Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey: Mike Schafer ’86
Record at Cornell: 556-299-117 (30th season)
Career Record: Same
Last Game: defeated Yale, 5-1 (3/1/25)
Donald F. Vaughan Head Men’s Hockey Coach: Mike Harder
Record at Colgate: 34-29-7 (2nd season)
Career Record: Same
Last Game: defeated Union, 5-1 (3/1/25)
Mike Schafer ‘86, the longest-tenured head coach in Cornell men’s hockey history, is currently in his 30th and final season at the helm of the Cornell men’s hockey program after announcing on June 13, 2024, that he will retire following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Former Cornell standout centerman and assistant coach, and current associate head coach, Casey Jones ‘90 will replace Schafer beginning with the 2025-26 season.
When Schafer returned to his alma mater in the summer of 1995 to become the 12th head coach in Cornell men’s hockey history, Schafer’s goal was to bring the Big Red to a position of national prominence.
Schafer has accomplished that objective with his career coaching record of 556-299-117. His 556 victories are the second-most by any Cornell coach with a single team, trailing former softball head coach Dick Blood (623).
Cornell has consistently been ranked among the nation’s elite under Schafer, which includes the Big Red being ranked in the top 20 of the USCHO.com poll 442 times since its inception in 1997-98.
Along with being one of Cornell’s legendary head coaches, Schafer’s 556 career victories and .632 win percentage rank fourth among active Division I men’s coaches with at least 200 victories.
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Casey Jones ’90, was appointed as Cornell’s associate head coach on June 13, 2024, marking Jones’ third instance of being on the Big Red’s coaching staff, and his second under Mike Schafer ’86, the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey.
Jones will assume the position of the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Hockey, becoming the 13th head coach in Cornell program history following Mike Schafer ’86’s retirement upon the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Returning to East Hill following a 13-year tenure at fellow ECAC Hockey rival Clarkson, Jones amassed a record of 234-185-56 (.552) with the Golden Knights. He received the Tim Taylor Award, ECAC Hockey’s Coach of the Year, in 2019, bookended by two of Schafer’s five times being honored with the yearly award.
During his time in Potsdam, Clarkson registered six 20-win seasons, four of which came during a five-year stretch between 2015 and 2020. Clarkson, who finished within the top 16 in the pairwise rankings for five consecutive years from 2017-22, made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019, and was poised for a third consecutive trip in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted those aspirations. The Golden Knights made the ECAC Hockey semifinal on three occasions (2018, 2019, 2022) under Jones, which included winning the 2019 ECAC Hockey Tournament championship.
Prior to his first head coaching appointment, Jones returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint from 2008-11, serving as the associate head coach under Schafer. During Jones’ second stint on the Big Red’s coaching staff, Cornell appeared in two NCAA Tournaments and won the 2010 ECAC Hockey Championship title. With Jones on staff, the Big Red registered a 59-34-11 (.620) record and a 38-20-8 (.636) mark in ECAC Hockey contests.
Jones returned to East Hill after coaching at Ohio State for 13 seasons from 1995-2008 on John Markell’s staff. He served as an assistant coach for nine years (1995-2004) before being elevated to associate head coach for his remaining four years with the Buckeyes.
While at Ohio State, Jones served as the program’s recruiting coordinator, aiding in the recruitment of 20 NHL draft picks — including a trio of first-round picks in R.J. Umberger (16th overall in 2001), Dave Steckel (30th overall in 2001), and Ryan Kesler (23rd overall in 2003).
Known for being a staunch recruiter, the Buckeyes earned five NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a trip to the 1998 Frozen Four where they fell to Boston College in the national semifinal. Ohio State won one Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Super Six title in 2004, defeating Michigan for the program’s first CCHA championship in 32 seasons.
One year following his graduation from Cornell in 1990 with a degree in business management, Jones found his spot behind Cornell’s bench, serving as an assistant coach under Brian McCutcheon, the head coach whom he played for. Jones spent two seasons on McCutcheon’s staff from 1991-93 before making the move north to Clarkson for a two-year stint as an assistant coach on Mark Morris’ staff from 1993-95. While with the Golden Knights, Clarkson generated a 43-19-9 (.669) record, winning the 1995 ECAC Hockey Championship and earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Sean Flanagan is entering his ninth season as an assistant coach on the men’s hockey team for the 2024-25 season. During Flanagan’s time on East Hill, the Big Red has posted a 165-66-33 (.688) overall record and a 110-40-26 (.699) mark in ECAC Hockey play.
Flanagan oversees Cornell’s power play unit, which has converted at a 20 percent clip or better in four of the last six seasons. In 2022-23, Cornell posted a 24.6 power-play percentage that led all ECAC Hockey programs and ranked seventh nationally. During the 2019-20 season, Cornell posted a 26.4 conversion rate that ranked second in ECAC Hockey and fifth among Division I programs.
