Front Row: Connor English, Myan Adams, Jake Thompson, AJ Fiore, Kyle Ewanouski, Thomas Keith, Rob Pannell, Jason Noble, Steve Mock, Ross Gillum, Max Van Bourgondien, Mike Bronzino, Matt Taylor, Cody Levine, Shane Henry.
Second Row: Associate head athletic trainer Jim Case, assistant director for athletics performance Tom Howley, senior manager Mike Teeter, graduate student athletic rrainer Ashley Mueller, student manager Kelly McGinty, Dan Lintner, Connor Entenmann, Joe Paoletta, Chris Cook, Henry West, Matt Schattner, John Hogan, Brennan Donville, Mike Huttner, Sean Doyle, Jack Molloy, Will Joyce, Tom Freshour, assistant coach Matt Kerwick, volunteer assistant coach Fred Rothman, director of lacrosse operations Mark Wittink, assistant coach Paul Richards, head coach Ben DeLuca.
Third Row: Doug Tesoriero, Andrew West, Cody Bremner, Mike O’Neil, Connor Buczek, Erik Turner, Connor Hunt, Sten Jernudd, John Edmonds, Russell Scott, Jordan Stevens, Matt Donovan, Tony Britton.
The 2011-12 Big Red
When the women’s hockey team lost to St. Lawrence in the ECAC championship tournament, it realized there was a bigger goal in front of them. Sophomore forward Jessica Campbell said, “It was pretty disappointing, but fortunately, we had put ourselves in a position to advance to the NCAAs whether we won or lost the ECACs.”
Little did Campbell and her teammates know what lay ahead of them on the road to their third consecutive Frozen Four.
The first challenge was against Boston University, a team that had knocked the Big Red out of the Frozen Four a year ago. However, Cornell swept the Lady Terriers earlier this season at Lynah Rink. This time, played before a large crowd of over 2,000 at Lynah, the game was one of streaks.
BU scored the first three goals and led 3-1 after one period, but Cornell answered back with four consecutive tallies to go up 4-3 and was on top 5-4 after 40 minutes. Cornell led 7-4 in the third, but the visitors tied the game with 1:57 remaining.
In playoff hockey, each 20-minute overtime period is sudden-victory. The first overtime remained scoreless, and so did the second with a total of 20 shots for BU to 14 for Cornell. The game was becoming eerie with emotions at a feverish peak. The first 50 minutes produced 14 goals. Would it ever end? Cornell just kept on digging.
With 10 seconds remaining in the third overtime, junior defenseman Lauriane Rougeau picked up the puck in her own defensive zone, faked one defender as she crossed the blue line. One more defender got in her way, but with the clock ticking down in the third extra session, Rougeau’s shot went through the legs of the Terrier goaltender as she beat the last defender. “I knew there wasn’t a lot of time left on the clock...I just said I’m going for it.....I was behind the net, when I found out I scored, and I was happy,” explained the exuberant Rougeau.
On the entire afternoon and evening, two Cornell goaltenders made 40 saves, while the BU goalie stopped 58 shots.
The contest lasted 119 minutes and 50 seconds, just 10 seconds shy of being two full games of hockey. It was the longest hockey game ever played at Lynah Rink, breaking the previous mark of 97:40 set by the men less than 24 hours prior in their double overtime victory over Dartmouth in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Coach Doug Derraugh ’91 said, “I played 13 years professionally, I’ve been coaching seven years now, and I don’t think I’ve been involved with a game as crazy as this one.”
The three-overtime win sent the No. 3 seed skaters to the Frozen Four in Duluth, Minn., against No. 2 seed Minnesota.
Minnesota scored two power-play goals in the first period and added an empty-net tally in the last minute of the game. Sophomore defenseman Alyssa Gagliardi made it a 2-1 game halfway through the second period.
“We were a bit flat in the first period,” said Coach Derraugh, “but I thought we played much better in the second period. Give credit to this team, as they never stopped coming and they never gave up. We just came up one goal short. The Gophers won 3-1, and went on to defeat No. 1 seed Wisconsin 4-2 to claim their third national championship.
Johnston and junior defenseman Laura Fortino were named to the All-America first team, while Rougeau made the second unit.Derraugh had special praise for his eight seniors.
“When they first came in, this was a team that had been last in the Ivy League,” he said. “They’ve completely changed our culture and our program. They are a very passionate group, very dedicated and team oriented. After all the things they’ve accomplished, they are very humble. They’re great people to work with as a coach. Cornell is certainly indebted to this senior class.”
