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Quinnipiac Bobcats 2023-24 Regular Season - Embrace the grind

MarkEagleUSA said:
There. Are. No. Words.
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One thing I've learned over the years watching and covering hockey: It is incredibly hard to end a team's season when you're not also at risk. Being this good has its perks -- mainly, last year. But the Whitelaw will always be difficult for us when we've already clinched a spot in the NCAA's and the team we're facing hasn't.

Really want to see this team win a game in the NCAA's -- anything more than that would be gravy -- but it's not going to be easy. Looks like a potential matchup against either Wisconsin or Minnesota. Good news is that we seem likely to be staying east, which will be good for fans and probably good for the team, though we will face a gauntlet.
 
ZYanksRule said:
It is incredibly hard to end a team's season when you're not also at risk. Being this good has its perks -- mainly, last year. But the Whitelaw will always be difficult for us when we've already clinched a spot in the NCAA's and the team we're facing hasn't.
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It's even harder when you don't show up to play.

I don't mind losing a hard fought game when you're doing all the little things needed to win, but you need to do those little things if you want to have a chance. Being this good takes effort and determination every time you play.

Winning the Whitelaw shouldn't be any different than winning any other game.

Yesterday, we didn't embrace the grind and it showed...
 
Lake Placid's Olympic Center has become our House of Horrors. We just can't win in this building.

Every year that I come up to LP, I keep telling myself it'll be different this year. Sadly, it never is.

Let's hope for better things in the NCAAs.
 
40-Year Big Red Fan said:
http://elf.elynah.com/
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ELynah is a fun site to follow and read, but man, do you guys hate us. I mean, really HATE us!

I refuse to believe that all Cornell fans feel that way. Probably only a small portion. In my many trips to Ithaca and LP, I found Big Red fans to be fun to chat and interact with. In fact, I just had breakfast with some Cornell fans this morning in LP and we had a great time talking hockey!

Good Luck tonight. I'll be attendance.
 
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MarkEagleUSA said:
It's even harder when you don't show up to play.

I don't mind losing a hard fought game when you're doing all the little things needed to win, but you need to do those little things if you want to have a chance. Being this good takes effort and determination every time you play.

Winning the Whitelaw shouldn't be any different than winning any other game.

Yesterday, we didn't embrace the grind and it showed...
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Agreed -- I only saw the first period, but there was a severe lack of effort on the ice. That just can't happen. I definitely expect we'll see something different next weekend.

This has been a really good season. Obviously not as good as last year, but it's still tied for the 6th most wins in a season in program history. Would love to "validate" it with a win next weekend and take our chances in the regional final.
 
DrewQU99 said:
ELynah is a fun site to follow and read, but man, do you guys hate us. I mean, really HATE us!

I refuse to believe that all Cornell fans feel that way. Probably only a small portion. In my many trips to Ithaca and LP, I found Big Red fans to be fun to chat and interact with. In fact, I just had breakfast with some Cornell fans this morning in LP and we had a great time talking hockey!

Good Luck tonight. I'll be attendance.
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I have absolutely no ill will towards Cornell other than the clear rivalry between our coach and their coach.

Took the pilgrimage to Lynah for a playoff series during my days in Hamden and thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the Lynah experience. I'm also wishing them well tonight.
 
DrewQU99 said:
ELynah is a fun site to follow and read, but man, do you guys hate us. I mean, really HATE us!

I refuse to believe that all Cornell fans feel that way. Probably only a small portion. In my many trips to Ithaca and LP, I found Big Red fans to be fun to chat and interact with. In fact, I just had breakfast with some Cornell fans this morning in LP and we had a great time talking hockey!

Good Luck tonight. I'll be attendance.
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No we don't hate you. We hate being beat and your regular season wealth of wins makes us not love you. Now your coach . . . never even cooperates by giving a pre-game interview to the Cornell radio announcers (the only ECAC coach who always refuses). At Lynah, I sit right behind the visiting team and Pecknold's rants over every little thing make him easy to hate/ridicule.
 
ZYanksRule said:
One thing I've learned over the years watching and covering hockey: It is incredibly hard to end a team's season when you're not also at risk. Being this good has its perks -- mainly, last year. But the Whitelaw will always be difficult for us when we've already clinched a spot in the NCAA's and the team we're facing hasn't.

