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Big Game 
ECAC HOCKEY LEAGUE MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 19, 2005

aFTER COMPLETING A 22-4-3 REGULAR SEASON AND wrapping up the Ivy League and regular-season ECAC titles, the men's hockey team advanced to the conference tournament by downing Clarkson twice in quarterfinal games at Lynah Rink. At Albany's Pepsi Arena, the Big Red blanked Vermont 3-0 in the tournament semifinal. That contest was goalie David McKee's tenth shutout of the year, breaking both the Cornell and ECAC records for shutouts in a single season. McKee, who was named ECAC and Ivy League Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist, had earlier surpassed the career shutout record set by Ken Dryden '69; Dryden posted 13 shutouts overall while McKee already has 15--and he's a sophomore.

In the ECAC championship game, the Big Red thoroughly dominated Harvard, winning 3-1 behind a pair of power-play goals by defenseman Charlie Cook '05, chosen the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Senior forward Paul Varteressian tallied the other Cornell goal. The championship was the team's 11th ECAC title and the fourth in ten seasons for head coach Mike Schafer '86, named the conference's Coach of the Year for the third time.

Ranked number three in the nation in the USA Today poll, the Big Red advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they faced Ohio State in the West Regional at the University of Minnesota. Playing on an Olympic-size rink (15 feet wider than Lynah), Cornell was outshot 36-20 by the Buckeyes, but won the game 3-2 on a third-period goal by senior forward Mike Iggulden. The next day, the Big Red took on Minnesota--and its 9,000 fans--for a chance to go to the Frozen Four. The game went into overtime before the Golden Gophers prevailed, 2-1.McKee was once again brilliant, stopping 37 shots. He completed the season with a 1.24 goals-against average, third-best in college hockey history, and a save percentage of .947, breaking Dryden's Cornell record of .945 in the 1966–67 season. The icers ended the year with a stellar 27- 5-3 mark, and they set an NCAA modern-era defensive record by allowing only 1.29 goals per game.

STRONG SEASON  Led by first-team All-Ivy League pick Lenny Collins '06, the men's basketball team finished second in the Ivy League, its best showing since winning the 1987–88 title. Collins averaged a teamhigh 13.3 points per game. Eric Taylor '05 earned honorable mention All- Ivy after averaging 11.0 points per game and leading the league in shooting accuracy with a 57.2 field goal percentage.

WRESTLE-MANIA  In March, Cornell sent nine wrestlers to the NCAA championships, the most in the program's history. The Big Red captured fourth place in the overall standings, its best finish since 1953. Travis Lee '05 won his second national championship and completed the year with a school and league record of 143 wins. (He was subsequently featured in Sports Illustrated.) Senior Tyler Baier also battled his way to a championship match before falling to Greg Bunch of West Virginia. Lee, a four-time All-American, was named Ivy League Wrestler of the Year for the second time, and Jordan Leen '08 was chosen as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Joining Lee and Leen as first-team All-Ivy picks were Baier, Joe Mazzurco '05, Dustin Manotti '06, and Jerry Rinaldi '07. Coach Rob Koll was named NWCA Division I Coach of the Year.

RISING STAR  After completing her first season with the women's basketball team, Lindsay Krasna '08 will represent the United States in the Maccabiah Games. Krasna was named to the Ivy League all-rookie team after leading Cornell with 12.3 points per game and shooting a league-best 87.1 percent from the free-throw line, a Cornell season record. The Maccabiah Games, an Olympic-style competition featuring many of the top Jewish athletes in the world, will be held in Israel on July 10–21.

CHAMPS AGAIN  Another year, another pair of Heptagonal titles for the indoor track teams. Cornell swept the men's and women's Heptagonal indoor meets held February 26–27 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The women rolled to their fourth consecutive title by a record 80 points over runner-up Yale. The men's team scored in all events but one while winning its second indoor Heps title in three years and its fourth in the last five years. A pair of freshmen led the way as Jordan Lester won the 60 meters in a school-record 6.81 seconds while Saidu Ezike tied the Heps record and set the Cornell record in the 60-meter hurdles with a 7.98 second run.

ACCOLADE  Former men's lacrosse coach Richie Moran received the 2005 Peter Kohn Award from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in January. Moran coached the Big Red to three national titles and a 257-121 record during his 29-year head coaching tenure. He was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. The Kohn award is presented annually to a lacrosse coach who has had a great impact on the game.

RACQUET MAN  William Cheng '06 was named first-time All-Ivy in squash after going 14-6, including a 4-2 record in league matches. He won the consolation draw at the Collegiate Squash Association individual championships, reeling off four straight wins after losing his opening match.

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