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Cook, Vesce Add To Cornell's NHL Pipeline
Created: 7/27/2006 11:32:40 AM
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Courtesy of Cornell Athletic Communications
Former Big Red men's ice hockey players Charlie Cook and Ryan Vesce have each signed one-year contracts with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL, adding to the growing number of Cornellians in the world's top hockey league. The duo joins recent signees Shane Hynes (Anaheim Mighty Ducks), David McKee (Anaheim Mighty Ducks) and Sasha Pokulok (Washington Capitals) as Cornellians to sign NHL contracts in the past year.
Cook played his first full American Hockey League (AHL) season with the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2005-06. The Port Huron, Mich., native picked up two goals and 13 assists last season as one of the team's top defensemen. At Cornell, Cook served as assistant captain and was a key piece of the Big Red squad that posted a best-in-the-nation 27-5-3 record (.814) in 2004-05. During his time on the East Hill, the squad won four consecutive Ivy League titles, three ECAC Hockey League regular season championships, two ECACHL tournament championships and appeared in the NCAA tournament three times, falling just short of its second Frozen Four in three seasons this past March.
An offensive force from the blue line, Cook scored a career-high nine goals in 2004-05, including the game winner and an insurance goal against Harvard in the ECACHL championship contest on March 19 at Pepsi Arena in Albany. With that performance, Cook solidified himself as the Most Outstanding Player of the ECACHL tournament. He also had 13 assists for a personal-best 22 points in a season which saw him earn First-Team All-Ivy and Second-Team All-ECACHL honors.
In addition to being a threat to score on the power play, Cook played an important role on one of the most dominating defensive teams in the history of college hockey. Over his four-year career, the team allowed just 1.59 goals per game, the lowest four-year total ever by a college hockey team. Hidden within that mark were two of the top three single-season marks since the Depression. The 2002-03 team allowed 1.36 goals per game, which is tied with the 2000-01 Michigan State squad for second. The 2004-05 squad was even stingier, setting the post-Depression mark and posting the third-best mark ever by allowing just 1.29 markers per contest. The team allowed more than two goals only three times in 35 games that season. The three games were consecutive, sandwiched between a run of 10 straight opponents held under three goals to open the season and an amazing 22-game streak which broke the school record by eight games and is still active. During that time, the Big Red allowed only 22 goals.
Vesce, a 5-8 forward, played his first professional season with the AHL's Springfield Falcons. The Lloyd Harbor, N.Y., native led the Falcons in assists (49) and points (67) after signing an AHL contract to join the team in September 2005. In 2004-05, Vesce averaged more than a point a game with division 1 Rogle BK of the Swedish League.
One of Cornell's leading scorers all four seasons with the Big Red, Vesce finished his career with 128 points on 46 goals and 82 assists and ranked 22nd all-time among Cornell scorers. He served as the team's captain as a senior and was a steadfast leader on and off the ice. He had a spectacular performance early that season against Princeton, with a hand in all seven goals. He picked up his first collegiate hat trick and then added four assists in the 7-0 victory. He also had 10 power-play points on the year with five extra-man goals and five assists. Though he was forced out of five games due to injury, he finished his senior season with 10 goals and 16 assists and was named second-team All-Ivy and honorable mention All-ECAC.
This past season, three Cornellians saw ice time in the NHL. Joe Nieuwendyk led the former Big Red players in the pro ranks with 26 goals and 30 assists for the Florida Panthers a season ago in his 19th NHL season. David LeNeveu played in 15 contests for the Phoenix Coyotes, posting a 3-8-0 record with a 3.24 GAA and an .886 save percentage. Doug Murray played 34 games for the San Jose Sharks, recording an assist and ranking among the top 10 in hits among rookies (110). In addition, 11 other former Cornell players were with NHL affiliates in 2005-06.
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Related Schools: Cornell
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Related Sports: Ice Hockey
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*This Article has been archived.*
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