The men’s hockey team had little trouble on Saturday night stopping a red-hot Dartmouth squad that was riding a five-game winning streak. Senior forward and co-captain Michael Kennedy’s power play goal just 2:38 into the game gave the Red a lead it wouldn’t relinquish, as Cornell went on to score twice more and take the victory, 3-1.

Tonight and tomorrow, Lynah Rink will host what could be two of the most crucial home games for the Red this year. Tonight, the Red (2-0-2, 2-0-2 ECACH Hockey) will square off against the visiting Harvard Crimson (4-2-1, 4-2-1) in what will be the 129th meeting in this bitter historic rivalry. Tomorrow, a Dartmouth team (4-2-0, 4-1) that is tied for second in ECAC Hockey will come to Ithaca for a 7 p.m. matchup.

Head coach Deitre Collins-Parker didn’t have any complex strategic advice or passionate speeches for the volleyball team when it seemed on its way to an upset loss to Harvard in the last match of the season. She asked a simple question, and the team — which had dropped the third and fourth sets to Harvard after winning the first two — responded.

One thing became evident about the men’s swimming team after its meet at Harvard this past weekend — this team is ready to compete for an Ivy title. After traveling to Cambridge, Mass., to take on Dartmouth and defending Ivy champion Harvard, the Red came up seconds short of beating the defending champions in its own pool. Cornell did defeat Dartmouth, but ultimately could not hold on for the upset over the Crimson.

The women’s soccer team pushed Saturday night’s game against Dartmouth into overtime. The Green delivered the last goal, however, leaving the Red with a 3-2 loss in its last game of the season.

If the Cornell football team thought it had trouble scoring in the red zone, on a gray and overcast Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, Dartmouth’s woes in such situations put everything into perspective. After junior running back Randy Barbour capped a 13-play, 76-yard opening drive for Cornell with his fifth touchdown of the season, Dartmouth marched the length the field to attempt a 26-yard field goal from inside the red zone. Senior linebacker Graham Rihn had other plans, however, deflecting the ensuing kick to sophomore cornerback Andy Wade, who returned the loose football 69 yards to pay dirt. The Red never looked back en route to a 37-14 cakewalk over the winless Green.

Maybe it was the emotion of Senior Night — a Berman Field send-off for the 10 seniors of the men’s soccer team — or maybe it was the adrenaline the athletes got from facing a top team like Dartmouth. Whatever the reason, the Red upped the intensity in its last home game of the season, intensity not reflected in the loss’s final score of 5-2.

The fat lady hasn’t sung yet for the field hockey team. Tomorrow’s game on Marsha Dodson field will be the last of the season and is make or break for the Red in terms of the Ivy League final rankings. After a tough loss to Princeton last week, the Red face third-ranked Dartmouth with a possible Cornell championship is on the line.

After a disheartening loss to Princeton last week, the Red will look to move back to .500 with a win over Dartmouth at Schoellkopf Field tomorrow afternoon. In last week’s contest, the team had 555 yards of offense but still lost by five points. The loss was the Red’s third Ivy loss of the year, making it nearly impossible to win an Ivy League title. But that sentiment wasn’t obvious on the field yesterday evening as the team prepped for another Ivy League foe.

Being a “rebuilding team” has its ups and downs. On the downside, you’re probably not going to have a record-breaking season if you are still trying to get settled. The upside, though, is that after that first, really tough year, you might just come out and surprise everyone — including yourself. The volleyball team struggled last season and during this year’s preseason as well. But tonight, the Red has a chance to put the past behind it as it takes on Yale, at home, for sole possession of first place in the Ivy League, followed by a match tomorrow afternoon against Brown.