In addition to overseeing Cornell’s power play, Flanagan has played a pivotal role in working with the team’s centers on faceoffs. The Big Red has ranked in the top 10 nationally in faceoff win percentage each of the last three years and five of the last six seasons. Cornell had the fifth-highest faceoff win percentage in 2022-23 behind its 54.4 conversion rate. During the 2023-24 campaign, Cornell won 54.2 percent of its draws, highlighted by Gabriel Seger ’24 winning 488 faceoffs, ranking fifth nationally. Seger’s .588 faceoff win percentage was seventh among Division I players with 600-plus faceoffs taken.
Flanagan helped Cornell post the nation’s highest winning percentage in 2017-18 (.788) and 2019-20 (.862). The Big Red has won three Cleary Cups, awarded annually to the team that wins the circuit’s regular-season championship, and a 2024 ECAC Hockey Championship title with Flanagan behind Cornell’s bench.
Cornell was a stellar 23-2-4 in the 2019-20 regular season before the remainder of the campaign was canceled nationwide due to COVID-19 concerns.
Flanagan joined the Big Red after serving as the director of hockey operations at UMass Lowell during the 2015-16 season. Prior to his time there, Flanagan was an assistant coach at Hobart — a Division III school in Geneva, N.Y. — for three seasons (2012-15), working under former Cornell assistant coach Mark Taylor.
While with the Statesmen, Flanagan helped build a team that won ECAC West titles in 2015 and 2016 and reached the NCAA Tournament, where it was the No. 1 seed in the East Region in 2016.
Corey Leivermann is in his first season as a member of the Cornell men’s hockey staff, joining the program on Aug. 26 as an assistant coach.
Leivermann joined the Big Red after spending the 2023-24 season as an associate head coach under Brett Skinner with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Fargo had a successful 2023-24 campaign, highlighted by its USHL-record 50 regular-season wins (50-10-2) and concluding their year by winning its second-ever Clark Cup title.
Before his time in Fargo, Leivermann was an associate head coach with the Madison Capitols for two years before being elevated to general manager and head coach of the Capitols for the 2022-23 campaign.
While with Madison, Leivermann coached Cornell forward Nick DeSantis during the 2021-22 season, where DeSantis posted 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 60 games played.
Following his one season of playing professional hockey with the Mississippi RiverKings in the SPHL in 2014-15, Leivermann joined the Wichita Falls Wildcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) as a scout for the 2015-16 season. He spent the next season as the general manager and head coach of the Jersey Shore Wildcats, a NA3HL team, before returning to Wichita Falls to serve as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season upon the conclusion of the NA3HL season.
He remained in the NAHL for the next three seasons, working with the Janesville Jets, where he assumed the role of assistant coach for the entire 2017-18 season and the first half of the 2018-19 campaign before being elevated to head coach on Jan. 2, 2019, a role he held for a year and a half. He also served as the Jets’ director of scouting for two years (2018-20).
The No. 6-seeded Cornell men’s hockey team (14-10-6, 10-8-4 ECAC Hockey) travels to No. 3-seeded Colgate (18-13-3, 13-7-2 ECAC Hockey) for a best-of-three quarterfinal round this weekend, aiming to secure its third consecutive trip to Lake Placid for championship weekend.
Puck drop for all games scheduled for the weekend is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) and Tony Eisenhut ‘88 (analysis) will also provide commentary over the airwaves on WHCU (870 AM, 97.7 FM, cortacatoday.com).
Assuming the No. 6 seed in this year’s ECAC Hockey Championship, it is the first time in the 55 ECAC Hockey Championships that Cornell has participated in that it has been the No. 6 seed.
After earning opening-round byes in each of the last seven ECAC Hockey Championships, this year marks Cornell’s first time not being a top-four seed since 2016 (No. 8 seed). It is only the fifth time since 2005-06 that the Big Red had to compete on the tournament’s opening weekend.
With last Saturday’s opening-round victory over Yale, Cornell has officially reached the quarterfinals in 20 of its last 21 appearances in the ECAC Hockey Championship (it did not play in the 2020-21 season).
A third-period salvo helped propel No. 6-seeded Cornell to a 5-1 victory over No. 11-seeded Yale during the Opening Round of the 2025 ECAC Hockey Championship last Saturday night at Lynah Rink.
Senior defenseman Tim Rego scored two of the Big Red’s five goals, marking his second career multi-goal game (Nov. 13, 2021, vs. RPI). Rego’s defensive partner, sophomore Ben Robertson, recorded two assists, while senior forward Ondrej Psenicka contributed a goal and an assist. Senior forward Kyle Penney and junior forward Nick DeSantis also found the back of the net.
Senior goaltender Ian Shane made 18 saves on 19 shots, securing his 61st career victory and surpassing Matthew Galajda for the fourth-most wins by a Cornell netminder.
Award season is in full swing, with numerous Cornell players receiving honors from both ECAC Hockey and the Ivy League over the past week.
