LeNeveu Takes His Place in Goal

By wpengine | October 30, 2002

Last year the Red benefitted from college hockey’s finest one-two tandem at the goalie position in Matt Underhill ’02 and then-freshman sensation David LeNeveu. With Underhill graduated and trying to find success in the pros, the position falls squarely on the able glove and pads of LeNeveu.

“He’s our number one and we’re expecting him to perform very, very well this season,” head coach Mike Schafer ’86 said of his young goalie.

LeNeveu, though a freshman, stunned the hockey community last year by posting a 1.50 GAA, the top GAA nationally, in his rookie season on East Hill. He also boasted the nation’s fourth-best save percentage (.936) and was named unanimously to the ECAC’s All-Rookie Team. LeNeveu posted two shutouts in 14 games, both of which came during ECAC play. He posted a 1.54 GAA and .930 save percentage against conference foes. The young netminder’s season was highlighted by a 30-save effort in a huge win over longtime rival B.U.

“He proved himself last year in big games and now has the experience to withstand that pressure,” said Schafer. “That will be a major benefit to our team this year.”

The British Columbia native was rewarded for his remarkable rookie effort with an invitation to the Canadian Junior National Team tryouts over the summer. LeNeveu was one of only two U.S. college players to receive an invitation to the prestigious camp.

“For a Canadian kid especially, it’s a dream come true. People don’t understand what the significance of being invited to that camp is. It’s covered like the Olympics, and best of all it kept him focused all summer,” said Schafer.

For the 6-1, 170-pound LeNeveu, who may have to miss part of the season in December to play for the Canadian team, the most important part of the camp was the superior preparation which it provided him heading into a huge season for the Red.

“It was a perfect setting to get ready for this year. I’m in much better shape and am way sharper heading into this season compared to my rookie year,” said LeNeveu.

The final icing on LeNeveu’s summer camp came when the Phoenix Coyotes drafted the promising talent in the second round of the NHL draft. He was the 46th overall pick.

Of course, the brilliance of LeNeveu will need a complement as Schafer prefers a rotating goalie alignment rather than counting on a single player between the pipes. Competing for the final spot in Schafer’s rotation will be junior Todd Marr and freshman Louis Chabot.

“I’m a firm believer that if things are pretty equal we should go with two goaltenders and keep people fresh. Those are the two guys that will try to make that possible,” said Schafer of the pair.

Marr transferred from Northeastern a year ago and was forced to sit out the first half of the 2001-02 campaign. Marr played for the Waterloo Black Hawks immediately after leaving Northeastern and posted a .909 save percentage in his last consistent action with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. The 6-0, 190 pound Connecticut native has skipped around for the last few seasons and will finally be able to focus by settling in with the Cornell team.

Chabot comes fresh off an All-Rookie year in the MJHL last season for the OCN Blizzard. In 30 games of play, the Quebec native had a 2.43 GAA (third in the league), .909 save percentage, and earned an impressive 25-2 record for the eventual league champions. Chabot’s season was highlighted by two shutout efforts, a unique accomplishment in the fast-paced, high-scoring league.

“They are both very capable performers, and they’ve shown everyone a lot throughout our first couple of weeks in practice,” said LeNeveu of his counterparts. “It will be a good race for who will make the rotation.”

One of the most apparent question marks on Schafer’s team is hanging over the netminder position, and it will be answered soon enough as the regular season approaches. One certainty, however, will be the man owning the crease when critical situations arise in what is sure to be a highly pressurized season for the Red.

“I’m excited to get going and see just how good we are. We’re a better team than last year,” said a confident LeNeveu.

