{"id":100988,"date":"2019-11-15T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/?p=100988"},"modified":"2019-11-14T21:14:57","modified_gmt":"2019-11-15T03:14:57","slug":"uscho-game-of-the-week-close-friends-off-the-ice-cornells-schafer-clarksons-jones-take-rivalry-to-the-ice-friday-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2019\/11\/15\/uscho-game-of-the-week-close-friends-off-the-ice-cornells-schafer-clarksons-jones-take-rivalry-to-the-ice-friday-night\/","title":{"rendered":"USCHO GAME OF THE WEEK: Close friends off the ice, Cornell’s Schafer, Clarkson’s Jones take rivalry to the ice Friday night"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Cornell’s Mike Schafer (left) and Clarkson’s Casey Jones are close friends away from the rink, but their teams clash tonight in Potsdam (photos: Cornell Athletics\/Clarkson Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Describing Clarkson\u2019s Casey Jones and Cornell\u2019s Mike Schafer as friendly rivals and leaving it at that doesn\u2019t do justice to how deep their relationship runs.<\/p>\n

They are friendly, for sure, and they most certainly are rivals as coaches of two of the top teams in the ECAC. But there is much more to the bond between the two of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably my closest friend in the business,” Jones says of Schafer. \u201cI bounce a ton off him and stay in close contact with him. He is a good person, lot of trust built up with him. It\u2019s a real good relationship and I certainly value that.”<\/p>\n

Both are former Cornell captains. Three decades ago, Jones was a player at Cornell and Schafer was a young assistant coach with the Big Red. They worked alongside each other from 2008 to 2011 when Jones was associate head coach under Schafer at Cornell.<\/p>\n

Jones lets out a laugh and answers with a quick no when asked whether a life in coaching was on his radar back when the clock was running out on his final season as a player.
\nSchafer says he expected that whatever career Jones chose, he would be good at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t look at him back then and think that he\u2019s going to be a hockey coach, but his success as a recruiter or as a head coach doesn\u2019t surprise me, either,” said Schafer, whose record at Cornell is a sparkling 462-259-95.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today and Jones and Schafer and their teams \u2013 both ranked in the top 10 in the national polls — will go toe to toe on Friday night when Cornell visits Clarkson.<\/p>\n

Schafer\u2019s Big Red is 4-0 and have outscored opponents 19-7. Jones\u2019 Golden Knights are 7-2-1 with a 30-19 scoring advantage.<\/p>\n

The last time the teams met was in the ECAC championship game in Lake Placid in March. It was a beauty, with the Golden Knights skating away with the title on a 3-2 win in overtime.<\/p>\n

Despite that bit of recent history, Schafer insists the Big Red treat games against Clarkson no different than any other game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to get into that rollercoaster where one game is a rivalry game and another is just a regular-season game,” Schafer said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to teach our guys, that they\u2019re all difficult.”<\/p>\n

Given Cornell\u2019s year-in-year-out success under Schafer, Jones has a different point of view.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know that they\u2019re a team that you\u2019re going to have to go through if you have aspirations to win a championship in the league. It\u2019s definitely one of those games that you circle. It will be hopping in here this weekend,” he said.<\/p>\n

According to Schafer, at this early point in the season his team is focused on nailing down the details of its own game, not worrying about what opponents are going to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this was March it would be a lot different conversation, where we\u2019d talk in detail about what they do and their tendencies, but right now it\u2019s a couple of adjustments and get ready to play hard because we know they will,” said Schafer, whose teams have been known over the years for their defensive structure.<\/p>\n

While Jones is certainly satisfied with his team\u2019s start \u2013 they carry a four-game winning streak into the weekend \u2013 there is work to be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur consistency of 120 minutes on a weekend isn\u2019t where we want it to be,” he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really try to be a puck possession team. With that in mind, we want to have a purpose when we move pucks. We want to be responsible with it. We want to be difficult to play against when we don\u2019t have the puck. That\u2019s who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

The qualities that made Jones a good player have helped him as a coach. At Clarkson, he has led the Golden Knights to two straight 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a very cerebral, very skilled player. Thought the game well, had a great hockey IQ. Some guys have a lot of hockey IQ and then they struggle to explain that to other players that might not have that,” said Schafer, who is in 25th season as head coach of a program that is a perennial contender.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Casey\u2019s able to take his ability to think the game and get that knowledge across to his athletes. It makes him a good coach.”<\/p>\n

Jones admires Schafer\u2019s passion.<\/p>\n

\u201c’Schaf’ loves the game. His teams play like that, too. He\u2019s a student of the game, but he also brings a ton of energy. He\u2019s got a great culture there and he holds guys accountable. It\u2019s a long season and he brings energy every day. There\u2019s no drop-off,” he said.<\/p>\n

Energy and passion won\u2019t be in short supply this weekend in the North Country, where the Mike Schafer coaching tree has taken root, with Jones at Clarkson and Brent Brekke, a longtime Cornell assistant, at St. Lawrence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be like old home week with the two of those guys,” said Schafer. “It will be fun to catch up.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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