Game Notes in PDF Format
ITHACA, N.Y.—The Big Red women's ice hockey team will open its ECAC Hockey season this weekend playing host to Princeton and Quinnipiac. Last season Cornell swept both the Tigers and the Bobcats in league play and look to repeat that success and make an early move in the ECAC Hockey standings.
Game Information
Game #4: Cornell vs. Princeton
Face off: Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.
Site: Lynah Rink (4,267), Ithaca, N.Y.
2008-09 Records: Cornell 2-1, 0-0 ECAC Hockey; Princeton 1-3, 0-2 ECAC Hockey
Last Meeting: Dec. 1, 2007; Cornell won 3-2
Series Record: Princeton leads 39-27-3
Live Stats
Live Video
Game #5: Cornell vs. Quinnipiac
Face off: Saturday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m.
Site: Lynah Rink (4,267), Ithaca, N.Y.
2008-09 Records: Cornell 2-1, 0-0 ECAC Hockey; Quinnipiac 1-9, 0-2 ECAC Hockey
Last Meeting: Nov. 30, 2007; Cornell won 4-3
Series Record: Cornell leads 5-4-1
Live Stats
Live Video
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 27-59-4 record under Derraugh's tutelage. He is once again joined by assistant coaches Danielle Bilodeau '01 and Kim Insalaco (Brown '05).
Track the Action
Live stats and live video will be available for both of this weekend's games. All of the team's ECAC Hockey games will also be video streamed live via RedCast this season.
Scouting the Tigers
Princeton opened its 2008-09 season facing four nationally ranked opponents and defeated No. 10 Connecticut 4-1 on Oct. 25. Sasha Sherry leads her team with two goals and three assists, while Paula Romanchuk has four points with a goal and three assists. Kristen Young has been the goaltender of record for all of the Tigers' contests this season and has posted a 3.42 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
Looking at the Bobcats
Quinnipiac will play at Colgate on Friday night before traveling to East Hill on Saturday. Heading into the weekend, the Bobcats have lost their last five games and captured their only win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Syracuse on Oct. 17. Janine Duffy leads Quinnipiac with six points with three goals and three assists, and Elyse Cole has five points with three goals and two assists. Nanna Holm-Glaas has a 4.74 goals-against average for the Bobcats and an .860 save percentage.
Spending Time in the Box
The Big Red led the nation as the most penalized team averaging 20.3 penalty minutes per game; however, the Cornell penalty killing unit is tied for fourth at 90.9%. Even though the Big Red has 61 total minutes in penalties, its opponents have totaled 71 to average 23.7 minutes per game.
Taking Advantage
The Big Red ranks fourth in the nation with a 25% power-play conversion rate. Junior Liz Zorn ranks ninth overall with three power-play goals.
It's a Winner
Sophomore Rebecca Johnston has notched both of the Big Red's game-winning goals this season, which ranks her fifth nationally.
Score!
The Big Red is averaging 4.33 goals per game this season to rank third in the country. Princeton holds the 23rd spot with 2.50 gpg., while Quinnipiac is 33rd with 1.20 gpg.
Four Nations Cup
Sophomore Rebecca Johnston has rejoined the Canadian National Team to play in the Four Nations Cup held in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Nov. 4-9. Johnston and Team Canada will be looking to capture their fifth-straight gold medal. This is the second time Johnston will play in the Four Nations Cup; she helped Team Canada win its fourth-straight gold medal last season in Leksand, Sweden. Team Canada opened the 2008 event shutting out Finland, 6-0, on Nov. 4. Canada will play the United States on Nov. 6 and will wrap up the round-robin competition on Nov. 7 against Sweden. All contests will be played at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on Nov. 9.
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 has joined the Big Red field hockey team and has been the starting goaltender in all but one game this season. She currently ranks 18th in the country with a .750 save percentage and 27th with a 1.63 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.
Between the Pipes
The Big Red returns junior Jenny Niesluchowski, sophomores Kayla Strong and Katie Wilson and will add freshman Amanda Mazzotta to the goaltender rotation. The three veterans shared the starting role last season, bringing valuable collegiate playing experience to the crease. Mazzotta comes to Cornell with international experience after helping the U18 Canadian National team win a silver medal at the IIHF World Women's Hockey Championships. Niesluchowski and Strong each picked up a win in net for Cornell against Vermont. Strong ranks sixth nationally with a 1.00 goals against average, while Niesluchowski is 10th at 1.52 gaa..
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 17 points so far this season, with Catherine White leading the way with five. White ranks third nationally in scoring among rookies with 1.67 points per game. Defensemen Amanda Young (1.33 ppg.) and Jess Martino (1.00 ppg.) rank sixth and 15th, respectively.
Up Next for the Big Red
Cornell continues home ECAC Hockey action next weekend, as it plays host to Brown on Friday, Nov. 14, and welcomes Yale on Saturday, Nov. 15.