Archived article by Scott Jones

The Jazz Issue

By wpengine October 31, 2002

There have been numerous books about it. There have been hundreds of clubs dedicated to its propogation and performance. There have been philosophical debates about its meanings and about its creation. There have been countless cultural ramifications from it’s presence. And yet, though the evidence of Jazz as a music and a culture are everywhere, trying to define “Jazz” is like trying to touch the sun — it’s an admirable, if impossible dream. And in 2002, the term Jazz is as loaded as ever, though the connotations connected to the word seem to have changed. Once, according to some sources, the word was closely associated with a slang term for intercourse, “Jass.” Today, the word itself seems to conjure images of stuffy old men who debate the superiority of various Miles Davis albums. And while the cannonization of Jazz has, indeed, isolated artists who were probably deserving of more recognition that they ultimately recieve, there are positive effects as well. Perhaps the most obvoius result is that there has been extensive research into the history, the musicology, and the anthropology behind this great music. Culturally, Jazz has given many African American musicians a door into the entertainment world, a business that for the majority of last century (and into today) had a notorious reputation as a closed industry. And, as Jazz has much in common with several indigenous African musics, African-American artists were able to bring African musical elements into the view of mainstream America. But that was just the beginning. To this day, musicologist and historians argue where the music truly evolved. Perhaps the most popular answer is New Orleans. Known for it’s unique style of Jazz and it’s long history of live performance, New Orleans is probably too simple an answer to the question of Jazz’s origin. Others will argue that Jazz came from the Midwest. And though this question may never be answered concretely, the truth is that some great musicians came out of both areas. As a music, Jazz has moved from the porches of the south and the midwest to the dance floors of New York City’s big band ballrooms and into the basements of Greenwich village apartment buildings. It has had various zeniths in popular opinion and parallel dips when Jazz seemed to die out or fade. Yet, all the while, the music has grown and changed, bringing forth some of the most talented composers and musicians this country (and, indeed, the world) has ever seen. But because the music is so varied and the performers so vastly different from one another, Jazz has generally been broken down into several sub-categories. And though from a historical context, this makes the progression and evolution of the music more manageable, this histographical manipulation of the music is misleading. Indeed, the story of Jazz is long and convoluted. The term transcends any purely musical domain. And it is this fact that creates much of its enigma. How is it that so many vastly disparate musicians can all be lumped under one genre? Is the categorization dead? Well, jazz never really was a ‘genre,’ per se. Saying a band plays Jazz says more about the artists’ approach than anything resembling a definition of their sound. And for this reason, we can call both Herbie Hancock and Medeski, Martin, and Wood Jazz. These artists are mentioned together for a more pointed reason. Both have recently visited Ithaca, namely the beautiful State Theatre, to bestow their respective interpretations of that thing we call Jazz. In case you’re not familiar with either, we provide the lowdown on the “Father of Fusion” and the new innovators of the Jazz community. Herbie Hancock Born: April 12, 1940 Born Herbert Jeffrey Hancock, Herbie became a jazz luminary beginning with his inclusion in Miles Davis’ early ensembles. As a young and virtuosic pianist, Hancock worked with the likes of Tony Williams and Wayne Shorter early in his carreer. He went on to gain acclaim in Jazz forms like Post-bop and Modal Jazz. But what he’s perhaps best known for is his influence in what became known as Fusion. His album Head Hunters was an enormous departure from his earlier work and marked him as one of the music’s most important and creative icons. On October 26, Hancock gave a performance at Ithaca’s own State Theatre. Selected Discography: Maiden Voyage (1965) ; Mwandishi (1970) ; Head Hunters (1973) ; V.S.O.P. Quintet (1977) ; Future Shock (1983) ; Future 2 Future (2001) Medeski Martin and Wood Formed: 1992 John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood emerged from the avant-garde downtown NYC scene of the early ’90s to gain recognition as the leaders of latest front of groove-based improvisers, along with Sex Mob and the Lounge Lizards. On It’s A Jungle In Here, the trio made explicit both their respect for their Jazz roots and their desire to stir things up by pairing Thelonius Monk’s “Bemsha Swing” and Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself.” The group’s sound has gradually veered toward some of their more exploratory interests. Collaborations with Vernon Reid and DJ Logic provided a new definition for “Fusion.” They performed at the State Theatre on October 30. Selected Discography: Notes From Underground (1992) ; It’s A Jungle In Here (1993) Shack Man (1996) ; Uninvisible (2002)Archived article by Thea Brown
Gotta Have It

By wpengine October 31, 2002

Today may already be Halloween, but there’s still time left to put together a spook-tacular costume. Whether you scare the ish out of your friends or just make small children pity your incompetence, don’t forget that the only thing worse than a bad costume is no costume at all. Since we’re working with a deadline here, most of these costumes are do-it-yourself and require more imagination than money. Don’t be afraid to expand and improvise upon the themes set forth below. Just remember that pretending to be a shaky Michael J. Fox doesn’t mean you’re funny, it means you’re going to hell where you belong. The Leaky Pen People may hate you when you ruin their pants, but at least they’ll have to tip their hat to your original concept. Here’s what you do: wrap plastic wrap or trash bags around your body, find a funnel or similar pointy device to make your ballpoint hat, and cover yourself with some type of ink. You can use real ink or you could make your own out of a variety of liquids, including but not limited to: motor oil, maple syrup, honey, and corn syrup. You may have to add some food coloring to get the tint you are after, but after some trial and error you will be able to piss people off by the dozens. The Blind Barber Patron This one requires a little bit of dedication mixed with a whole lot of desperation. All you need is a pair of scissors. That’s it — no mirror, nothing. Turn out the lights and go to town. This works best if your hair is over an inch long and if you are a girl. I recommend waiting to make your “costume” until it is absolutely necessary. This will increase the surprise factor considerably and prevent people from thinking you have emotional problems. A variation on this costume would be the “Out of Date Hairstyle.” Some ideas for your consideration: lines shaved in the sides, numbers, letters, or symbols shaved into the back of your head, and any type of rat tail you can muster. Poor Hygiene Some of you will be able to pull this off without much work at all. For those of us who shower at least weekly, only a few minor steps need to be taken. First, spill food (preferably items that gets crusty) on some old clothes. Then, put some petroleum jelly in your hair and on your face so it looks like you’ve been up for three days straight. Next, put some peanut butter in your ears to simulate months of wax buildup. Then, put a little baby powder in your hair and on your shoulders to serve as dandruff. Finally, for instant halitosis, eat some cottage cheese and wash it down with orange juice. Gross, but tremendously effective. For Folks in a Hurry: Impacted Wisdom Teeth Get two ping-pong balls and put them in your cheeks. Then, get some kind of ice pack (even frozen vegetables will work). Done. And if you want to make it “spooky,” just put some ketchup around your mouth. Rabies Buy a few packs of Alka-Seltzer, cut a hole in your pants or shirt, and wipe on some blood (ketchup) to simulate an animal bite. Periodically, chomp on some of the tablets and run around like a three-legged dog in heat. Sleazy Photographer Buy a disposable camera or two and just walk around shouting to people that they have “it” and/or “the look.” Then, tell them that all you need to do is go back to your studio and take a few test shots. A star is born. My Costume As for me, it’s between Nick Nolte and Gary Busey. As soon as I can decide which one is more insane, I’ll let you know. Archived article by Adam Matthews