The history of Cornell’s hockey program is iconic, encompassing the fans, the players, the coaches, and, of course, Lynah Rink. Cornell men’s hockey dates back to 1901 and Cornell women’s hockey began in 1971. Over the years of the Cornell hockey program, both teams have achieved impressive accolades.
Here’s a look at some of the key moments and achievements that have shaped the Cornell Club Hockey program:
Lynah Rink
Early Years and Revival
Before Lynah Rink opened in 1957, the men’s hockey team competed primarily outside of Ithaca, and even on Beebe Lake at times. However, the unpredictable weather made it challenging to maintain a consistent game schedule, and for a period of time after 1947, the hockey program was suspended with nowhere to play.
With the construction of Lynah Rink, the Cornell hockey team is revived and has a new, permanent home. Luckily, Lynah Rink opened in 1957, providing the team with a space to compete.
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Nicholas Bawlf is named the program's head coach, beginning a 27-year tenure directing the program.
When Cornell beat Harvard in 1962 for the first time since 1912, it was a remarkable turning point for the team’s success and popularity. These loyal fans became known as the Lynah Faithful and Lynah Rink has been consistently packed for every hockey game, with the fans becoming an integral part of the game itself and the culture at Cornell.
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Ivy League and ECAC Dominance
Cornell wins its first Ivy League title and finishes as runner-up to Clarkson in the ECAC postseason tournament. The men’s team has won 24 Ivy League titles, second only to our eternal archrivals Harvard Crimson with 25 titles, and hold the record for most ECAC championships won at 12.
The women’s team has won 15 Ivy League regular championships, four Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) titles, and made four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) “Frozen Four” appearances.
Cornell clinches the outright Ivy League championship with a dominating 4-1 victory at Princeton. Cornell records its 25th Ivy League Championship behind a 5-1 victory over Yale at Ingalls Rink.
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National Stage
With the Ivy League's feud with the NCAA regarding postseason participation over, Cornell and Boston University meet in the national championship game at the War Memorial Arena in Syracuse, N.Y. Cornell returns to the NCAA championship game, but this time falls to Boston University, 4-0.
Cornell plays in the longest 1-0 game in NCAA tournament history, taking eventual national champion Wisconsin to three overtimes at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis., before falling at the 111:13 mark. Playing in the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive season for the first time since 1970, Cornell defeats Northeastern, 5-1, in the first round of the Northeast Regional in Providence, R.I.
Cornell and Boston University, widely regarded as the two top programs in the East, play to a 3-3 double overtime tie in the final game of the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament.
Coaching Milestones
Ned Harkness resigns as head coach to become the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the first coach to move from the NCAA to the NHL. Mike Schafer shares the Spencer Penrose Award as Division I CCM/AHCA Coach of the Year, becoming the second Cornell head coach to claim the honor (Ned Harkness was the other in 1968). Schafer led the Big Red to a .862 winning percentage that was the highest the top tier of the nation has seen since Maine in 1993.
Individual Achievements
Joe Nieuwendyk scores a hat-trick in back-to-back games against Rensselaer and Vermont, helping the Big Red to a 6-1 and 5-2 win, respectively. Colin Greening becomes the first Cornell men's hockey player to receive the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, honoring character, classroom excellence, community service and competition on the ice. Matthew Galajda becomes the first freshman in program history to earn All-America status when he named to the East Region's first team. It was last of myriad postseason honors for Galajda, who led the nation with a 1.51 goals against average. Other honors included ECAC Hockey Ken Dryden Goalie of the Year, ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year, Ivy League Player of the Year and Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Morgan Barron is named to the All-ECAC Hockey first team for a second straight season; a first for the program since Hockey Hall of Fame member Joe Nieuwendyk in 1986 and 1987.
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Recent Highlights
- 1,000th Victory: With a 2-1 victory over Quinnipiac in an ECAC Hockey quarterfinal game at Lynah Rink, Cornell registers the 1,000th victory in program history.
