ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 3 Big Red faces a tough test on Tuesday when No. 5 Mercyhurst comes to Lynah Rink for a locally televised 7 p.m. contest. The teams split a series in Erie, Pa., earlier in the season, and this home game could play a role in postseason seeding for both sides.

GAME INFORMATION
GAME #25: No. 3 Cornell vs. No. 5 Mercyhurst
GAME TIME: Tuesday, February 7, 7 p.m.
GAME SITE: Lynah Rink (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Mercyhurst leads 13-3-1
LAST MEETING: Mercyhurst won 5-2 on Dec. 3, 2011
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (21-3, 16-2 ECAC Hockey); Mercyhurst (19-5-2, 5-1-2 College Hockey America)
TELEVISION: Time Warner Cable
LIVE STATS: Side Arm Stats
LIVE VIDEO: RedCast

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Coming off back-to-back appearances in the Frozen Four, Cornell is looking to make its way back again this year. Starting the new year with eight consecutive wins, the Big Red has almost solidified its third consecutive ECAC Hockey Championship and sits atop the league standings with 32 points. Cornell also won the Ivy League for the third straight year last weekend when results away from Ithaca went in its favor. As the Big Red's regular season winds down, that conference title appears to be in reach.

HEAD COACH DOUG DERRAUGH
Now in his seventh season directing the Cornell women's hockey program, Doug Derraugh has quickly brought the Big Red women to their place among the nation's elite. Taking a program that won just four games in the season prior to his arrival, Derraugh guided the Big Red to the national title game in his fifth season and back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four appearances in 2010 and 2011, completely turning around the culture of the women's hockey program at Cornell. Derraugh, a 1991 graduate of Cornell, was the last Big Red men's hockey player to score 30 goals in a season. He earned his 100th career win at Union on Jan. 6.

ABOUT MERCYHURST
The Lakers, based in Erie, Pa., have a terrific 19-5-2 record and are the No. 5 team in the country heading into Tuesday night's affair. Mercyhurst leads the nation in goals per game and has the country's best power play. Lakers forward Bailey Bram not only tops the Lakers with 59 points on 24 goals and 35 assists, but her 2.46 points per game is best in the nation. Teammate Christine Bestland isn't far behind, scoring 1.92 points per game. Goaltender Hillary Pattenden's 16-5-2 record gives her the fifth-highest winning percentage in the country.
The Lakers are coached by Michael Sisti who has been the program's leader since its inception in 1999. Sisti graduated from Canisius in 1990.

THE SERIES WITH MERCYHURST
Cornell and Mercyhurst have met 16 times in program history, with the Lakers holding a large 13-3-1 advantage. Mercyhurst won 11 of the programs' first 12 meetings, but Cornell has won three of the last five, a 3-2 overtime victory in the 2010 Frozen Four and a 5-4 victory at Mercyhurst on Dec. 2. The Lakers got revenge the next day, though, topping Cornell 5-2 to put this season's series at an even 1-1 split.

A WIN AGAINST MERCYHURST WOULD…
…give Cornell a win in the regular season series…improve the team's out-of-conference record to 6-1…be Cornell's third consecutive victory...improve the team's record against ranked opponents this year to 7-1.

DO IT FOR DARON
Players in Tuesday's game will have purple tape on their skates and sticks in support of the Do It For DARON Foundation. The foundation was created to honor the life of Daron Richardson and raise awareness of suicide prevention. Tuesday's game is dedicated to the Richardson family, and the foundation focuses its efforts around the month of February. The Big Red has joined “Power to the Purple” challenge and is encouraging others to do the same. Read more about the challenge at www.doitfordaron.com.

IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
When the Big Red defeated Union 5-1 on Saturday night, the tema got some help away from Ithaca when Harvard knocked off Princeton 10-1. The Tigers were the only team that could catch Cornell in the Ivy League standings before they lost that game to Harvard, clinching the Ivy League championship for Cornell. The championship is the 11th in program history and third in a row.

HOME COOKING
The Big Red has embarked on four separate road game stretches this season and has come away with victories in each of its four home games following those trips. Cornell has won those home games by a combined score of 18-1.

TOURNAMENT BERTH
Cornell clinched a spot in the ECAC Hockey Tournament with its two wins against Harvard and Dartmouth on Jan. 20 and 21. This past weekend, the Big Red ensured itself no worse than a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Cornell can clinch a league title with two wins this weekend at Yale and Brown.

