NEW YORK — The “World’s Most Famous Arena” will see the Cornell University men’s hockey team’s most famous rivalry next season. The fourth edition of The Frozen Apple will feature Cornell against Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 24 at Madison Square Garden, Cornell University’s Meakem*Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education Andy Noel announced today.
“We are very excited to continue the tradition of The Frozen Apple with our rival, Harvard.” said Mike Schafer, the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey at Cornell. “The games at Lynah Rink have historically been unbelievable sporting events. But given the stage, this game will be one that people will talk about for years to come.”
Tickets for The Frozen Apple will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1 directly through Cornell’s athletic ticketing site, CornellBigRedTickets.com. Fans will be able to choose a section and seats will be assigned best available at time of purchase by the Cornell Athletic Ticketing Office.
The game will mark the eighth consecutive season and the 10th time in the last 12 years that Cornell has played on the storied ice in Manhattan. But it will be the first time the Big Red clashes with its biggest current rival. While Cornell and Harvard compete in the ECAC Hockey and even met in the league’s championship game as recently in 2017, this meeting at Madison Square Garden will be a non-league affair. The teams will still host their traditional league games at their respective rinks later in the season.
This will be Cornell’s fourth appearance in The Frozen Apple, following victories against Michigan in 2012, Penn State in 2014 and New Hampshire in 2016. The Big Red has also competed in six Red Hot Hockey matchups with Boston University in odd-numbered years starting in 2007, which ignited a renaissance for college hockey at Madison Square Garden.
Cornell has been battling with ancient rival Harvard since 1910, and they have matched up 152 times with the Big Red sweeping the two 2017-18 games – including an exhilarating game on Nov. 11 that ended with Alec McCrea’s game-winning, power-play goal with 2.3 seconds left in the third period.
“We are excited to bring one of the most hotly contested rivalries in college hockey to the grandest of stages,” Noel said. “Our alumni, fans and student-athletes will circle this game on their calendars as these programs continue to write new chapters in this historic battle.”
For Harvard, it will be a return to New York after playing in Rivalry On Ice games against Yale in 2014 and 2015 and Quinnipiac in 2016.
“We are looking forward to our return to Madison Square Garden next winter for what should be another memorable experience for our student-athletes,” said Ted Donato, The Robert D. Ziff ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey. “For Harvard men’s ice hockey, playing our rival Cornell in one of the most historic hockey venues in the world will clearly be something we’re excited to be a part of.”
Cornell has claimed two national championships (1967, 1970), 12 ECAC Hockey championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances in the last 16 years. Many members of the Big Red have gone on to forge careers in the National Hockey League, including the likes of Hall of Fame inductees Ken Dryden and Joe Nieuwendyk, plus current NHLers Riley Nash (Boston Bruins) and Joakim Ryan ’15 (San Jose Sharks), and 2018 Olympian Ben Scrivens ’10 (Canada).
“There has been an overwhelming response to college hockey at Madison Square Garden for over 10 years and it all started with Cornell University,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, Marquee Events. “We are excited to welcome back the Big Red and their great fan base for this thrilling match up against longstanding Ivy League rival, Harvard University in the ‘Frozen Apple’ on November 24.”
