Since he first stepped between the pipes at Lynah Rink, Cornell sophomore David LeNeveu has been compared to such goaltending legends as Ken Dryden and Brian Cropper. Last Friday night against Rensselaer, LeNeveu earned himself a spot alongside them in the record books when he tied Dryden's junior-year school record for six shutout wins in a single season. Add those to last season's pair of shutouts (when LeNeveu was sharing goaltending duties with senior Matt Underhill) for a career total of eight to date, more than halfway, in less than two seasons, to Dryden's 13-shutout career record.

Sophomore goaltender David LeNeveu acknowledges the crowd's cheers Friday night, following the shutout victory over Rensselaer. eLynah.com photo by Age Manocchia.

The weekend's performance earned LeNeveu the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Goaltender of the Week honors. "Knowing David, he will want to break the record and add on to it," says Cornell head coach Mike Schafer.

Last season, the freshman had the best goals-against average in NCAA hockey, 1.50 -- second only to Dryden (who also holds the third and fourth spots) in Cornell's top goaltending record book. Following this weekend, his goals-against average (the average number of goals scored against a goalie per game) is a stunning 1.21, leading the ECAC and the nation. It's a mark the young goalie wishes were lower, and we wouldn't object to his wish coming true. "Knowing David, he will want to break the record and add on to it," says Cornell head coach Mike Schafer.

Weekend Action

Friday's shutout saw just twelve shots on the net from Rensselaer, thanks to a stifling Big Red defense, not to mention an offense that kept up the pressure on the Engineers throughout the game, beginning with a shot from senior Stephen Bâby just 18 seconds in. LeNeveu was called upon to stop four shots in each of the three periods, while Cornell put a total of 29 shots on the net over the course of the game, with five slipping past Engineer netminders Kevin Kurk and Nathan Marsters.

On Saturday, facing a Union squad the Red had blanked 6-0 just last month in Schenectady, Cornell should have had an equally easy time. The Skating Dutchmen shocked the sell-out crowd by scoring first, late in the first period. Cornell freshman Dan Pegoraro got the Big Red on the board in the second, and sophomore winger Michael Knoepfli got the eventual game-winner late in the third. Union freshman Tim Roth played an outstanding game in the net himself, posting 27 saves, including 11 in each of the last two periods, before head coach Kevin Sneddon pulled the goalie for an extra skater with less than two minutes to go in the third, trying to tie the game at two. They couldn't do it, and Matt McRae added an empty-netter with 33 seconds left to play.

Pomp and Circumstance

Prior to Saturday's game, Union coach Sneddon, who happens to be on the College Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation board, made a presentation to senior Sam Paolini, who's one of five finalists for the award given to college hockey's finest citizen. On Paolini's chances for winning the award itself, Schafer says, "Sam has already won, as has the Ithaca community."

Following the game was the annual Senior Night ceremony, recognizing the team's seven graduating seniors with a spotlit "victory lap" around the rink and a nod to the players' families.

Almost lost in the well-deserved attention for LeNeveu, Paolini, and the seniors was the news that Cornell's wins and other league results from the weekend earned the Red the season's Ivy League title outright.

Up next for the Big Red

The Big Red hits the road this weekend to finish off the regular season at Princeton and Yale. Asked how he's focusing the team on staying up for the coming games, the coach says "Our players realize the importance of winning every game, to not only clinch first place but also to give us the best possible seed for the NCAA."

Princeton, in the ECAC cellar with a 2-17-1 record in league play and 3-23-1 overall, lost both of its games in the North Country this past weekend, falling to St. Lawrence 9-4 and Clarkson 5-2. The Tigers gave LeNeveu his first shutout this season, falling to the Big Red at Lynah 3-0 on opening weekend in November.

Yale, on the other hand, is third in the league behind Cornell and Harvard, and split their North Country weekend, beating Clarkson on Friday 3-1 then dropping Saturday's game to St. Lawrence on Saturday 5-3. In Ithaca last November, Cornell leapt out to a 4-0 lead over the Bulldogs before the first Yale tally, and ended with a 6-2 win. Saturday night's game at New Haven's Ingalls Rink to close out the regular season has been sold out for weeks. The game will be televised on the YES network and NESN, and on satellite AMC5 transponder 14.

Cornell, which stays in the #2 slot in both USA Today and US College Hockey Online polls, behind Colorado College in both cases, has already earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs, scheduled for next weekend, and home ice for the quarterfinal round. Tickets are on sale now to season ticket holders for the March 14th-16th quarterfinal games at Lynah Rink; tickets not purchased by March 7th will go on sale to the general public on March 10th. Cornell's athletic ticket office is open Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm, in the lobby of Bartels Hall. Sales will be made over the phone (254-BEAR), but customers at the ticket window will be served first.