But Growing Pains of New, Young Group Have Meant Some Big Ups and Downs
by Jane McNally/CHN Reporter
Ben Robertson (photo: Ned Dykes)
Attend a practice at the old Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., and you might hear a whole lot of this:
“Details, details, details!”
If you arrive a half-hour before practice begins, don’t fret — you’ll see some action. Odds are, you’ll see a defenseman or two. Some will be coming from a video session, often with the likes of their defensive partner, while others will get some extra reps in on the ice before the remainder of the team joins them.
The number-eight defensive corps in the nation doesn’t take its craft lightly — allowing just over two goals per game over the first half of its 2023-24 season, Cornell prides itself on its hard-nosed, pesky defense, marquee to its style of play.
So, what’s the philosophy behind Cornell’s defensive prowess?
“Great attention to details and our habits, and a responsibility to our expectations for our d-partners and our d-corps,” says Cornell associate head coach Ben Syer.
In his 13th season with the Red, Syer leads the defensive group that has flourished and produced pro-caliber defensemen over the past decade. Entering this season, Syer’s defensive group has ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense for six consecutive years. Within that same time frame, Cornell is one of only two teams in the NCAA to average fewer than two goals allowed per game, at an impressive 1.95, second only to Minnesota State.
The walls of the Cornell hockey locker room are full of phrases for players to embody and work at every day: “attention to details,” “personal accountability,” and “collective sacrifice,” among many others.
“Much like our program is, we try to make our d-corps like its own entity,” Syer said. “We always reference our d-partners as our lifelines, like best buddies. You know, like, ‘I got to take care of my best buddy the same way that I would hope he would take care of me.’ So we try to build a little bit of camaraderie in that regard, as well.”
Cornell lost 10 seniors to graduation this past spring, including half of its defensive group. Notably, they lost the stellar play and leadership of captains Travis Mitchell, a current mainstay with the Bridgeport Islanders of the…
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