Bulldogs face a pair of must-win home games

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Against defensive Cornell and Colgate, the Bulldogs will need Jeff Brow (26), SM '00, and Jay Quenville, SY '00, to play well.

Luckily for Cornell head hockey coach Mike Schafer, his money isn't what it used to be. If it was, he might be unwilling to lead his team into New Haven this weekend. That's because on his last visit to the Elm City nearly a year ago, Schafer's Big Red squad limped off the ice at Ingalls Rink, the victims of a humiliating, 11-0 flogging at the hands of the then-powerful Yale Bulldogs. That devastating loss sent Cornell, a traditional powerhouse in the ECAC, spiraling downward to a disappointing eighth-place league finish and its first losing season under Schafer.

The coach has forgotten--or at least moved past--that horrific night. "[Last year's game] is probably in the back of some of our kids' minds," Schafer said. "But revenge doesn't last too long. That was a different year and we are a much different team than we were then." So is Yale.

On the eve of Cornell's return to Ingalls Rink, the Bulldogs are no longer frontrunners, and the Big Red is certainly not the same battered team that was run out of New Haven last season. In this weekend's games against Colgate on Fri., Jan. 29, and Cornell on Sat., Jan. 30, Yale will be attempting not to stay in first place, as they were a season ago, but trying to move up into fifth. Cornell will not be trying to salvage a season gone bad, but to secure its place among the league's elite.

Currently, the Elis are in a precarious seventh place in the twelve-team ECAC, four points behind this weekend's opponents, who are tied for fifth. "These are obviously huge games for us," Yale head coach Tim Taylor said. "They're the teams that are directly ahead of us in the standings, so that makes them especially important." The results of the contests this weekend and next (when Yale travels to Cornell and Colgate for rematches) could make or break this season for the Bulldogs. A strong showing could vault Yale into the league's upper echelon with the likes of Rensselaer and Saint Lawrence; poor outings could drop the Blue just above Union in the conference's cellar.

Whether or not Yale proves successful will depend largely on how well the Bulldog offense performs against two solid defensive squads. Colgate surrenders a league-leading 2.20 goals per game, while Cornell gives up just 2.82. The Red Raiders boast two quality netminders in Shep Harder, who ranks second in the league with a .930 save percentage, and Jason Lefevre, who ranks sixth at .910. The Big Red's goalkeeper is freshman Matt Underhill, who earned ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for his role in the win and tie against Colgate on Fri., Jan. 22, and Sat., Jan. 23.

Such strong defense may spell trouble for a Yale team that has had difficulty scoring this season. With the exception of the first line of Jeff Hamilton, SM '00, Jeff Brow, SM '00, and Jay Quenville, SY '00, the Bulldogs have been unable to find the net consistently. "We've been a little on the anemic side offensively," Taylor admitted. "We're trying to get some more five-on-five pressure and I've switched up the lines a bit." Luke Earl, JE '02, will move to left wing on the second line with captain Keith McCullough, BR '99, and Ben Stafford, BR '01. Spencer Rodgers,CC '02, will center a fourth line that includes Paul Lawson, BK '00, and Lee Jelenic, TD '01.

If they are to stay competitive in the ECAC race, the Bulldogs will also need to capitalize on their power play opportunities. In their last three contests, the Elis were just 2 for 22 with the man advantage. "Power plays are streaky, even in the NHL," Taylor said. "We've spent a lot of time in practice this week working on our power play. We've just got to shoot more. I think we try to be too cute, too pretty. We haven't been getting our share of down-and-dirty goals."

While the offense continues to search for answers, Yale's defensive corps finally seems to be in solid form, surrendering just three goals in the last two games, against UMass-Lowell and Army. In the 5-1 win at West Point on Sat., Jan. 23, the Bulldogs allowed only 13 shots on goal, including just five in the final two periods. "I thought we did a nice job defensively against Army and Lowell," Taylor said. "We did a good job limiting the number of shots. But Army is not Colgate or Cornell."

And Army's not in the ECAC. With just 12 games remaining, all of which are league contests, the Bulldogs have little room for error in the conference race. "With only six weekends left, we need to pick up points wherever we can get them," Taylor said. Wins over Colgate and Cornell--even if by one goal and not by 11--would give the Bulldogs four critical points and, more importantly, a chance to recapture last year's success.

Back to Sports...