Senior defenseman Tim Rego and junior forward Dalton Bancroft were the only Big Red players honored by both leagues. Rego, the reigning ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week, earned First Team All-Ivy honors on Wednesday afternoon after receiving Third Team All-ECAC Hockey recognition on Tuesday. Bancroft was chosen for the second team in both the ECAC Hockey and Ivy League awards.
Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh joined Rego and Bancroft in earning All-Ivy awards, being one of two unanimous First Team All-Ivy selections alongside Dartmouth’s CJ Foley. Senior goaltender Ian Shane received Honorable Mention All-Ivy recognition, while senior forward Sullivan Mack earned Academic All-Ivy honors.
This weekend’s best-of-three quarterfinal series will feature two of the highest-scoring teams from the past month, as Cornell (4.29) and Colgate (4.00) have averaged at least four goals per game since Feb. 14.
Cornell’s average of 4.29 goals per game (30 goals in seven games) ranks third nationally for the period, trailing only Western Michigan (5.00 — 40 goals in 8 games) and Quinnipiac (4.67 — 28 goals in 6 games). UConn (4.20 — 21 goals in 5 games), Clarkson (4.17 — 25 goals in 6 games), along with Colgate and St. Thomas (4.00 — 24 goals in 6 games) are the other teams that have averaged at least four goals per game during the timeframe.
Cornell’s 30 goals scored rank as the third-most by a Division I program since Feb. 14, behind Western Michigan (40) and Penn State (31).
While Cornell’s offense has been on a roll recently, so has the Big Red’s defense, ranking ninth in goals allowed per game (1.71) and matching Quinnipiac for the second-best penalty kill (.944 — 17-of-18). Only Stonehill (11-of-11) has had a better penalty kill over the last month.
With an average margin of victory of +2.57, Cornell ranks just behind Quinnipiac (+3.17) and UConn (+2.60) for the best scoring margin over the past month. Additionally, Cornell is one of eight teams (Minnesota — +2.50; Boston College — +2.43; Clarkson — +2.17; St. Thomas — +2.17; LIU — +2.00) that have an average scoring margin of at least two goals.
With its victory over RPI on March 1, Cornell marked its eighth straight season with at least 10 wins in ECAC Hockey play.
The streak is the third-longest in program history, trailing behind a 19-year span from 1964-65 to 1982-83, and the most recent streak of 13 consecutive seasons from 1999-00 to 2011-12. Under Mike Schafer ‘86, the Big Red has achieved at least 10 conference victories in 24 out of the 29 seasons.
Junior forward Dalton Bancroft (14-9—22) has scored at least 20 points in each of his first three seasons with the Big Red, making him the 49th player in program history to reach the milestone.
Under Mike Schafer ‘86, Bancroft has become the 10th player to reach the milestone, joining Kyle Knopp (1995-98), Ryan Moynihan (1996-99), Ryan Vesce (2000-03), Matt Moulson (2002-05), Topher Scott (2004-07), Riley Nash (2007-10), Brian Ferlin (2011-14), Joel Lowry (2011-14), and Anthony Angello (2015-18).
Fueled by his 35 goals, Bancroft ranks sixth for the most goals scored by a player in their first three seasons with the Big Red during Schafer’s 30-year coaching career.
If Bancroft scores a goal this weekend, he will tie Angello and Vesce for the fourth-most goals in his first three seasons with the Big Red. A two-goal weekend would tie him with Nash for the third-most goals, while a three-goal weekend would match Colin Greening for the second-most goals in a player’s first three seasons under Schafer’s tutelage.
In addition to his 40 assists, Bancroft is one of five players to tally at least 35 goals and assists over his first three seasons with Cornell, joining Vesce (36-66—102), Nash (37-64—101), Moulson (53-47—100), and Greening (38-42—80).
During the 2025 part of the season, Cornell’s penalty kill has ranked among the best in Division I hockey, successfully killing 47 of their opponents’ last 53 power-play opportunities (88.7 percent), which places them third nationally and second among ECAC Hockey programs. The only programs ahead of the Big Red are Quinnipiac (94.1 percent — 48-of-51) and Holy Cross (90.8 percent — 59-of-65).
Since the New Year, Cornell has allowed six power-play goals, which is tied for the third-fewest in Division I hockey alongside Bentley, Holy Cross, Lindenwood, Stonehill, and Western Michigan. Only Cornell’s ECAC Hockey rivals Quinnipiac (three) and Dartmouth (five) have conceded fewer goals while playing short-handed.
Since Jan. 18, the Big Red has allowed just three power-play goals in their last 40 penalty kills, achieving a 92.5 percent success rate, which ranks as the nation’s top penalty kill during the period. The Big Red is one of five programs that maintained at least a 90 percent penalty kill during the period, along with Holy Cross (91.8 percent — 45-of-49), Quinnipiac (91.7 percent — 33-of-36), and Dartmouth and Minnesota State (90.3 percent — 28-of-31).
After being selected as one of 14 nominees for the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award, senior defenseman Hank Kempf was named one of five finalists by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation on Feb. 12.
