson (4-2-1, 4-2-1) in what will be the 129th meeting in this bitter historic rivalry. Tomorrow, a Dartmouth team (4-2-0, 4-1) that is tied for second in ECAC Hockey will come to Ithaca for a 7 p.m. matchup.

Two Quick Goals Rally Red to Tie

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In its home opener, the men’s hockey team did not get off to the start that it had envisioned. Cornell went down 2-0 to the visiting Colgate Raiders, but scored two goals in a span of 24 seconds in the third period to square the game at 2-2, earning one point in the tie.

“We hadn’t been behind in any games yet this year,” said junior goaltender Ben Scrivens. “I thought for the most part we responded well.”

Power this: Junior co-captain Colin Greening scored one of the Red’s two goals in the team’s 2-2 tie with Colgate Saturday night.

Big Expectations for Oilers Draftee Nash

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After being picked 21st overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL entry draft, sophomore Riley Nash came to Cornell in the face of big expectations. In his rookie season, Nash did not disappoint his coaches, teammates or the Lynah Faithful, as he performed exceptionally in all aspects of the game.

Nash’s line of 12 goals and 20 points in 36 games last year was good enough to earn him several honors and awards, including Ivy League Rookie of the Year and ECAC Hockey Freshman of the Year. Coming into this season, Nash is expected to provide even greater production for the Red.

Sophomores, veterans, combine for talented, experienced front line

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While this year’s Red offense will be without some significant elements of last year’s offensive firepower due to the graduation of forwards Topher Scott, Ray Sawada and Chris Fontas, Cornell is returning a multitude of experienced and proven forwards who will be relied on for this year’s goal production.

In fact, the Red’s top-2 scorers from last season, Colin Greening and Riley Nash, are once again headlining the squad’s attack as linemates for the second year.

Knowing that opposing teams will focus much of their attention on trying to stop Greening and himself, Nash believes that the duo will be up to the challenge.

New Rules Highlight Special Teams

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This past summer, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a new officiating system for college hockey in which two referees and two linesmen will work each game as part of an effort to rid the game of obstruction.

The new rules will intensify the spotlight on both the penalty killing and power-play units, according to senior co-captain Michael Kennedy, but he believes that his squad is in good position to be successful under the new rules compared to other teams.

M. Soccer Focuses on Getting One Ivy Win

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The 2008 campaign will come to an end this weekend for the men’s soccer team, as the Red travel to New York City to square off against the Columbia Lions tomorrow.

Static stretching: Sophomore forward Matt Bouraee (12) fights for the ball during Cornell’s 3-0 loss to Princeton Nov. 1.

Both of these teams have struggled throughout much of the year and are currently last and second-to-last respectively in the Ivy League standings.

The Red (1-14, 0-6 Ivy) and the Lions (3-12-1, 1-5) are both coming off of resounding defeats last weekend — Columbia was routed by Harvard, 6-1, and Cornell fell to Dartmouth, 5-2.

The Red players are trying not to dwell on the past, however.

Senior Class Steadies Team Through Highs and Lows

Mitchell Drucker — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The men’s soccer team has just one game remaining in its season, and that means that the seniors on the squad have just one game left in their respective NCAA careers.

This year’s team is quite unique in that there are 11 seniors, one of whom, Miyad Movassaghi, will be returning for a fifth year of eligibility. Junior Matt Bouraee explained that due to the big group of seniors, the character of this year’s team is defined by their leadership and personalities.

Men’s Soccer Readies for Final Home Game

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The men’s soccer team will make its last 2008 appearance on Berman Field tomorrow, as Cornell (1-13, 0-5 Ivy) continues to search for its first Ivy League win of the year with a matchup against Dartmouth (8-5-1, 3-1-1). Many of the Red players — the 10 seniors graduating this year — will be playing in their last-ever collegiate game on Berman Field.

Tomorrow’s game is designated as Senior Day, honoring seniors Luca Cerretani, Steve Lesser, Marcelo Guindon, Jarid Siegel, Ed Chang, Dan McKallagat, David Browning, Dana Flanders, Joe Yonga and Kevin Vieira.

