This weekend, Cornell will take on Ivy opponents Dartmouth and Harvard. The Red will look to get revenge on the rival Crimson, who defeated Cornell last Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
How to watch or listen:
Video on ESPN+ (subscription needed), radio in Ithaca on WHCU 97.7 FM/870 AM, live updates on Twitter @DailySunSports and at cornellsun.com.
Series histories:
Cornell’s all-time record against Dartmouth is 82-48-6. The Red won both games against Dartmouth in the 2017-18 season, including a 3-0 shutout at Lynah Rink.
Cornell holds a 76-66-11 alltime record against the Crimson. After sweeping last season’s series, Cornell fell to the Crimson, 4-1, in last weekend’s Frozen Apple.
Cornell last time out:
Cornell’s game against Harvard in New York City was the first time the rivalry has taken place outside of Ithaca or the Boston area since 1911. The game ended in harsh defeat, with Harvard winning 4-1 in front of a crowd that was heavily comprised of Cornell fans. The Red had never before lost at Madison Square Garden.
“That’s the least physical I’ve ever seen a Cornell team play in a game against Harvard,” said head coach Mike Schafer ’86 after the game.
Dartmouth last time out:
Dartmouth is yet to post two wins in a weekend, with a 3-3 record on the season. They fell at home last Saturday to Vermont with a final score of 5-3.
Harvard last time out:
Saturday’s win over Cornell evened out Harvard’s record, though the game did not count as a league contest. The Crimson sports a 3-3-2 overall record.
Scouting the Green:
Dartmouth owns one of only two victories over Quinnipiac this season, which beat Cornell 4-2 two weeks ago. The Green’s lead scorer is junior forward Will Graber, who centers the team’s “Timber Line.”
Scouting the Crimson:
At 35.1 percent, Harvard’s power play currently leads the country — but its penalty kill leaves something to be desired at 72.4 percent, third-worst in the nation. The Crimson’s offense, however, has looked strong this season, with an average of 3.88 goals per game. Junior defenseman Adam Fox leads the country with 2.12 points per game.
Cornell beats Dartmouth if:
… it takes advantage of Dartmouth’s weak penalty kill — at 61.9 percent, the Green is last in the nation.
Cornell beats Harvard if:
… similarly, it is able to draw more penalties. The Red’s disappointing showing at Madison Square Garden meant that Harvard was not forced to take many penalties, so Cornell had little opportunity on the power play.
What they’re saying in Ithaca:
Associate head coach Ben Syer on a rematch against Harvard: “Whenever you have a disappointing defeat like that against a particular opponent, whenever you have the opportunity to get right back at them, you certainly relish that.”
Sophomore forward Kyle Betts: “We’ve got a lot to prove this weekend, so hopefully we’re ready for that.”
What they’re saying in Hanover:
Head coach Bob Gaudet: “It’s not who we play, it’s how we play. It’s important that we play our game.”
What they’re saying in Cambridge:
Harvard co-captain Lewis Zerter-Gossage on facing Cornell again: “I’m sure they won’t be happy with how the result went on the weekend. It’s going to be a completely different game, they’ll be gunning at us, and we’re going to have to be ready to weather the storm.”
Injury report:
The Red remains injury-plagued, playing many less-experienced players to fill in the gaps. Four players — sophomore defenseman Alex Green, junior forward Jeff Malott, sophomore forward Brenden Locke and senior defenseman Brendan Smith — are all questionable for this weekend.
“There is hope [that these players will be available this weekend], but it’s too early in the week right now to make a firm assessment,” Syer said on Tuesday.
Sound smart:
Both of Cornell’s opponents this weekend are unranked, though Harvard received 6 votes in the USCHO.com poll.
Fun fact:
All three teams competing in this weekend’s competition have a color as their team name — the Red, the Green and the Crimson.