Joining Kempf as finalists are Kendra Fortin from Bemidji State, Keri Clougherty from Boston College, Raice Szott from Merrimack, and Sarah Thompson from St. Lawrence.
Kempf is the fourth consecutive nominee from either Big Red hockey program and the sixth finalist from Cornell for the award, joining former women’s hockey players Erin Schmalz ’99, Alyssa Gagliardi ’14, and Morgan Richardson ’16. Sam Paolini ’03 is the only other men’s player to be named a finalist, winning the award in 2003. Since the award was introduced in 1997, Kempf’s nomination marks the 10th time a Big Red player has been nominated and is the only Big Red student-athlete to be nominated multiple times. This nomination is the fifth time a member of the Cornell men’s program has been considered for the prestigious award, joining Paolini, Topher Scott ‘08, and Andy Iles ‘10.
Senior goaltender Ian Shane has excelled in the crease during his time on East Hill. Throughout his 112 career appearances for the Big Red, Shane boasts a 61-31-16 record with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
With his victory against Yale last Saturday, Shane overtook Matthew Galajda for fourth place on the Big Red’s all-time wins chart and only trails Ken Dryden ‘69 (76), David McKee ‘06, and Ben Scrivens ‘10 (65).
Among active Division I goaltenders, Shane is one of only three players with over 60 wins (Western Michigan’s Cameron Rowe — 69; Wisconsin’s Tommy Scarfone — 66) and one of 10 goaltenders with 50 or more victories (Denver’s Matt Davis — 58; Boston College’s Jacob Fowler — 56; Boston University’s Mathieu Caron — 54; Bemidji State’s Mattias Sholl — 52; Minnesota’s Liam Souliere — 52; Clarkson’s Ethan Langenegger — 51; North Dakota’s TJ Semptimphelter — 51).
After making 13 saves in Cornell’s 6-0 shutout against St. Lawrence on Feb. 22, Shane notched his 13th career shutout, breaking his tie with Scarfone for the most shutouts by an active Division I goaltender. Shane’s shutout also ties Dryden for the fourth-highest total in program history.
With his first save against St. Lawrence on Jan. 31, senior goaltender Ian Shane recorded his 2,000th save, becoming Cornell’s 10th goaltender to reach this milestone. He joins the ranks of Andy Iles ‘14, Ben Scrivens ‘10, Jason Elliott ‘98, Mitch Gillam ‘17, Corrie D’Alessio ‘91, Brian Hayward ‘82, David McKee ‘06, Darren Eliot ‘83, and Matt Underhill ‘02.
Shane enters the weekend trailing McKee by 31 saves, which would rank as the seventh-most stops by a Cornell goaltender in program history. He is also 48 saves short of tying D’Alessio for fifth place on the all-time saves list.
Shane’s 2,177 career stops rank 16th among active Division I goaltenders and is one of nine players to make all his saves with one program: Bemidji State’s Mattias Sholl, Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko, Bowling Green’s Christian Stoever, Omaha’s Simon Latkoczy, Air Force’s Guy Blessing, RPI’s Jack Watson, St. Thomas’ Aaron Trotter, and Providence’s Philip Svedebäck.
With his appearance against Quinnipiac on Jan. 18, senior goaltender Ian Shane became the fourth Big Red goaltender in program history to appear in 100 career games with Cornell, joining Andy Iles ‘14, Ben Scrivens ‘10, and David McKee.
Shane’s 112 career appearances rank third in Cornell program history, trailing Iles (118 from 2010-14) and Scrivens (117 from 2006-10).
Entering this weekend, Shane is one of seven active Division I goaltenders to have played in at least 100 career games, joining the likes of Western Michigan’s Cameron Rowe (123), Wisconsin’s Tommy Scarfone (119), Clarkson’s Ethan Langenegger (115), Bemidji State’s Mattias Sholl (113), Boston University’s Mathieu Caron (111), and Minnesota’s Liam Souliere (107).
Of the seven goaltenders with at least 100 career appearances, Shane and Sholl are the only two players who have registered all their games with the same program.
Senior goaltender Ian Shane has an impressive career goals-against average of 1.87, ranking as the 15th-best in Division I hockey history. Shane is one of 39 goalies to have played at least 1,500 minutes in net while maintaining a sub-2.00 goals-against average.
Cornell boasts four of the top 10 career goals-against averages in NCAA history, making it one of only two programs, along with Michigan State, to have multiple representatives in the top 10.
Shane and Ben Scrivens ‘10 (1.93) account for six of the 39 sub-2.00 career goals-against averages in NCAA history, the most for any Division I program. Other Division I programs with multiple sub-2.00 goals-against averages include Quinnipiac (four), Maine (three), and Denver, Miami, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, and Notre Dame (two each).
Among active Division I goaltenders with at least 1,500 minutes, Shane is one of four netminders boasting a career goals-against average below 2.00, alongside Boija (1.85), Boston College’s Jacob Fowler (1.91), and Minnesota State’s Alex Tracy (1.95).
