Big Red Draw New Hampshire in NCAA First Round
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ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team will open up the
2010 NCAA tournament at a familiar place and against a familiar
foe, as the Big Red will take on New Hampshire on Friday at 6:30
p.m. at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Cornell is making
its second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament and 18th
overall when it opens up against the Wildcats.
The Big Red advanced to the NCAA tournament after earning the
automatic bid of ECAC Hockey after winning the conference
tournament title on Saturday night at the Times Union Center.
Cornell defeated Union, 3-0, in the league title game, led by 32
saves from tournament MVP Ben Scrivens.
New Hampshire enters the tournament by getting an at-large berth
into the field of 16 teams after being eliminated in the semifinals
of the Hockey East tournament. The Wildcats won the Hockey East
regular season championship but fell to Maine in the semifinals,
5-2. UNH is led by Hobey Baker Award finalist Bobby Butler, who
leads the team in goals (27) and points (50) and is second on the
team in assists (23). Brian Foster backstops the Wildcats, posting
a .910 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average.
Cornell and New Hampshire have already met this season, with
Cornell claiming a 5-2 victory at New Hampshire's Whittemore Center
on Jan. 3. Cornell and New Hampshire also have a storied history in
the NCAA tournament, with Cornell and UNH facing off in both 2002
and 2003 in the NCAA tournament. In 2002, the Big Red dropped a 4-3
contest in the East Regional Final in Worcester, Mass., and in
2003, Cornell fell by a 3-2 margin in the national semifinals in
Buffalo, N.Y. All-time, the Big Red holds a slim 12-11 lead over
the Wildcats.
