March 30, 2003
NCAA East Regional
McRae returns to second home

NCAA Tournament Coverage

Brackets | Info The Dean's List Regional Roundups --------------------------------- Northeast Reg. First Rd. West Reg. First Round --------------------------------- Regional Primers East Reg. Capsules Northeast Reg. Capsules Midwest Reg. Capsules West Reg. Capsules --------------------------------- East Reg. Preview Northeast Reg. Preview Midwest Reg. Preview West Reg. Preview

By Juan Martinez

PROVIDENCE, R.I.– With a quick flick of the wrists, Cornell’s Matt McRae assured himself of a return trip to the city he calls his “home away from home.”

In his younger days, the Toronto native spent a fair amount of time in Buffalo, New York. Now, as a Cornell senior, he, his teammate and twin brother Mark, and the rest of the Big Red are headed to Western New York for the NCAA Frozen Four and a semifinal match-up against New Hampshire.

“Growing up, we played in two to three tournaments a year in Buffalo,” said McRae, minutes after scoring his double-overtime winner against Boston College. “We spent a lot of time there.”

Not always on the ice.

“We would go to the malls all the time,” he joked, “back when the Canadian dollar was worth something.”

McRae nearly ended the NCAA East Regional Final with less than 10 seconds left in the first overtime, streaking down the right side of the ice before his shot was stopped by Eagles’ netminder Matti Kaltiainen.

“I remembered how he stopped me the first time,” said McRae about his thought process as his winning scoring opportunity unfolded. “The second chance, I came across the ice with speed and had space to shoot. The goalie cheated far side. He stopped me on one side in the first OT, so I thought this time I’d try the other side.”

It worked, as his quick shot beat Kaltiainen just under the crossbar.

“At first, when the puck went in,” said McRae, “I thought ‘thank god it’s over,’ then I thought, ‘Whew! Am I tired.’”

Cornell played a physical first round game against Minnesota State-Mankato the day before in what was an uncomfortably warm rink. At times in this contest, the Big Red appeared a bit sluggish, but managed to turn it on in the extra sessions.

“It was just a matter of time,” McRae said. “We worked for a long time and we were tired and dehydrated. It was like a war, guys were bleeding.”

The Big Red, despite facing strong BC chances, maintained their composure throughout the game, sticking to the system that earned them ECAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and the top ranking in the country. And now, they’ll take that style of play to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1980.

“Our roots are in a strong defensive system,” explained McRae, “and the players are committed to the system. We don’t have any high profile recruits, but we have a lot of blue collar workers.

“There’s so much involved in getting to the Frozen Four. It’s a place we’ve been preparing for and where our fans expect us to be. Anything can happen now that we’re there.”