Since the calendar year turned to 2025, sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna has been one of Cornell’s most reliable players at the faceoff dot, winning 61.1 percent of the draws he has taken (151 of 241), trailing Western Michigan’s Tim Washe (68.7 percent — 219 of 322) for the best faceoff percentage.
This season, Castagna has achieved a team-leading 58.8 percent success rate in faceoffs (234 out of 398), ranking ninth nationally and second among ECAC Hockey players with at least 200 faceoff wins, just behind Clarkson’s Ellis Rickwood (59.2 percent — 380 out of 642).
In last Saturday’s victory over Yale, Castagna went 11-for-12 (.917) on faceoffs, matching Notre Dame’s Hunter Strand (11-for-12) for the sixth-best single-game faceoff win percentage this season with at least 10 faceoff wins.
Castagna’s .917 win percentage was the Big Red’s best success rate on draws in a single game since Zach Tupker ‘23 went 16-of-17 (.941) against Sacred Heart on Nov. 22, 2022.
The success of sophomore forwards Ryan Walsh (356 faceoff wins, 56.5 percent) and Jonathan Castagna (234 faceoff wins, 58.8 percent) in faceoffs has allowed Cornell to become one of six Division I programs (Bentley, Colorado College, LIU, Penn State, and Wisconsin) with multiple players recording at least a 56.5 percent success rate on 200-plus faceoff wins.
Walsh’s team-leading total of 356 faceoff wins is the 20th-highest in Division I hockey and ranks third among ECAC Hockey players, trailing only Brown’s Max Scott (447) and Clarkson’s Ellis Rickwood (380).
Averaging 11.87 faceoff wins per game this season, which ranks ninth nationally, Walsh is among 10 Division I hockey players who average at least 11.50 faceoff wins per game.
Entering this weekend’s series, Walsh has recorded a double-digit faceoff win total in 19 games this season and has secured at least 13 draws on 15 occasions. He stands alone as the player with the eighth-most games featuring 13 or more faceoff wins this season, trailing Air Force’s Clayton Cosentino (26), Brown’s Max Scott and Niagara’s Tyler Wallace (21), Notre Dame’s Danny Nelson (20), Bemidji State’s Jackson Jutting (18), and Bentley’s Ethan Leyh and Denver’s Carter King (17).
Entering this weekend’s series, senior forward Ondrej Psenicka (plus-56) and senior defenseman Tim Rego (plus-53) each have career plus-minus ratings of at least plus-50, making Cornell one of only four Division I programs (Boston College — three; Denver and Minnesota — two each) with multiple players who have reached a career plus-minus of at least plus-50.
Senior forward Kyle Penney’s plus-48 rating makes Cornell one of four Division I teams (Boston College, Denver, and Minnesota — all with four each) that have at least three players with plus-45 ratings.
In addition to the ratings of Psenicka, Rego, and Penney, senior forward Jack O’Leary’s plus-41 rating positions Cornell as one of four Division I programs — alongside Boston College and Minnesota, each with five, and Denver with four — that boasts at least four players with career plus-minus ratings of plus-40.
Psenicka and Rego’s plus-minus ratings, which rank seventh and ninth nationally, respectively, represent the top two career plus-minus ratings in program history, dating back to the 2002-03 season, when plus-minus was first tracked for a full year. Greg Miller ’13 (plus-52) and Travis Mitchell ‘23 (plus-51) are the only other Big Red players who have posted career ratings of at least plus-50.
Of the Big Red’s 250 points this season, 78 (15 goals, 63 assists) have been contributed by its defense corps, accounting for 31.2 percent of the team’s scoring production. It is the highest percentage of points from defensemen by Cornell in a season since 1996-97, when they made up 33.5 percent of the scoring (106 of 316).
The Big Red’s 31.2 percent of points from defensemen entering the weekend represents the fourth-best average nationally, trailing Colgate (31.82 percent — 98 of 308), Robert Morris (31.78 percent — 82 of 258), and Merrimack (66 of 208 — 31.73 percent). Cornell is one of eight programs with at least 30 percent of its offensive production coming from defensemen, alongside Princeton (31.0 percent — 57 of 184), Air Force (30.8 percent — 73 of 237), Colorado College (30.5 percent — 82 of 269), and Minnesota Duluth (30.1 percent — 75 of 249).
Cornell’s 63 assists from defensemen represent 40.1 percent of its total assist count, marking the second-highest average in the nation for Division I hockey, behind Merrimack (41.1 percent — 53 of 129). This assist percentage by blueliners is the highest for the Big Red since the 1986-87 season (41.3 percent).
Cornell has received scoring contributions from almost every player who has participated in a game this season, as 23 of the 26 players who have played have registered at least one point.
The senior class (38-65—103) has contributed 41.2 percent of the team’s scoring, ranking just behind St. Lawrence (46.6 percent — 88 of 308). It is one of three programs with at least a 40-percent scoring rate this season, alongside Colgate (40.6 percent — 125 of 308).
