Dartmouth dominated Cornell by a score of 6-1 during their college hockey game on Saturday night. However, the final result was not the biggest story from the highly-anticipated evening in Ithaca, New York.
Coaches from both sides got involved in a wild, bench-clearing brawl after the final buzzer. The Big Red and the Big Green will face further discipline from the ECAC, including (potentially lengthy) suspensions, in the coming days.
Dartmouth won the college hockey game by five goals and proceeded to celebrate right in the front of Cornell’s famously raucous student section, the Lynah Faithful.
That did not go over well with the home team.
Thank you, Lynah Faithful, for being the best fans in college hockey. Same time next year? 🐻#YellCornell pic.twitter.com/YmCJ75qfQf
— Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey (@CornellMHockey) April 2, 2024
In response to the displeasure, the Big Red started to push and shove the Big Green away from the glass. Pushing and shoving quickly turned far more violent. Both teams started chucking knucks.
Some stuff was going on with their team and our guys went down there […]
They felt that [Dartmouth’s behavior] was not appropriate, whatever it was. And I’ll talk with our guys afterwards and I have to take responsibility.
— Cornell head coach Mike Schafer
Coaches, some of who were already on the ice, quickly got involved. They tried to separate the individual fist-fights that broke out all over the rink but were largely unsuccessful. Cornell head coach Mike Schafer at one point put his hands on an official so he expects to be suspended.
I talked to the referee at the end […]
He put his hands on one of our players, and I [thought] it was in appropriate, and I put my hands on him and asked not to put his hands on our player. So I’ll probably get suspended […]
But I take full responsibility to keep our guys near the bench on what went on near the end of the game.
— Cornell head coach Mike Schafer
Although the game was already over, 108 minutes of penalties were called between the two teams as a result of the fight. It was complete and total chaos. A sold-out crowd at Lynah Rink went bonkers.
crazy brawl at cornell vs dartmouth ‼️💥 pic.twitter.com/yevBwvyjYv
— Anya Weinrieb (@anyaweinrieb) January 26, 2025
Cornell and Dartmouth were eventually separated after a lengthy brawl and went back to their respective locker rooms. The Eastern College Athletic Conference will review the incident over the next few days. Multiple suspensions for both programs are inevitable. Schafer takes responsibility for his role and accepts what is soon to come.
I don’t blame any of the guys on our team. I blame myself for our guys going down there.
— Cornell head coach Mike Schafer
Both teams will return to the ice next weekend. They will both be short-handed as a result of the wild scene in Ithaca on Saturday night and the ensuing punishments.