North Dakota is only the second WCHA team to play at Lynah Rink; the first was Denver, which swept a two-game series back in 1979.
Last November in Grand Forks, Cornell made the mistake of trying to play a wide open, western-style game against NoDak. The result was a 7-3 loss. The following night, they returned to playing solid Cornell hockey and pulled off a tight win.
Cornell must resist the urge to play a fast-paced game. Focus on defense, and wait for offensive opportunities. There is no doubt that North Dakota is more talented offensively, and another big weekend from Ben Scrivens might be needed:
Although the defensive numbers are relatively the same – Cornell allows about .1 less goals per game than UND – the goaltending numbers are another story. Ben Scrivens leads ECAC Hockey with a .928 save percentage, while Brad Eidsness has just a .906 save percentage, 43rd in the country.If it's a high-scoring game, North Dakota wins. If it's a low-scoring game, it's a toss-up.
The team should be healthy and rested, but not rusty. This is playoff hockey, with the significance of an NCAA tournament game. If Cornell loses both games, they must win the ECAC championship to make the NCAA tournament. A split, and things are still up in the air. If Cornell can take at least three points, then they place themselves in a great position to move up in every ranking and get on track for an at-large NCAA bid.
Be disciplined and stay out of the box, especially at the pivotal moments in games. Don't miss wide open nets. Take advantage of opportunities like 5-on-3s. Take care of the puck around the net. These are things which Cornell has struggled with; this weekend is the time when everything needs to come together.
Cornell ties tonight and wins tomorrow for a major confidence boost going into the final stretch. Go red.
Well, they certainly managed not to play a fast-paced game. :-)
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