Cornell heads into the weekend with 14 players with at least a double-digit point total, tying them with Augustana, Minnesota, Ohio State, UConn, and Providence for the fifth-most players in Division I hockey with 10 or more points. Western Michigan (16), Long Island, Michigan, and Michigan State (15 each) are ahead of the Big Red.
Mike Schafer ‘86, the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Hockey, is one of four active Division I men’s hockey head coaches with 550 career victories, joining Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold (664), Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin (611), and Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson (601).
Schafer’s 556 wins — which ranks 18th in college hockey history — make him one of six active Division I hockey head coaches with at least 500 career wins, also being accompanied by Air Force’s Frank Serratore (521) and Ferris State’s Bob Daniels (510), who, like Schafer, is retiring after the season.
With his victory over Harvard on Jan. 24, Schafer became the 10th Division I men’s hockey head coach to win 550 games with a single program, joining Jack Parker (Boston University), Red Berenson (Michigan), Bob Peters (Bemidji State), Pecknold, Jerry York (Boston College), Ron Mason (Michigan State), Gotkin, Richard Umile (New Hampshire), and John MacInnes (Michigan Tech).
DENVER (MARCH 8, 2025) — Former Cornell defenseman Sam Malinski ‘23 recorded his third career multi-point game in the NHL, registering two assists in the Colorado Avalanche’s 7-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena last Saturday night.
Malinski, who recorded multiple points in an NHL game for the first time since January 16, 2024, during a road victory against Ottawa, notched secondary assists on Valeri Nichushkin’s second goal of the first period and on Joel Kiviranta’s second-period goal, which marked the first of Colorado’s five consecutive goals.
This season, Malinski has played in 61 games with the Avalanche, recording nine points (two goals, seven assists), which leaves him one point shy of matching his career-high total from last season (3-7—10) in just 23 games. He has also blocked 88 shots this season, which ties him with Samuel Girard for the second-highest total on the Avalanche, behind only Cale Makar (99).
• • •
In the American Hockey League (AHL), former Cornell defenseman Jacob MacDonald ‘15 continues to fill up the stat sheet for the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.
MacDonald recorded three points (two goals, one assist) in the Eagles’ 5-1 victory against Henderson on Sunday, increasing his point total to 42 (23 goals, 19 assists).
His career-high of 23 goals ranks tied for the ninth-highest total in the AHL this season, and he has 10 more goals than the second-place defenseman (San Jose’s Luca Cagnoni — 13).
Colgate (18-13-3, 13-7-2 ECAC Hockey) did not play last weekend after securing one of the four coveted opening-round byes for a second consecutive season.
Heading into the best-of-three series with Cornell, Colgate features the 13th-ranked scoring offense in Division I hockey, averaging 3.32 goals per game. Additionally, the Raiders have a shooting percentage of .1176, placing them fourth in the country, surpassed only by Dartmouth (.131), Boston University (.126), and Quinnipiac (.1182).
Offensively, the Raiders are spearheaded by Brett Chorske (15-18—33), who tops the team in goals and points. Tommy Bergsland (4-20—24) leads the team in assists, while Alex DiPaolo (10-15—25) trails Chorske in both goals and points.
Goaltending duties have favored Andrew Takacs (17-10-2, 2.74, .905), as he has started 29 of his 30 appearances this season. Nick Haas (1-3-1, 4.34, .861) has played in seven games, with just one appearance since the New Year (Feb. 15 at Brown in relief).
Cornell and Colgate have faced off 170 times before this weekend’s series, with the Big Red leading the series 90-63-17.
The teams split the regular-season series in early December, with freshman forward Charlie Major recording his first career multi-point game and scoring his first collegiate goal 2:58 into overtime. Colgate countered with a 6-3 victory the following night in Hamilton, driven by third-period power-play goals from Raiders defensemen Michael Neumeier and Reid Irwin during a five-minute major penalty in the third period, which broke a 3-3 tie.
Since Colgate moved into the Class of 1965 Arena, Cornell boasts a record of 5-2-1 and has scored three or more goals in six out of the eight games played at the venue. Overall, the Big Red holds an impressive 11-3-2 record in its last 17 games played in Hamilton.
Cornell enters this weekend’s best-of-three quarterfinal series against Colgate with a 9-3 playoff record against the Raiders, who have won the last two postseason meetings. After the Big Red won the opening game of the 2022 ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinal series at Lynah Rink, Colgate rallied back and secured victories of 4-2 and 2-1 to clinch a spot in Lake Placid.
This weekend marks the fourth time Cornell and Colgate are meeting in the ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinals (1991, 1996, 2022). The Big Red holds a 5-2 record against the Raiders in the round.
Cornell will play postseason games on Colgate’s home ice this weekend for the first time in its history. This leaves Dartmouth as the only remaining ECAC Hockey team that the Big Red has yet to play in a road playoff game.