NO SHUTOUTS
The Big Red is one of just four teams in the country that has not been shut out this season. Cornell has scored a goal in every game this year, something only the Big Red, Clarkson, North Dakota and Northeastern can say.

WINNING WAYS
With a win against Dartmouth on Jan. 21, Amanda Mazzotta earned her 48th career victory, putting her atop the team's all-time list. Mazzotta passed the previous record of 47 career wins, previously held by Sarah Mott, who played from 1978-81.

MAKING A POINT
Six current members of the Cornell roster are averaging more than a point per game over their career. Freshman Jillian Saulnier, with the smallest sample size, has a points-per-game average of 1.68. Brianne Jenner (1.58), Rebecca Johnston (1.55), Catherine White (1.35), Laura Fortino (1.15) and Chelsea Karpenko (1.04) are also on that list.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH
For an excellent January where she scored 15 points and notched three game-winning goals, forward Rebecca Johnston has been named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Month. Johnston now has 17 goals and 20 assists this season, leading Cornell in goals and points (37).

Johnston becomes the second Cornell player honored with a monthly award this year as Jillian Saulnier twice earned Rookie of the Month. Johnston has not won an ECAC Hockey weekly award this season, though she was named Player of the Week twice last year and three times during the 2008-09 campaign.

AWARD WINNERS
Since the beginning of this season, Cornell's players have been awarded with ECAC Hockey weekly honors nine times, more than any other team in the league.

Most recently, goalie Amanda Mazzotta was named ECAC Hockey's Goaltender of the week for the second time this season on Jan. 24. Freshman Jillian Saulnier won Rookie of the Week twice, while freshmen Emily Fulton and Monika Leck each won that honor once. Senior Kendice Ogilvie and sophomore Brianne Jenner have earned Player of the Week honors, while Slebodnick also took home Goaltender of the Week once.

OUTRANKING THE COMPETITION
In its last 17 games against ranked opponents from the start of the 2009-10 season until now, the Big Red holds a 12-5 record. This weekend's victories against No. 9 Harvard and No. 10 Dartmouth helped add to that impressive record. Cornell won two games against then-No. 5 Boston University in November and took one of two from then-No. 6 Mercyhurst in December. The Big Red also topped then-No. 10 Harvard in November.

NATIONAL PRIDE
Cornell saw six players participate in the Meco Cup in Germany in the first week of the year, playing for Canada's under-22 national team. All five Cornell skaters scored at least one point in the five-game tournament. Jillian Saulnier led the way with two goals and four assists, while Catherine White and Jessica Campbell notched three points each. Chelsea Karpenko had a goal and an assist, Hayleigh Cudmore earned an assist, and goalie Amanda Mazzotta got two wins and a shutout. Canada won the bronze.

NATIONAL POLLS
Cornell stayed put at No. 3 in this week's USCHO.com national poll, clocking in with the exact same number of points in the voting as last week.

LOFTY NUMBERS
Forward Rebecca Johnston currently sits at 11th in the nation in points per game (1.77), with Brianne Jenner and Jillian Saulnier not far behind in 13th (1.68). Saulnier is second in points per game among rookies. Laura Fortino is No. 1 points per game for defensemen (1.18). Goalkeeper Lauren Slebodnick's 1.52 goals against average puts her in third the country and her 11-1 record has her first in winning percentage.

As a team, Cornell has the country's second-best offense (4.88 goals per game) and second-best scoring margin (3.12 goals) to go along with the fourth-best power play (25.5 percent).

LAST TIME OUT
Cornell had a successful return to Lynah Rink last weekend after two consecutive weeks on the road. Against Rensselaer on Friday night, the Big Red came away victorious 3-0 with Lauren Slebodnick earning her fourth shutout of the year. The next day, Cornell outshot Union 46-5 on its way to a 5-1 victory. The Dutchwomen spent most of the night playing defense while Cornell was on the attack.

CAREER NUMBERS WATCH
Against RPI and Union:
• Catherine White scored her 158th career point, putting her sixth all time in school history.
• Erin Barley-Maloney got her 40th career point.
• Olivia Cook played in her 50th game.
• Laura Fortino scored the 100th point and 75th assist of her career.

Approaching career numbers:
• Amanda Mazzotta needs two more wins to get to 50.
• Alyssa Gagliardi's next assist will be her 30th.
• Lauriane Rougeau is one goal away from 20.

UP NEXT
The Big Red heads back out on the road for its final regular-season trip away from Lynah Rink. Cornell will face Ivy League rivals Brown at Yale on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, respectively. The regular season comes to an end the following weekend with home dates against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.