[JordanIB]

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Clarkson finished the yr 9-1-1 but not sure the ECAC wins are as significant as UMass's run in the Hockey East

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Sigh...the old refrain. If I had a nickel for every time I heard this...!

First in 2003 when Cornell went to the Frozen Four. Heck, that year many pundits said how much trouble we would have in Round 1 vs. the fast-paced play of the WCHA's high-flying Mankato team.

Then in 2005 when Cornell had no shot playing out West against a Minnesota team playing on home ice...another 1 goal loss, this time in OT when we were basically controlling play the final 15-20 minutes of play.

Then again in 2006, when we again would not be able to handle one of the WCHA's best in Colorado College (beat them), and then would again have little chance against a #1 seed playing on home ice, and this time taking the eventual champion into triple overtime, for another 1 goal loss.

Yes, some of these are losses, and yes, from the middle of the pack to the bottom other conferences are likely stronger, but at least as the Big Red have shown in recent years, the top team or 2 in the conference can most certainly hang with anybody in the nation.

But then again, maybe it was just Cornell, because Hahvahd recent NCAA performance could be used to make the exact reverse argument [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]