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46 // JUNE/JULY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF Cornell University BIG RED REGRETS "Coach [Mike Schafer] told us we had to fight through this because worse things have hap- pened," said rising senior forward Cam Donaldson of Pittsboro, N.C. "That got our spirits up. We were happy to still have 27 brothers around us. We played a scrim- mage and we all had a good time playing the game we love." Not being around his team- mates was tough for Donaldson, who was used to taking spring classes. Suddenly he found him- self spending more time than usual in his small hometown (pop. 4,300). Rising senior defenseman Alex Green of Chicago misses cam- pus life, too, but like Donaldson, appreciates the opportunity to spend time with family. " T h i s i s l i k e t h e f i r s t t i m e I've been home this early since I was a junior in high school," said Green, who was named the ECAC's top defensive defense- man. "I am making up for a lot of lost time." The Cornell men and women can take pride in their historic seasons. Both programs were ranked No. 1 in the final USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today polls, a first for both squads. There were no national polls when the men won the 1967 and 1970 NCAA titles. T h e B i g R e d m e n (2 3 -2 - 4 , .862-win percentage) were the nation's best since Maine (.956) won the 1993 NCA A champion- ship. The tea m's 18-2-2 ECAC record gave it 38 points, match- i n g t h e pr o g r a m 's b e s t t ot a l since 2005. The men were second in Div. I with a 1.55 goals-against average while allowing 24 even-strength goals in 29 games. The offense scored 104 goals (3.59 per game), a program best since the 2002- 03 season. Schafer was named ECAC Coach of the Year for a record fifth time. "One of the things we instill within our program is to not waste time and energy on things you can't control—and the sud- den end to the year is one of those things," Schafer said. "It's disappointing to not have a crack at the postseason, but we're still very thankful for the season that we did have and appreciate being voted No. 1." The men were set to qua lif y for an NCA A tournament berth f or a f o u r t h - s t r a i g ht y e a r, a t e s t a m e n t t o t h e p r o g r a m 's senior leadership. The Cornell women enjoyed their share of firsts by being the t o p N CA A t o u r n a m e n t s e e d , going undefeated in league reg- ular-season play while claim- ing the ECAC (19-0-3) and Ivy League (10-0-0) championships. Additionally, their win per- centage of .894 (28-2-3) led all of Div. I, also a program first. The Big Red were ranked first in the nation in team defense, giving up less than one goal per game, i n c l u d i n g a p r o g r a m - l o w 2 2 even-strength goals in 33 games. That defense was anchored by rising senior goalie Lindsay B r o w n i n g , t h e f i r s t C o r n e l l women's goalie to be named as a CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association All-American (sec- ond team). The Penfield, N.Y., native led the nation in three major stats (0.91 GAA, .894 win- ning percentage and 12 shutouts). It was easy to see why both teams had high hopes. If both programs had won their respec- tive Frozen Fours—both teams had plenty of tough games left—it would have been the first time since 2006 when Wisconsin won both NCAA Div. I championships. "It's a tough break for Cornell hockey overall," Derraugh said. "This was one of our best oppor- tunities yet to do something spe- cial for both programs. But there are bigger things in life right now." The players and coaches have put aside ruminating on what might have been to being proac- tive about next season. "Definitely, we kind of started talking about it as a team after w e r e g r o u p e d ," G r e e n s a i d . "Unfinished business is a very accurate way to put it." "Our freshman year [two years ago], we lost to Colgate in the ECAC semifinals and it ended rather abruptly," Browning said. "That translated last year into that hunger. We have all been working out, starting our offsea- son training already. I want to do it for the [five] seniors who didn't get that chance this year." P Joe Paisley is a freelance writer based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Throughout the highs and lows of the 2019-20 season, Cornell women's team head coach Doug Derraugh, left, and men's head coach Mike Schafer, right, kept their teams focused on the task at hand. Both squads finished the season No. 1 in the USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today polls. It's a tough break for Cornell hockey overall. This was one of our best opportunities yet to do something special for both programs. But there are bigger things in life right now."