In this season that has been mostly filled with disappointment, head coach Bryan Scales hopes that his team can draw some motivation from the inevitably emotional Senior Day.

M. Soccer Takes Aim at Princeton

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After Tuesday’s scheduled game against Hartwick College was cancelled due to inclement weather, the men’s soccer team now has just three games remaining in its 2008 campaign, all three of which are Ivy League games. The Red (1-12, 0-4 Ivy) is the only team in the Ivy League without a conference win and will be looking for a change of fortune tomorrow, as Princeton (4-9-1, 1-2-1) comes to Berman Field for a 4:30 p.m. matchup.

Hi-diddly-ho: Senior defender Dana Flanders said that the team has been working hard, but just hasn’t gotten the results it wants.

Red Makes Midweek Roadtrip to Hartwick

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:36:48 -0400

The men’s soccer team may not even have time to unpack its bags after returning from Brown on Sunday because the squad will be on the road once again tonight, this time traveling to Oneonta, N.Y., to face off against Hartwick College (5-4-5, 1-1-1 MAC). The Red (1-12, 0-4 Ivy) has dropped its past seven contests, and will be the visiting team for the third consecutive game.

Kennedy, Nash Lead Hockey Over Visiting W. Ontario

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:56:23 -0400

After the visiting University of Western Ontario Mustangs scored an equalizing goal with just 28 seconds remaining in the third period, it seemed as though the Red was headed for its second straight 3-3 exhibition tie. However, the Red mounted a final attack in the closing moments, and junior Brendon Nash broke the tie, scoring his second goal of the night with just 6.3 seconds remaining to earn a 4-3 Cornell victory.

Red co-captain Michael Kennedy scored the other two Cornell goals on the evening while junior goaltender Ben Scrivens made 17 saves. However, the Red’s lack of discipline and a couple of defensive breakdowns almost proved to be fatal, as the team coughed up a 3-1 third-period lead.

Red Looks for First Ivy Win

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s soccer team will continue its stretch of road games in Providence, R.I., this weekend, with hopes of wrestling away its first Ivy League win of the season against host Brown tomorrow.

The Red (1-11, 0-3 Ivy) is currently on a six-game losing skid in which the squad has dropped games to Ivy foes Penn, Harvard and Yale. Tomorrow, Cornell will be going up against Brown (8-4-1, 2-1), the defending Ivy League Champions after finishing 7-0-0 in 2007 conference play. This year’s edition of the Bears features several returning players from last year’s lineup, but it is also missing some key elements — particularly 2007 Ivy League Player of the Year Matt Britner.

Red Tries to Snap Loss Streak

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s soccer team will enter the third and final leg of a hectic segment of its schedule that had the Red (1-10, 0-3 Ivy) playing three games in six days. After losses to Penn State on Wednesday and Yale on Saturday, Cornell returns to action tonight as it travels to Hamilton, NY to square off against the host Colgate Raiders (7-4-2, 3-1 Patriot).

The Red is currently in the midst of a five game losing streak and it was exactly one month ago today that the Red last registered a win. Junior forward Matt Bouraee believes that the best way for his team to improve and break out of its rut is indeed by playing more games.

Bulldogs Blank Men’s Soccer at Berman Field

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The frustration continued for the men’s soccer team as the Red suffered a 3-0 loss to Yale at Berman Field on Saturday. With the loss, Cornell remains winless in Ivy League play and the squad’s current losing skid has now reached five games.

While the Red was disappointed with the outcome, junior forward Matt Bouraee said that he believed the team actually competed much better and the game was more competitive than the lopsided score indicates.

Red Competes With Nothing to Lose

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After last week’s disappointing loss to Penn in which the Red’s 2-1 second half lead collapsed in heartbreaking fashion, the men’s soccer team (1-7, 0-1 Ivy) is eager to get back out on the field tomorrow afternoon game against Harvard (4-3, 1-0).

