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JUNE/JULY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 45 With The Help Of Their Coaches, Cornell Players Manage To Put Disappointment Behind Them As They Look Forward To Next Season T e a r s , d i s a p p o i n t m e n t a n d frustration soon gave way to acceptance, resignation and a healthy perspective during a worldwide pandemic. Cornell players and fans, like so many other college ice hock- ey programs, can still ruminate about what might have been following the sudden end of two promising campaigns. The top-ranked men's and women's teams were both preparing for their next opponent when the NCAA announced that it was canceling the rest of the post- season in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID -19 pandemic. Instead of having their playoff fate decided on the ice, the top women's seed saw its season end a couple days before a mid-March NCAA quarterfinal home game. T h e s u d d e n n e s s o f t h e e n d st u n g senior forward Paig e Lewis of New Canaan, Conn. There would be no final effort to pull out a win, no satisfaction in knowing you gave it your all and fell short. " We were preparing all year for this one moment and for it to be taken away hurt a lot more than losing in the end," Lewis recalled. "Everyone was just sit- ting in a circle [in the locker room]. We knew our time together was over." "The girls were coming in and I could see there were tears so I k new they 'd heard," said women's head coach Doug Derraugh. "I knew they wouldn't hear much of what I had to say because they wer e s o d i s t r aug ht . I t r ie d t o m a ke them understa nd a nd be proud of a ll they had accomplished." "Spor ts mir rors life a nd there w ill b e a lot of t h i n g s t h at w i l l b e mor e dramatic and important that you will h ave t o h a nd le," D er r aug h r e c a l le d from that meeting. "It hurts right now, but this is a small blip compared to the rest of the challenges you w ill face in your life." After the hurt faded, Lewis and the other players began to see the bigger picture. " We have all realized that this pan- demic is a lot bigger than ourselves and the team," Lewis said. "I do respect the decision the NCAA made. It was about protecting our families and individuals that we love." The Cornell men's season just ended before the ECAC playoffs. Cam Donaldson returned home to Pittsboro, N.C., after the season was cut short.