Eight points from the top of ECAC, Yale must beat Cornell and Colgate

For the men's hockey team, last week's losses against Clarkson and St. Lawrence forced players to face the disappointment of two more missed opportunities. As a result, this weekend's match-ups take on added significance in the Elis' attempts to patch up their season.

The Golden Knights dominated early in their 6-0 defeat of Yale, jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead. Regarding the loss, Spencer Rodgers, CC '02, said,"We weren't really in the rink that night. They took it to us. The emotion was out of our game."

JULIA TIERNAN/YH With two tough ECAC matchups this weekend, the Bulldogs season is on the line..

A different Yale squad took the ice on Sat., Feb. 3, one fired up by the previous night's loss. However, the final result proved the same—another disheartening defeat. Yale battled the Saints, currently second in the ECAC, to a scoreless tie in regulation. But just eight seconds into overtime, the Saints scored and sent the Elis packing.

The Bulldogs simply could not find the back of the net against Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Poor team defense has cost Yale mightily in the past; last weekend, the offense seemed to desert the team. For Rodgers, the reason was simple: last weekend's opponents were successful in silencing Yale's top line. "When other teams shut down our number-one line, the other lines have to step up," he explained.

Last weekend, those lines didn't. With upcoming home games against ECAC rivals Colgate and Cornell, the other lines have a chance to redeem themselves. "These are two physical teams," Rodgers said. "This is the kind of series when home ice is really important."

With crucial ECAC points on the line, the Bulldogs know they must put the past behind them. "We still know we have eight games left," Rodgers explained. "We can't feel bad," added goalie Dan Lombard, SM '02. "We don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves."

That may be true, but the Bulldogs do have cause for concern. They have lost three straight games, currently sit eighth in the conference, and stand eight points out of first with, strangely enough, just eight games to go. And they have not played solid, consistent hockey over an extended stretch of time all season long. Indeed, these are things that no amount of carefully worded spin can change. —James Fagan

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