The Red will travel to Cambridge, Mass., to face off against a Crimson team that defeated the Red in Ithaca last year in a 4-1 blowout. However, head coach Bryan Scales does not believe that his team feels any added pressure to exact revenge for last year’s loss.

M. Soccer Sees Win Slip Away in Last 20 Minutes

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s soccer team squared off against Penn on Saturday with the hopes of starting off its Ivy League schedule with a victory. Ten minutes into the second half, it seemed like Cornell was on its way to a win, as freshman forward Pedro Pereira scored his first-ever collegiate goal to put the Red up, 2-1.

However, two goals by Penn senior Omid Shokoufandeh with less than 20 minutes remaining in the game uprooted a potential triumph for the host Red (1-7, 0-1 Ivy), as the Quakers (7-0-3, 1-0) rallied and held on to a 3-2 edge.

Golllllllllllllllllll!: Down one goal to Penn, sophomore midfielder Scott Caldwell (26) evens the score late in the first half after receiving a cross from senior Dan McKallagat.

Veterans Search for Redemption

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Bryan Scales enters his 11th season as head coach of the men’s soccer team boasting a team with 11 seniors on the roster. Last year, his squad finished with a 7-9-1 overall record after some inconsistent play in the Ivy League led to a 1-5-1 in-conference mark and landed Cornell in second-to-last place in the league.

The coaching staff believes that, with the abundance of seniors on the roster, the 2008 squad will have the experience and composure necessary to compete for the Ivy League title.

“I think every year our goals are probably the same,” said assistant coach Joe Schneck. “At the end of the day, you want to make the National tournament.”

M. Soccer Faces Defensive-Minded Penn

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If the men’s soccer team is to have any chance of accomplishing its goal of making the NCAA tournament, it will almost certainly have to finish first in the Ivy League. That quest begins tomorrow night, as Cornell hosts Penn at Berman Field in the Red’s first Ivy game of the year.

“It is our first Ivy League game, and these are the games that really make or break our season,” said senior defender Dana Flanders. “We will be playing against a bunch of good teams, and it will be a good test for us. We didn’t start the season as well as we would have liked to but this is our opportunity, this game this weekend against Penn, to turn things around. So this is really important, our most important game so far.”

M. Soccer Makes Last Stand Before Ivy Play

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After registering its first victory of the season on the road last weekend, the men’s soccer team returns to Berman Field tonight looking to build on that success. Standing in the Red’s way are the Binghamton Bearcats (4-1-3, 1-0 America East), who are currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak.

Cornell knows that Binghamton will be a formidable opponent and is preparing for a tightly contested matchup.

“It is going to be a tough game for us,” said assistant coach Joe Schneck. “Binghamton is a very good team. It will be a fight for us, and it will be a good test given that it is our last game before Ivy play. It will be good for our guys. It will hopefully be a game where we can match the intensity and hopefully sneak a goal and just let the game play out.”

M. Soccer Downs Lafayette for First Win

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After five losses in a row to start the season, the men’s soccer team finally got in the win column with a victory yesterday over Lafayette. The Red made the most of its trip to Easton, Penn., beating Lafayette by a score of 2-1 and putting an end to its losing streak.

Senior co-captain Joe Yonga explained that his team finally played as a cohesive unit and started firing on all cylinders with a new attacking attitude.

“I think today one of the main differences was that all the guys were working hard for each other for 90 minutes,” Yonga said. “There was an aggression and a mentality that we had been lacking in the previous five games.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Scott Brody explained that his squad got an all-around effort from every position on the field.

W. Soccer Faces Teams That Are 7-1-1 Combined

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s soccer team will be at Berman field for two games this weekend after losing its first two home games of the 2008 campaign last weekend.

Tonight at 7 p.m., the Red will host the University of Buffalo Bulls. The Bulls come into this contest with an undefeated 4-0-1 record on the young season. Buffalo leads the overall series record between the schools by a mark of 3-1. Turning the corner: Junior forward Eva Dixon (27) plays keep away against a St. Bonaventure defender last Friday in the Red’s 2-0 loss.

