ITHACA, N.Y.—The Big Red women's ice hockey team will play two non-conference games this weekend as it plays host to Niagara on Saturday and Sunday. Cornell will take on the Purple Eagles at 4 p.m. on Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Lynah Rink. Both games will be available via live stats.

Game Information
Game #10: Cornell vs. Niagara
Face off: Saturday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. 
Game #11: Cornell vs. Niagara
Face off: Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m.
Site: Lynah Rink (4,267), Ithaca, N.Y.
2008-09 Records: Cornell 4-4-1, 2-3-1 ECAC Hockey; Niagara 3-9-2
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2007; Cornell won 6-2
Series Record: Niagara leads 10-7-1 
Live Stats

At the Helm
Doug Derraugh `91 returns for his fourth season as the head coach of the Cornell women's ice hockey team. The Big Red has a 29-62-5 record under Derraugh's tutelage. He is once again joined by assistant coaches Danielle Bilodeau '01 and Kim Insalaco (Brown '05).

Scouting the Purple Eagles
Niagara brings a 3-9-2 overall record into the weekend. Last weekend, the Purple Eagles defeated Brown 4-2 before skating to a 2-2 deadlock with Providence. Ashley Riggs leads her team with 15 points including eight goals and seven assists, while Frances McPhail has 12 points with three goals and nine assists. Jenni Baver has been a mainstay in net for Niagara with a 3-8-2 record with a .892 save percentage and 3.67 goals against average.

Taking Advantage
The Big Red ranks sixth in the nation with a 21.3% power-play conversion rate, and Cornell is second in ECAC Hockey only to Colgate. Junior Liz Zorn ranks 10th overall with four power-play goals.

It's a Winner
Sophomores Rebecca Johnston and Karlee Overguard have each notched two game-winning goals for Cornell this season. Johnston tallied both winners over Vermont, while Overguard netted the go-ahead goals against Brown and Yale.

Four Nations Cup
Sophomore Rebecca Johnston rejoined the Canadian National Team to play in the Four Nations Cup held in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Nov. 4-9. Team Canada took silver in Johnston's second Four Nations Cup; she helped Team Canada win its fourth-straight gold medal last season in Leksand, Sweden.

Netting a Dozen
The Big Red's 12 goals against Vermont ranks as the most goals Cornell has scored in a weekend series since the 2004-05 campaign, when Cornell notched 13 against Union on Nov. 12-13, 2004 to defeat the Dutchwomen 8-2 and 5-3.

Double Duty
After a two-year hiatus, junior Melanie Jue joined the 2008 Big Red field hockey team and has been the starting goaltender in all but one game this season. With an 11-4 record and three shutouts, Jue was named first-team All-Ivy. She finished the season ranked 24th overall with a .742 save percentage and 29th in the country with a 1.66 goals-against average. Jue also posted the third-highest number of saves in the nation in a single game with her 19-save performance vs. Albany on Sept. 6, which earned her Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors.

Summer Competition
Sophomore Rebecca Johnston and freshman Chelsea Karpenko teamed up this summer to help the Canadian Under-22 team defeat the United States in a best-of-three series. Johnston notched a goal and three assists in the three contests.

Sitting Pretty
The Big Red was picked to finish fifth in ECAC Hockey in the preseason coaches' poll. Harvard led the poll with 10 first-place votes, followed by St. Lawrence, Dartmouth, Clarkson and Cornell to round out the top five spots. Sophomore Rebecca Johnston was also named to the 2008 ECAC Women's Hockey Preseason All-League team.

Fighting for the Cause
The team laced up its sneakers on Oct. 5 to raise over $1,600 for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The American Cancer Society's premier event, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, raises awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. In 2007, nearly 500,000 walkers around the country collected more than $50 million to help fight breast cancer.

Smarty Pants
Six players received ECAC Hockey All-Academic honors last season. The group included Kelly McGinty, Kayla Strong, Steph Ulrich, Sam Wauer and graduated seniors Caeleigh Beerworth and Brittany Forgues.

First Time Ever
Rebecca Johnston was Cornell's first player to be named first-team ECAC Hockey or receive rookie of the year honors. Johnston was also named first-team All-Ivy and Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Fresh Faces
The Big Red adds eight freshmen and a junior transfer to its roster this season, with four defensemen, four forwards and a goaltender. The group hails from three different states and three provinces. The newcomers have combined for 36 points so far this season, with Catherine White leading the way with 12. White ranks fifth nationally in scoring among rookies with 1.33 points per game.

Up Next for the Big Red
Cornell will hit the road next weekend to play its final ECAC Hockey action of 2008. The Big Red will play at Clarkson on Dec. 5 and at St. Lawrence on Dec. 6