Cornell director of hockey operations and assistant coach Corey Leivermann coached Robby Newton (2018-19 Janesville Jets), Jack Brandt and Max Nagel (2022-23 Madison Capitols), and Michael Neumeier (2023-24 Fargo Force) … Charlie Major also played with Brandt on the 2022-23 Chicago Steel … Marian Mosko and Jacob Napier played on the 2022-23 Fargo Force … Mosko and Anthony Fernandez spent parts of two seasons on the Lincoln Stars (2021-23) … Ondrej Psenicka and Nic Belpedio were teammates on the 2019-20 Waterloo Black Hawks … Justin Katz and Simone Dadiè played on last year’s Powell River Kings … Daniel Panetta was teammates with Dalton Bancroft (2018-19 Wellington Dukes) and Sullivan Mack (2020-21 Salmon Arm Silverbacks) … Winter Wallace and Dominic Foglia spent parts of three seasons together on Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U AAA and 18U Prep teams from 2017-20 … Nick DeSantis and Ryan Sullivan played two years together on the Sioux Falls Stampede (2018-20) … George Fegaras and Niko Rexine played on the 2022-23 Muskegon Lumberjacks … Robby Newton and Jake Schneider played on the 2019-20 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders alongside Jack O’Leary and Michael Suda … Schneider also spent the 2021-22 season with Ben Robertson on the Waterloo Black Hawks … Ian Shane spent the 2020-21 season playing with Tommy Bergsland (Bismarck Bobcats) and Nick Haas (Chicago Steel) … Brett Merner played with Jack O’Brien and Sean Donaldson on the 2021-22 Nanaimo Clippers.
BOX SCORE I RECAP
HAMILTON, N.Y. (DEC. 7, 2024) — Power-play goals by Colgate defensemen Michael Neumeier and Reid Irwin during a five-minute major penalty in the third period broke open a 3-3 tie, guiding Colgate (8-8-2, 5-2-1 ECAC Hockey) to a 6-3 victory over the No. 12-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team (5-3-3, 3-3-2 ECAC Hockey) at the Class of 1965 Arena on Saturday night.
Max Nagel added an empty-net goal with 7.9 seconds left to solidify the Raiders’ victory.
Joining Neumeier, Irwin, and Nagel in scoring for Colgate were Jake Schneider, Nic Belpedio, and Brett Merner. Andrew Takacs made 17 saves en route to his seventh win on the season.
Senior forward Ondrej Psenicka scored twice for the Big Red and sophomore defenseman George Fegaras added a pair of assists. Senior forward Kyler Kovich also scored for Cornell, snapping his 30-game goalless streak. Senior goaltender Ian Shane made 13 saves in between the pipes for Cornell and junior netminder Remington Keopple stopped all three shots he faced in relief.
For the second straight night, Colgate opened the scoring in the first period as the Raiders capitalized on Cornell icing the puck. On the ensuing offensive-zone faceoff, Alex DiPaolo won the draw back to Schneider at the top of the near faceoff circle, lasering a shot past Shane to take a 1-0 lead just shy of 15 minutes into the contest.
Colgate’s lead would be short-lived as Kovich pounced at a loose puck at the bottom of the right faceoff circle following a fanned one-timer by sophomore forward Tyler Catalano on a pass by Jake Kraft from behind Colgate’s net. Kovich’s goal was his first since scoring against St. Lawrence on Nov. 11, 2022.
Belpedio gave Colgate the lead again on a snapshot from the left side of the point for his third goal of the year at the 5:34 mark of the middle frame.
The Raiders doubled their lead during a 4-on-4 situation late in the middle frame after both teams were assessed roughing penalties. Merner beat Shane to his far-blocker side on a wrist shot from the left side of the near faceoff circle.
Psenicka scored both goals in 2:02 over the second and third periods to draw Cornell level with Colgate, 3-3.
Psenicka’s first goal came on a redirection of Fegaras’ shot from the point with 21.3 seconds left in the second period. Junior forward Dalton Bancroft notched the secondary helper.
Not even two minutes into the third period, Psenicka lasered a shot from the near faceoff circle, beating Takacs over his glove-side shoulder to tie the contest.
Five-plus minutes into the third period, Cornell was assessed a high-sticking penalty and a butt-ending penalty following a relatively lengthy video review. The Big Red successfully killed the 5-on-3 opportunity, but Neumeier and Irwin scored 46 seconds apart to give the Raiders a 5-3 edge during the remaining three minutes of power play time.
Nagel’s empty-net goal helped the Raiders match their season-high for goals, which was previously achieved in a 6-5 overtime victory over Sacred Heart on Oct. 11.
BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
ITHACA, N.Y. (MARCH 8, 2025) — A third-period salvo helped spark the No. 6-seeded Cornell men’s hockey team (14-10-6) to its 5-1 victory over No. 11-seeded Yale (6-21-3) in opening-round action of the 2025 ECAC Hockey Championship before a near-sold-out crowd of 4,121 at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.