This year, the Bulls’ offense has been led by freshman forward Lindsey Bailey, who has five of her team’s nine goals thus far.

Women’s Soccer Fails to Score in First Homestand

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s soccer team made its first two appearances at Berman Field this weekend, but came away empty-handed. The Red fell against St. Bonaventure on Friday night, 3-0, and then dropped last night’s game against Lehigh by a tight score of 1-0.

Despite the Red’s depth at the forward position, Cornell (1-3) was unable to find the back of the net in either game this weekend.

On Friday night, St. Bonaventure notched its first goal of the game 19 minutes after kick-off when the Bonnies used a corner-kick set to their advantage as forward Anna Cunningham scored her first of two in the game. The two teams battled hard through the remainder of the half, as 45 minutes came to a close with the score remaining at 1-0.

Red squad hopes to continue trend of home victories in this weekend’s Berman Field opener

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Last season, the Cornell women’s soccer team craved home field advantage and thrived on it. The Red finished the year with a winless 0-8 record on the road, but earned four victories in its eight home matches. The Red kicked off its 2008 season last weekend with one win and one loss and is looking to improve this weekend as it opens up its home field for the first time this year.

With its first two home games of the season slated for this weekend, the Red hopes that Berman Field provides the same benefits and tremendous atmosphere that was so conducive to winning last season.

Women’s Soccer Splits Weekend Tournament

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Cornell women’s soccer team kicked off its 2008 campaign by splitting two games this weekend at the St. Bonaventure/Puma Invitational in Rochester. The Red opened up its year with a dominating 4-1 over Oakland University (Mich.) on Friday night. Cornell stayed in Rochester to face Central Michigan yesterday afternoon, but was shut out, 3-0.

With five freshman and two sophomores making their first ever appearances in a Cornell soccer game, the young Red outplayed Oakland throughout Friday’s game. Last year’s team MVP and recipient of an All-Ivy Honorable Mention, sophomore Lena Russomagno continued to lead the team’s offense, scoring two goals and launching four shots on goal.

W. Lax Fights Irish With Playoff Bid on the Line

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The fate of Cornell’s season could very well be hanging in the balance tomorrow as No. 15 Cornell faces off against No. 10 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

The women’s laxers, who finished in second in Ivy League play this year, will be playing the Fighting Irish in what will be both teams’ last regular season game. As runners-up in the Ivy League, Cornell is not guaranteed of a NCAA playoff berth, so the squad’s postseason hopes may be resting on the outcome of tomorrow’s game.

Syracuse Ends W. Lax’s Win Streak

Mitchell Drucker — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Yesterday, the No. 18 Cornell women’s lacrosse team, which was rolling on a five-game winning streak, faced off against No. 5 Syracuse, which was on a six-game winning streak of its own. Something had to give.

The high-powered Orange attack led its team to a 19-7 victory at Schoellkopf Field to jump to 14-2 on the season. With the loss, the Red falls to 9-5 for the year.

The Red got on the board first as sophomore midfielder Tissy O’Connor took a pass from senior midfielder Noelle Dowd and then beat Orange goalie Liz Hogan to put the Red up 1-0.

Streaking Red Hope to Go Out With a Bang

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s lacrosse team has not played a road game since April 11. During that time, the Red played four games as it hosted four different teams and came away with four home victories as part of its current five-game winning streak.

No. 18 Cornell (9-4, 4-2 Ivy) will be playing its last home game of the season today as No. 5 Syracuse (13-2) comes to Ithaca. Head coach Jenny Graap ‘86 explained that the long home stand has provided many benefits for her team.Too quick for you: Senior attacker Courtney Farrell (11) skillfully evades the Yale defense during a close, 8-6 victory over the Bulldogs on April 19.

No. 18 Women’s Lax Hosts Yale For Senior Day

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s lacrosse team has had a lot to celebrate as of late. The laxers are in the midst of a four-game winning streak and made their debut in the IWLCA top-20 as the No. 18 team in the nation.