Sad statement about team esprit de corps. I don't disagree that it's harder to win when little is at risk compared to the other team, but you do it for your teammates, your fans, your school.
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40-Year Big Red Fan said:
ZYanksRule said:
One thing I've learned over the years watching and covering hockey: It is incredibly hard to end a team's season when you're not also at risk. Being this good has its perks -- mainly, last year. But the Whitelaw will always be difficult for us when we've already clinched a spot in the NCAA's and the team we're facing hasn't.

Sad statement about team esprit de corps. I don't disagree that it's harder to win when little is at risk compared to the other team, but you do it for your teammates, your fans, your school.
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It's not just college hockey, this happens in the Stanley Cup playoffs all the time. When teams are relatively even, look at how often the team who needs the win more gets it. It's so much easier said than done to manufacture the intensity that your opponent doesn't need to manufacture.
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ZYanksRule said:
40-Year Big Red Fan said:
It's not just college hockey, this happens in the Stanley Cup playoffs all the time. When teams are relatively even, look at how often the team who needs the win more gets it. It's so much easier said than done to manufacture the intensity that your opponent doesn't need to manufacture.
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For the upperclassmen the Whitelaw is the only thing they haven't won. That alone should be enough motivation to show up and play with intensity. And I'm sure it was something the team set as one of their goals for the season. At this point in the season you should want to win every game you play. If it ends somebody else's season then so be it.
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DrewQU99 said:
ELynah is a fun site to follow and read, but man, do you guys hate us. I mean, really HATE us!

I refuse to believe that all Cornell fans feel that way. Probably only a small portion. ...
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I think Cornell fans' deep "love" (trying to put a light-hearted spin on their true feelings!) for Quinnipiac goes way back to the 2006-2007 season, the Bobcats' second season in the ECAC. Q swept Cornell in two games at Lynah rink in the ECAC quartefinals that year. Gosh, did that hurt, to lose to the "newbie!"

Check out the Cornell Daily Sun report at
https://cornellsun.com/2007/03/12/quinnipiac-sweeps-mens-hockey-at-lynah/
and https://cornellsun.com/2007/03/12/quinnipiac-sweeps-mens-hockey-at-lynah-2/
and for a bit more perspective on Q's season https://cornellsun.com/2007/03/09/sharpening-their-claws/.

From the first article, "The win was Quinnipiac’s first at Lynah Rink and the Bobcats’ second all-time against the Red, with the other being a 5-2 victory on Nov. 18. The defeat was only the sixth at Lynah Rink in Cornell post-season history, and only the third such loss under Cornell head coach Mike Schafer ’86." From the third article, "The series will be held in the Red-friendly confines of Lynah Rink, and given Cornell’s historical home-ice performances, the term “home-ice advantage” may be an understatement. Cornell is 40-5 at Lynah Rink during the playoffs, with a 17-2 record during head coach Mike Schafer’s ’86 tenure."

And a bit more history, in the previous post-season contest between Quinnipiac and Cornell, the Big Red handily beat the Braves 6-1 in the 2002 NCAA East Regional. (It appears the Braves were renamed the Bobcats beginning with the 2002-3 season. (https://www.uscho.com/2001/12/03/quinnipiac-drops-braves-as-schools-athletic-nickname/, https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Quinnipiac-Changes-Nickname-to-Bobcats-10471592.php).
 
Just as we thought, we're headed to Providence.

We have the later game on Friday and since we're the lower seed, it's the road blue jerseys our boys will be donning.

(1) Boston College vs (4) Michigan Tech at 2:00 pm
(2) Wisconsin vs (3) Quinnipiac at 5:30 pm

Winners meet Sunday at 4:00 pm

GO BOBCATS!
 
This is going to be a really tough matchup.

Wisconsin goalie Kyle McClellan has the best save% in D-1 at .931, and the 3rd-best GAA at 1.92 (Duplessis is third, at 1.93 GAA).

Wisconsin as a team allows the third-fewest goals in D-1 at 2.00 (we are 2nd, at 1.95.

We do have an advantage in the scoring department - we average 4.14 goals, 4th in D-1. They are all the way down at 17th, 3.23 goals/game.

Wisco's PK is 3rd in the country, but their PP is under 20%.

Basically, we're going to have to find a way past McClellan and their defense. Should be a tight-checking defensive slugfest.
 
I am a little surprised we are the later game with the 2 day gap. Last year in Bridgeport we were the top seed in the bracket and played the 2nd game. I figured BC would want a big crowd at night. Let's hope the team re-groups this week and rebounds similar to last year. Looking forward to seeing others there as well.
 
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