- 500th Victory at Lynah Rink: A 1-0 victory over Niagara gave Cornell its 500th victory at Lynah Rink.
- #1 Ranking: Cornell ascends to the #1 ranking in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls for the first time in nearly 15 years.
- Cleary Cup: Sitting atop the USCHO.com poll for a fourth time during the season, Cornell used a 5-0 rout at home against St. Lawrence to clinch a third consecutive Cleary Cup for the first time in program history (and the first time any program has done it since 1994).
- Undefeated Streak: The Big Red punctuates its 23-2-4 season with its ninth straight victory - a 5-1 decision against Clarkson on Senior Night. Freshman Ben Berard records a hat trick, and Cornell claims the #1 rankings in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls heading into the postseason.
- Victory Over #1 Ranked Quinnipiac: Ben Berard scored both of Cornell's goals in the Big Red's 2-1 victory over top-ranked Quinnipiac at Lynah Rink.
- Frozen Apple Game: Freshman forward Dalton Bancroft becomes just the second Cornell player to record a hat trick at Madison Square Garden in a 6-0 shutout of No. 6-ranked UConn at the Big Red's biennial Frozen Apple game in New York City.
Memorable Moments
Alec McCrea scores one of the most memorable goals in Lynah Rink history, netting a power-play strike with 2.3 seconds left in the third period to cap a 3-2 victory over rival Harvard. "If the roof wasn't new at Lynah, it might have just come off," exclaimed longtime play-by-play man Jason Weinstein.
Tristan Mullin's first collegiate goal comes at The World's Most Famous Arena, serving as the game-winner in a 4-3 triumph over Boston University.
In what head coach Mike Schafer would go on to call one of the "grittiest" victories he's ever seen, injury-riddled Cornell got power-play goals from Cam Donaldson and Tristan Mullin and 23 saves from sophomore Austin McGrath - making just his second collegiate start - for a 2-1 victory at Harvard.
Traditions and Culture
Unsurprisingly, hockey’s popularity on campus has led to many traditions between the fans and players that date back to the beginning of the Lynah Faithful. Senior co-captain Sam Malinski added that his favorite tradition takes place on Senior Night when each senior gets to do a solo lap and jump into the student section. After each senior does their lap, we gather around the center ice circle, and sing The Alma Mater. This is an incredible tradition and I know it will be emotional for me when doing it this year.” Meanwhile, co-captain Travis Mitchell ’23 personally enjoys the infamous fish-throwing tradition against Harvard: “The best tradition has to be the throwing of the fish when we play Harvard. That really puts an emphasis on how much we want to beat them. I will always remember the first time that happened my freshman year and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world being able to stand out on the ice while it was going on.”
Team Dynamics
Not only is the program successful on the ice, the close team dynamic emphasizes how special Cornell hockey is to the players themselves. Women’s hockey co-captain Izzy Daniel ’24 remarked, “My favorite part has to be the relationships I have built with my teammates. I have been fortunate to play alongside people with whom I will be friends with for a long, long time. Those bonds are what makes Cornell hockey so unique.”
Looking Ahead
The renowned success of Cornell hockey continues as both teams are still adding accolades to the program, such as the men’s team defeating UConn (ranked sixth in the nation at the time) in the Frozen Apple this November. “The history of Cornell hockey gives us all something really important to play for. Not only do we want to make our alumni happy, but we want to represent a program in a way that they will be proud of. This gives us a lot of motivation to be the best team that we can be, both on and off the ice,” Malinski explained.
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| Ivy League Titles (Men's) | 24 |
| ECAC Championships (Men's) | 12 (Most in ECAC) |
| Ivy League Titles (Women's) | 15 |
| ECAC Championships (Women's) | 4 |
| NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (Women's) | 4 |
| 1,000th Program Victory | Achieved on [Date] vs. Quinnipiac |
| 500th Victory at Lynah Rink | Achieved on [Date] vs. Niagara |