Tomorrow, as Yale comes to Ithaca, the Red will be celebrating once again. Cornell will be honoring its seven seniors at Schoellkopf Field on Senior Day in what promises to be an emotional contest. Head coach Jenny Graap ’86 explains that this year’s seniors are an integral part of the team’s character and success.

“This year’s team is really shaped by the senior class and a lot of terrific leadership in that senior class that I think inspires all of us,” Graap said.

W. Lax Takes Down Ivy Foe, Ranked Team

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Last weekend, Cornell snapped its four game losing streak with a victory over Dartmouth. Now, the Red finds itself in the midst of a three game winning streak after victories over Brown, on Friday and Stanford on Sunday.

The Red dismantled its Ivy opponent Brown by a convincing score of 17-9 in the Friday afternoon game played in Providence.

Cornell got off to a quick start against the Bears, as senior midfielder Katherine Simmons tied the NCAA record for fastest goal to start a game when she beat Brown goaltender Melissa King eight seconds into the first period. That record had previously belonged solely to Red senior attacker Courtney Farrell.

Talented Freshmen Transition to NCAA

Mitchell Drucker — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

National attention has been drawn to this year’s crop of NCAA men’s basketball freshman, headlined by UCLA’s Kevin Love, Kansas State’s Michael Beasley, and Memphis’ Derrick Rose, as they have been able to lead their teams to success in March Madness. The dominance of these freshmen has made it seem as though the transition to NCAA athletics from high school is an easy one.

In the case of women’s lacrosse, however, the difficulty of the jump from high school to NCAA Division I play should not be underestimated.

Women’s Lax Looks to Halt Skid

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s lacrosse team returns to Schoellkopf this weekend looking to end its current four game losing skid as it hosts Dartmouth tomorrow. The afternoon game is one that the Red feels it needs to win in order to get their season back on track.

“We are almost ready to start again,” said head coach Jenny Graap ‘86. “We are 4-4, so we are kind of neutral with where we are. We are kind of looking at this week in particular, as we prepare for Dartmouth, as a very important week to turn the tide in the season.”

No. 2 Princeotn Too Much for Cornell

Mitchell Drucker — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s lacrosse team’s losing streak was extended to four games this weekend as the Red fell to No. 2 ranked Princeton, 19-10. With this loss, Cornell drops to 4-4 on the season and 1-2 in the Ivy League.

The Princeton victory pushed the Tigers’ record to 7-0 to start the season and gave them a victory in their first Ivy League game of the season. The Red players knew that they would be in for a tough matchup against a Princeton team that has steamrolled through its competition thus far.

Red Bounces Back From Disappointing Year

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The women’s lacrosse team enters the 2008 season coming off of last year’s campaign that saw the team play to a 5-10 record in defense of its 2006 Ivy League Championship. Led by coach Jenny Graap ’86, this year’s squad is looking for a return to glory and has set ambitious goals for itself.

“The players set goals about effort and intensity — kind of commitment type things,” Graap said. “We didn’t want to overlook any of the real foundation principles. They were careful to set goals that they should be focusing on every day, as well as goals for winning the Ivy League and advancing to the postseason.”

Schmidlapp’s Passion for Game Inspires Team

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Last year as a junior, Charlotte Schmidlapp emerged as one of the leaders both on and off the field for the women’s lacrosse team. By notching 14 goals, adding 5 assists and winning 35 draw controls in her 2007 season that was somewhat shortened by injuries, she established herself as one of the Red’s most dominant players. The combination of that offensive prowess and intensity with great communication made Schmidlapp, now a senior, a natural choice to be named one of the team’s co-captains this year.

W. Lax Travels for Two, Returns Home to Start Ivy Play

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After blowout victories over Columbia and Hofstra this past weekend, the women’s lacrosse team will put its undefeated 4-0 record to the test over Spring Break, with three games scheduled during the next week.

The Red will be heading to Nashville, Tenn., for a game on Monday against a Vanderbilt team that is currently 5-2 and ranked No. 10 in the IWLCA national poll. Cornell will be staying in Nashville for a neutral-field matchup on Wednesday against New Hampshire. The Wildcats are 4-2, having knocked off then-No. 10 Yale earlier in the year.

