By ryan November 10, 2000
The current Ivy League football season has been nothing less than a jarring game of bumper cars Eight schools, thrown together into one rink, have repeatedly bounced into each other, producing numerous unpredictable results. While some teams, like Dartmouth, have been rudely jolted backwards, most battles have yielded highly unconventional outcomes. One-point squeakers, monstrous blowouts, incomprehensible upsets, a top-heavy standings table — confusion is the keyword of this year’s schedule. And yet, through all the smoke and clouds, Cornell is still sitting the drivers’ seat in the Ivy title race. And while it does share that spot with Harvard and Penn, those two will duke it out at Franklin Field tomorrow. So, for all its crazy finishes, its early-season running offense and defense deficiencies, its non-league blowout losses, the Red (4-4, 4-1 Ivy) has complete command of its fate going into its Big Apple showdown against Columbia (3-5, 1-4 Ivy). “We’re playing for the right to control our own destiny,” affirmed head coach Pete Mangurian.” If we do what we’re supposed to, then Harvard and Penn and all that doesn’t mean a thing.” “This is where you want to be at this point in the season,” junior quarterback Ricky Rahne echoed. After being hammered 56-40 at Brown nearly a month ago, the Red has surged in its last couple of games, nipping Princeton, 25-24 and then pounding Dartmouth, 49-31. Much of the credit for those wins must go to the running game, which has clearly turned the corner. Junior tailback Evan Simmons has run for at least 100 yards two games running now, having apparently exorcised his demons and subpar early-season performances. “For us to be our most successful, we have to have a running game,” asserted Rahne who surpassed the 5,000-yard passing mark last Saturday against the Green. “So we’re going to try to establish what we can [tomorrow].” The addition of freshman Larry Stark into the starting line-up of the offensive line seemed to pay huge dividends against Dartmouth. “[Larry’s] learning quick,” Rahne said about the 320-pound rookie. “He’s obviously been a welcome addition to our team.” Although Columbia has floundered recently — having stomached two back-to-back shutouts at the hands of Yale and Harvard — it nonetheless sports one of the most potent running games in the league. Johnathan Reese already has 1,151 yards on the year, putting him seventh-best in Division I-A. “This guy looks like the real deal. If he’s not the best back in the league…” Mangurian trailed off. That sets up an interesting match-up between Reese and Cornell’s running defense, which is allowing 254.9 yards per game on the ground. “We’ve got to find a way to slow him down enough where he doesn’t beat us,” Mangurian continued. “We’ve been challenged by the running game [before] and that’s going to be our challenge again.” Last year at Schoellkopf Field, junior kicker Peter Iverson made good on a 39-yard field goal attempt with 39 seconds remaining to hand the Red a 31-29 lead. But, with the game at Wien Stadium this season, Columbia holds a sizable home-field advantage, recording a 3-1 record there so far. “Columbia’s a much better team than their record would indicate,” Rahne warned. “I’m sure they’re not going to go out easy,” Iverson echoed. A victory tomorrow would at least assure the Red a shot at playing for a share of the Ivy crown next week against the Quakers, but as Mangurian is quick to point out, there is no other option than taking this absurd and hectic season one game at a time. He said, “This is a marathon not a sprint.”Archived article by Shiva Nagaraj
By ryan November 10, 2000
Cornell (0-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) will start its second straight ECAC season in the Greater Albany area this weekend looking to pick up a couple of key wins to get the season started on the right track. The teams Cornell will face will be a study in differing styles. Tonight, the Red kicks off with Union (3-1-0, 1-0-0) , a team that closely mirrors a smallish Cornell. “Union is a very physical team that plays a very team-oriented game,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86. Union surprised a lot of people by defeating Rensselaer 4-2 last week, and might be able prove itself to be more than just the league doormat it has been in the past. The Skating Dutchmen are off to their best start since the 1994-95 season. Union will need to rely on solid play from goaltender Brandon Snee. He stopped 35 shots in goal last week against RPI, and could face a similar barrage of rubber against the Red. Cornell put 37 shots on goal last week against Sacred Heart. Special teams will be important again for the Red, which faces an opponent who lives and dies by its special teams. Union has been 8-for-29 (.276) thus far this year on the power play, while giving up only five goals on 36 (.861) chances. Cornell’s powerplay was not far from comatose last weekend, going a woeful 1-for-11 (.091) in last week’s game with Sacred Heart. “You’re not gong to win any games if you go 1-11 on the powerplay,” said sophomore defenseman Doug Murray, whose absence last weekend was crucial loss for the Red. The Swede will be back in the lineup this weekend, which should boost the Red defense. Murray is, however, unlikely to be 100% yet. “[The injury] feels good,” said Murray. “It’s a little weak after a long injury like that.” The Red should expect to find junior goaltender Matt Underhill between the pipes tonight. Underhill is the only Cornell goalie who has not seen ice-time this year. Rensselaer poses a completely different challenge for the Red. As opposed to Union’s physical play, the Engineers (2-2-0, 0-1-0) play more of a speed game and rely on their big scorers like Marc Cavosie to put the puck home. “They’re always an offensive minded team that can get up and down the ice,” said Schafer. Last year, Cornell used this to its advantage in Lynah Rink, winning the transition game and subsequently dumping 61 shots on RPI’s Scott Prekaski. Prekaski is gone this year, leaving RPI without a true power goalie. Freshman Nathan Marsters is in the pipes this year for the Engineers, and has a 2.68 GAA and .902 save percentage. After last week’s disastrous 5-3 loss to Sacred Heart on home ice, the Red has been concentrating on the little things to turn around its play. “We corrected a lot of little things this week and we’re looking forward to this weekend,” Schafer said. Overall though, the Red is simply looking to establish itself as a powerful force in the ECAC. “We’re really looking forward to establishing ourselves,” said senior co-captain Larry Pierce. “We’re looking forward to getting couple of ‘Ws.'” Murray agreed. “The team is very hungry to come out and show what kind of team we are,” he added. This weekend will give Cornell a chance to show just how good it really is.Archived article by Charles Persons