In both sports, Cornell faces inherent disadvantages. Due to Ivy League policy, Cornell cannot offer athletic scholarships. For lacrosse, Cornell-bound recruits often pass up scholarships to powerhouses like Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, and Johns Hopkins. For hockey, Cornell-bound recruits often pass up scholarships to powerhouses like Michigan, BU, Minnesota, Maine, and North Dakota. Cornell even faces a disadvantage within the Ivy League, since schools like Princeton and Harvard have more competitive aid packages which can effectively amount to a partial scholarship.
Other factors also work against the Big Red. In hockey, due to Ivy rules, Cornell must start practices and games late in the fall, so our teams have considerably less experience heading into the first part of the season. In lacrosse, Cornell must play the weaker Ivy teams every year, while teams like Duke can load their schedules with enough strong opponents to virtually guarantee them a high seed in the NCAA tournament, regardless of which games they win or lose.
Yet, nearly every year, despite these factors, Cornell manages to establish itself as a top-tier team. Cornell's hockey and lacrosse teams have been able to make runs in the NCAA tournaments, yet invariably fall just short of their goals, breaking the hearts of their fans.
In hockey, it's become a regular phenomenon. The stacked 2003 team losing a bullshit game to UNH in the Frozen Four. The 2005 team losing a 2-1 overtime game to Minnesota in Minnesota, falling one win short of the Frozen Four. The 2006 team losing a 1-0 triple overtime game to Wisconsin in Wisconsin, falling one win short of the Frozen Four. The 2009 team losing to upstart fluke team Bemidji State, falling one win short of the Frozen Four.
In lacrosse, it's also turning into a regular phenomenon. The 2007 team made a fantastic run through the season, going undefeated, with wins at Syracuse and at Duke, before that amazing-then-awful national semifinal game against Duke down in Baltimore. Coming back from a 10-3 third quarter deficit to tie the game at 10-10, only to lose on a goal with 3 seconds remaining.
I had almost gotten that loss out of my head. This year's magical run had restored my faith in Cornell's ability to win on the big stage. Just on Saturday, Cornell had demolished the top-seeded Virginia squad, 15-6. And today, in the final against Syracuse, things looked to be going the same way. A 9-6 lead with 4 minutes remaining. A 9-8 lead, and the fucking ball, with 28 seconds left. Then, the heartbreaking goal to tie with 4.5 seconds left. And then the game winner after yet another Cornell turnover in overtime.
The odds are against the Big Red, but nearly every year they prove that they can make it to the big stage. They just haven't proved that they can win once they get there. Looking back at this year just frustrates me...the only thing standing between Cornell and the Frozen Four was Bemidji State, a low seed. The only thing standing between Cornell and the NCAA Lacrosse championship was 4.5 seconds.
Maybe one year, maybe even within my lifetime, we'll get that win and break the curse. Until then, it'll be another rough offseason.
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