The Red then returns home to Ithaca to wrap up its Spring Break schedule with a conference tilt against Penn.

Hofstra in Town for W. Lacrosse’s First Home Game of Season

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Cornell women’s lacrosse team is relieved to be able to stay at home this weekend after opening its season with two consecutive weekends on the road. The Red comes into this weekend with an undefeated 2-0 record after dismantling Colgate and Rutgers to kick off its 2008 campaign.

The Red will welcome Hofstra to Ithaca this afternoon before kicking off its Ivy League season tomorrow at 4 p.m. against Columbia.

Senior defender Amanda Linnertz explained that the team is excited for the opportunity to play at Schoellkopf Field in front of friends, family and fans. The players take pride in protecting their home field and gain a little extra motivation for games here at Cornell.

Women’s Hockey Takes on Unbeaten Harvard in Playoffs

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s hockey team is happy to be in the playoffs, but the players are definitely not satisfied with merely qualifying for the postseason. The Red feels like it has a chance to make some noise this weekend in Boston in their quarterfinal series against Harvard — it feels it can win.

“I think that we still have a lot to prove. I think that if come out hard we can go out and beat the first place team. I think if we come to play then we have a good chance of moving on,” said freshman forward Rebecca Johnston, the recently-announced Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Red Needs .500 Weekend To Reach ECAC Playoffs

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It is now most certainly crunch time for the women’s hockey team. Sitting in seventh place in the ECAC, the Red haven’t yet secured a playoff spot heading into the final weekend of play. Tied for eighth in the ECAC and three points behind Cornell, are Yale and Rensselaer, both looking to earn a postseason berth this weekend. All three teams now have just two games left to play.

This weekend, Cornell goes up against two of the top teams in the country — Dartmouth and Harvard. No. 10 Dartmouth faces off against Cornell tonight. Earlier in the season, on Jan. 5th, the Green beat the Red by the lopsided score of 8-0. Dartmouth scored five of its goals in the first period.

Derraugh Instills New Work Ethic in W. Icers

Mitchell Drucker — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

At this time last year, the women's hockey team was finishing up the season, and with a 4-23-2 record, thoughts of reaching the playoffs were non-existent.

Fast forward to this year, and it’s a completely different story. The Red, (12-13-1, 9-10-1) led by third-year coach Doug Derraugh ’91, is currently sitting in 7th place in the ECAC, three points ahead of the 8th-place Rennselaer, with just two games remaining in the season.

W. Hockey Motivated to Sweep Road Contests

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In the midst of a three-game losing skid, the women’s hockey team has a couple of road games on tap for this weekend with serious playoff implications. Currently, the Red is sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the ECAC Hockey League. With weekend games slated against Union and Rensselaer, the Red needs some wins to shore up its playoff chances.

After two disappointing losses last weekend against Clarkson and St. Lawrence, the Red now sits just one point ahead of Rensselaer in the ECAC Hockey standings. Junior defenseman Steph Ulrich explained that those two losses have fueled the Red and have reminded the team of the importance of staying focused.

Red Hosts Four-Team Big Red Invitational

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

he gymnastics team got its first feel for home competition last weekend, and it suited the team well, as the squad routed Penn at Teagle Hall. This weekend, the Red will get to taste the home advantage, as it hosts the Big Red Invitational tomorrow at 1 p.m.

The players said that the meet against Penn gave the Red a good sense of what to expect this weekend.

“It is more comfortable competing at home and it’s more fun,” said senior co-captain Megan Gilbert. “So we can use that to our advantage for our meet this weekend.”

Gilbert explained that the team really enjoyed having the home fans’ support, and that it gave the competitors more energy, which showed itself in the final results.

Gymnasts Shoot to Sustain Momentum

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Going into the first home meet of the season, the gymnastics team is looking to build on the momentum it gained last weekend. After beating SUNY Cortland by an overall score of 185.150-183.500 last Sunday in Cortland, N. Y., Cornell will play host to Penn this Saturday at noon in Teagle Hall for a dual meet.