Senior defenseman Tim Rego scored two of the Big Red’s five goals, marking his second career multi-goal game (Nov. 13, 2021, vs. RPI). Rego’s defensive partner, Ben Robertson, recorded two assists, while senior forward Ondrej Psenicka chipped in a goal and an assist. Sophomore defenseman Hoyt Stanley and junior forward Nick DeSantis also scored. Senior goaltender Ian Shane saved 18 of 19 shots he faced.
William Dineen tallied the lone marker of the night for the Bulldogs, as goaltender Jack Stark made 28 saves between the pipes in the setback.
Rego gave the Big Red a 1-0 lead 2:33 into the game by receiving a pass from Robertson and performing a toe-drag deke to create separation from a Yale defender, firing his shot over Stark’s glove-side shoulder.
After holding Yale to two shots on target in the first 28 minutes of play, the Bulldogs generated three shots on goal during their second-period power play, which Cornell successfully killed off. Yale’s first shot on goal during the man advantage was its first in over 18 minutes of action (18:09).
Yale capitalized on the power play to build momentum for the rest of the period, launching 12 of the last 16 shots on goal. One of those attempts resulted in the Bulldogs’ equalizer by Dineen, who backhanded a shot from the right hashmark of the left faceoff circle after receiving a pass from David Chen behind the goal line.
Early in the third period, Cornell seemed to have extended its lead when senior forward Sullivan Mack jabbed at a loose puck in the crease during a power-play opportunity. Yale challenged the play for goaltender interference, which was ultimately successful, bringing the score back to 1-1.
Cornell capped the man advantage with six shots on goal, as the Big Red took the first 15 shot attempts in the opening four and a half minutes.
The Big Red’s third-period onslaught began at 9:02, when Psenicka capitalized on a rebound from the mid-slot after sophomore defenseman George Fegaras’ shot from the top of the left faceoff circle was blocked by a Bulldogs defender. Yale challenged for goaltender interference for the second time in the period, but this time the call was upheld after video review.
Just 37 seconds later, Cornell’s lead grew to 3-0 after a takeaway by sophomore forward Jonathan Castagna resulted in Stanley taking a shot from the point that deflected off the jersey of a Yale defender in front of the net and lofted over Stark’s blocker-side shoulder.
With less than six minutes remaining, Yale utilized a third challenge during the period, leading to a five-minute major penalty for contact to the head and a game misconduct charged to Mack. Just under two minutes into the power play, the Bulldogs were penalized for interference, resulting in both teams skating 4-on-4.
Twelve seconds into the 4-on-4, Cornell extended its lead to 4-0 when Rego got a pass from Psenicka during a 2-on-1 odd-man rush and scored against Stark to his high-glove side for the second time the night.
After the five-minute penalty expired, Cornell scored an empty-net goal when senior defenseman Michael Suda saucered a pass from the Big Red’s defensive zone to DeSantis at the opposite blue line after leaving the penalty box.
If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped in line to get season tickets and ensure your spot as one of the raucous and devoted “Lynah Faithful.” But most importantly, if you’ve never been to Lynah, you’ve never experienced all the best that college hockey offers.
Lynah Rink, which enters its 68th year serving as the home of Big Red hockey this season, was formally dedicated on April 6, 1957, a month after its opening to the public on March 4, 1957. The facility, which was built following a $500,000 anonymous donation (approximately $5.59 million in 2024), honors the late James Lynah ’05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.
The donation to build Lynah Rink reresurrected the Cornell hockey program following a 10-year hiatus, ensuring hockey returned as a varsity sport for the 1957-58 season.
Cornell began sponsoring hockey as a varsity sport with the 1900-01 season, which featured all Big Red home games played on the university’s outdoor rink on Beebe Lake. Due to a series of abnormally mild winters, the program was left — literally — on thin ice, causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.
Since its opening in March of 1957, Lynah Rink has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural event on March 21, 1957, a 7-3 victory for the NHL’s New York Rangers in an exhibiton against the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Gump Worsley stopped 44 shots in the victory for the Rangers.
Among the renovations, Cornell spent nearly $1 million in the summer of 2000, to replace the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection and refrigeration piping, and adding new boards and seamless glass.
During the summer of 2006, a 16,700-square-foot expansion added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, new athletic training space, and approximately 450 new seats in the seating bowl.
Over last season’s winter break, updated Cornell branding on the façade and south concourse brought a more modern look to the facility.
Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over time, the crowd remains constant. Lynah Rink can hold 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans, who provide unwavering support for the Big Red while creating an unparalleled atmosphere in college hockey.
Although many rinks in the nation are bigger in capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the “Lynah Faithful,” stream into every home contest, making themselves as much a part of the game as the players do. Whether they’re cheering for the Big Red or joining the pep band in their rendition of “Give My Regards to Davy,” the Lynah Faithful reaffirms the old saying, “There’s no place like home.”
Since the doors opened on Lynah Rink, the Cornell men’s hockey program has won a pair of NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships in 1967 and 1970, garnering an ECAC Hockey-record 13 tournament championships (1967-70, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996-97, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024) and 26 Ivy League titles, 22 of which have been won outright.
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