April 2, 2003
NCAA Tournament
INCH Measures Up Cornell's Sam Paolini

NCAA Tournament Coverage

Brackets | Info The Dean's List Frozen Four Team Capsules Other Stories --------------------------------- Cornell's Sam Paolini UNH's Patrick Foley --------------------------------- Midwest Reg. Final East Regional Final Northeast Regional Final West Regional Final Midwest Reg. First Round East Regional First Round Northeast Reg. First Rd. West Reg. First Round --------------------------------- 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 Nate Ewell

When Buffalo was first awarded the 2003 Frozen Four, Sam Paolini dreamt of playing in it. Not hard to believe, of course, for a kid who grew up just an hour away in Rochester, N.Y.

It was a bit far-fetched, however, since he wanted to play at Cornell, but wasn’t recruited by the Big Red. Paolini talked to head coach Mike Schafer and, as somebody said last weekend at the East Regional, “he wasn’t a walk-on, he was a beg-on.” Who knew this stuff happened outside of Notre Dame?

He kept working, and earning playing time. Paolini enters next Thursday’s national semifinal as Cornell’s third-leading scorer (13-17—30). Now we’re crossing into fairy-tale land.

Not only a heck of a player, Paolini is a finalist for the Humanitarian Award, in honor of his volunteer work in the community. This is about the time you shut of the movie and turn on reality TV.

Since the Humanitarian is awarded at the Frozen Four, Paolini was assured of his trip to Buffalo. But he wanted his teammates there, and Cornell hadn’t made the Frozen Four since 1980. In the ninth-longest game in NCAA Tournament history, the Big Red claimed that Frozen Four spot with a win over Boston College.

Here we’ll interrupt this tale for Inside College Hockey’s conversation with Paolini in the moments after that overtime win. Find out next week how the storybook ends.

Inside College Hockey: How does it feel to be heading home for the Frozen Four?

Sam Paolini: Buffalo's in our backyard, and I always dreamed of playing there in the Frozen Four. Even before I went to Cornell, I knew the Frozen Four was going to be there my senior year. I kind of dreamed that we'd be in it. Our team has done a great job getting ourselves to this point and putting ourselves in a situation to win a national championship, so I'm really elated.

INCH: Have you spent much time in Buffalo?

SP: When I was younger, Rochester and all the teams in Buffalo were in the Empire League for youth hockey, so I remember traveling up there every weekend up to Buffalo and playing games. Buffalo and Rochester are the same area, so I'm very familiar with Buffalo.

INCH: Any favorite places up there?

SP: We go to The Gate for wings. I haven't been there in a long time, since I've been at Cornell, but it's really nice to get back. Chicken wings are one of my favorite foods. Everyone says "Buffalo wings," but they're really just chicken wings when you go to Rochester and Buffalo.

INCH: You were going to be in Buffalo anyway for the Humanitarian Award presentation. How special is it for you to have your teammates with you for that?

SP: I can't begin to describe how important it was to have my teammates there with me. They've been such a part of my volunteer work and such a part of my life, and they've supported me in everything I've done. To have them with me is something I really, really wanted, and I'm really glad they're going to be there.