The meet will be the first opportunity of the season to compete in front of a home crowd. For the freshmen, it will mark the first home competition of their NCAA careers. Freshman gymnast and vault competitor Emily Santoro is expecting an electrifying atmosphere in the gym on Saturday.

Gymnastics Visits Nearby Cortland in Local Battle

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After a couple of exhausting bus rides to and from Washington last weekend, the gymnastics team is happy to see a meet against nearby SUNY Cortland on tap for this coming Sunday.

The meet is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday in Cortland, N.Y. Just a 25-minute bus ride from Ithaca, Cortland will be the site of a head-to-head matchup for the Red gymnastics team that is coming off of a fourth-place finish at the George Washington Invitational on Jan. 20. After an overall score of 185.975, the gymnasts are looking for even stronger results this weekend, as they no longer have the nerves that come with the first meet of the season hanging over their heads.

Squash Looks to Make Elite Eight

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Potter Division — squash’s nifty nickname for its Elite Eight. The goal has been the same since October — to end the year in this group, the top-8 college teams in the nation. All of which makes the men’s squash team’s trip to New England this weekend that much more crucial. The men’s team will square off against No. 11 Amherst today, No. 7 Dartmouth tomorrow and No. 5 Williams on Sunday. Meanwhile, the women will try to snap their two-game losing streak as they travel to face the same three squads as the men.

Freshmen Help Gymnastics to Fourth

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As the gymnastics team stepped into the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center at Sunday’s George Washington Invitational, the scrapes, blisters, cuts and bruises from a first semester full of practice and training were only distant memories. As the team formed new blisters and new memories, it fought its way to a fourth-place finish behind a team score of 185.975.

In addition to Cornell and host GWU, the event featured teams from UNC, Rutgers, Temple and William & Mary.

This event was the first ever NCAA competition for many of the team members, as this year’s team boasts a highly vaunted class of nine freshmen. Though inexperienced at the NCAA level, the freshmen gymnasts produced some solid results and were able to learn a lot from the competition.

Virginia Drops Polo in Tourney

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Both the men’s and women’s polo teams came into the William S. Field Invitational coming off big wins and both squads looked to use that momentum to carry them to glory.

Both teams, however, could not win the tournament as both were eliminated by Virginia. The men fell to the Cavaliers in the finals while the women lost in the second round.

The tournament saw 12 teams from a total of eight different schools come to Ithaca, making up draws of six teams for both the men and the women for a 5-day stretch of competitive polo action at the Oxley Equestrian Center.

Joining the Red in the men’s draw were teams from Harvard, UConn, Yale, Texas Tech and Virginia. The Red got its slate of games underway Wednesday night with an impressive 28-9 round-robin win over Harvard.

Fencing Replaces Standout Seniors

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The fencing team is coming off a 2006-07 campaign in which it finished fourth in the Ivy League and saw some significant improvements along the way. Head coach Iryna Dolgikh, herself a world champion fencer, is entering her third year at the helm of a program that is expecting even further growth and development this season.

Senior epeeist Erica Waichman attributed much of last year’s success to the work of Dolgikh.

“Iryna was in her second year,” Waichman said. “She was more experienced and familiar with all of our fencing styles.”

She notes that the team did lose some of the key players to last year’s success, but that the Red added a number of talented freshmen to an already impressive unit.

Both Polo Teams Show Progress with Wins

Mitchell Drucker — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s and women’s polo teams came into the weekend looking to rebound after disappointing starts to their seasons. Not only did the Red turn things around, but both teams came up with huge performances, with the women’s team posting a resounding 24-5 victory over UMass and the men’s team keeping pace with its own win against Boston University, 20-11.

For both teams, this weekend marked just the second game of the season, but was a weekend that produced satisfying results.

Red Finishes Fall Season, Heads to Philadelphia for the Big 5 Classic

Mitchell Drucker — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

A popular golf saying claims that the most important distance in golf is the six inches between the ears.

The golf team’s success last week at the Delaware Invitational should give them the confidence needed to shore up those six inches that are said to be so vital.