ITHACA, N.Y. – No. 3 Cornell comes into this weekend's games as the only team in ECAC Hockey with a conference win and is on top of the schedule. The Big Red will hope to maintain that position in the league with games against ECAC Hockey and Ivy League competition Brown and Yale.

GAME INFORMATION
GAME #2: No. 3 Cornell vs. Yale
GAME TIME: Friday, Oct. 28, 7:00 p.m.
GAME SITE: Lynah Rink (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 46-13-1
LAST MEETING: Cornell won 7-1 on Feb. 12, 2011
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (1-0, 1-0 ECAC Hockey); Yale (0-2, 0-0)
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/colgate/whockey/index.htm
LIVE VIDEO:  http://www.cornellbigred.com/showcase

GAME #3: No. 3 Cornell vs. Brown
GAME TIME: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:00 p.m.
GAME SITE: Lynah Rink (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 36-34-8
LAST MEETING: Cornell won 8-0 on Feb. 11, 2011
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (1-0, 1-0 ECAC Hockey); Brown (1-0, 0-0)*
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/colgate/whockey/index.htm
LIVE VIDEO:  http://www.cornellbigred.com/showcase
*Records before Friday night games

ABOUT THE BIG RED
In the last two years, Cornell has evolved into one of the country's top teams. The 2010 season saw the Big Red advance to the NCAA championship game before losing in triple overtime to Minnesota-Duluth, and the team returned to the Frozen Four last year. With the core returning this season, hopes and expectations are again high for the Big Red. Last year's team went 31-3-1 and won its second consecutive ECAC Hockey tournament.
Early in this season, Cornell has won its only  game thanks to four goals from Jillian Saulnier and four assists from Rebecca Johnston.

HEAD COACH DOUG DERRAUGH
Now entering his seventh season directing the Cornell women's hockey program in 2011-12, 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.

ABOUT YALE
The Bulldogs, based in New Haven, Conn., enter Friday night with an 0-2 mark after losing 5-1 to Niagara in its season opener and then getting beaten 7-0 by Northeastern on Saturday. Yale's offense has put in just one goal in two games which ties it for 32nd in the country. Sophomore Jackie Raines has scored the only goal, and the entire team except Patricia McGauley (0) has a negative plus/minus rating.
The Bulldogs, who finished 10th in ECAC Hockey last year, are headed by second-year coach Joakim Flygh.

THE SERIES WITH YALE
Cornell and Yale have clashed 60 times over the years, with the first meeting coming in the 1975-76 season. Cornell holds a 46-13-0 edge in the series and won both games last year by a combined 12-1 margin. Cornell has won the last three meetings between the teams and hasn't lost to Yale since Jan. 23, 2009.

ABOUT BROWN
The Bears, out of Providence, R.I., rocketed out of the gates with a 10-0 win against Sacred Heart last weekend. Brown got three goals from Katelyn Landry, two goals and two assists by Emilie Dolan and three assists from Janice Yang. Goalies Katie Jameson and Aubree Moore split time and combined for a shutout on 13 saves. Brown overall has not had a winning season since 2005-06.
Brown is coached by Amy Bourbeau, a 1994 graduate of Providence College, who is starting her first year in charge of the Bears.

THE SERIES WITH BROWN
Cornell holds an ever-so-slight edge in the series, having two wins more than Brown. Most recently, the Big Red beat the Bears 8-0 on Feb. 11, 2011 and 3-0 earlier in the year to extend its winning streak over Brown to seven games. The last loss for Cornell against Brown came on Jan. 20, 2007. In last year's 8-0 win, Brianne Jenner had a hat trick and two assists, Rebecca Johnston scored twice and added two helpers, and Chelsea Karpenko and Jessica Campbell had two assists each.

A WIN AGAINST YALE WOULD…
…open the season at 2-0 for the second year in a row…begin conference play with a 2-0 record for the third consecutive year…extend the Big Red's winning streak over Yale to four games…be the 91st career victory for head coach Doug Derraugh…ensure the team is over .500 after the weekend.

A WIN AGAINST BROWN WOULD…
…extend Cornell's winning streak over the Bears to eight games.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Big Red opened the season ranked No. 3 in the USCHO.com national poll. After four weeks of the season, Wisconsin is ranked No. 1 and Minnesota sits at No. 2. The Big Red ended the 2010-11 season at No. 4.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAINS
Four players have been named captains for the 2011-12 women's hockey season. Seniors Rebecca Johnston, Catherine White, Chelsea Karpenko and Amanda Young will all be wearing 'C's on their uniforms this year.

NATIONAL TEAM CREDENTIALS
Four Cornell women's ice hockey players have been selected to the roster of Canada's National Women's Team for the upcoming 4 Nations Cup. Junior defensemen Laura Fortino and Lauriane Rougeau, sophomore forward Brianne Jenner and senior forward Rebecca Johnston will all make the trip to Nykoping, Sweden, for the six-day tournament from Nov. 9-14. Big Red head coach Doug Derraugh has also been named an assistant for the competition.

PRESEASON HONORS
Cornell was picked by the ECAC Hockey coaches to once again finish first in the league this season. The Big Red received 11 of the 12 first-place votes — coach Derraugh was not allowed to vote for his own team — for a total of 121 points.
ECAC Hockey also put out its Preseason All-League Team in September, and four Cornell student-athletes made the list. Jenner and Johnston join an all-Big Red blue line of Fortino and Rougeau on the All-League Team. Cornell's players are joined by Quinnipiac goalie Victoria Vigilanti and forward Kelly Babstock.

GREAT GOALIES
Calling senior Amanda Mazzotta and sophomore Lauren Slebodnick the best goaltending tandem in the country last season is not a stretch. They had the stats to back it up. Mazzotta, during her fantastic junior campaign, recorded the country's lowest goals against average of 1.12. Right behind her? Slebodnick, who rocketed onto the scene as a freshman with a 1.15 goals against average. Both are back this year, and Cornell should have a solid netminder every night.

Mazzotta started the season in net and had 10 saves against Colgate on  Tuesday night. Slebodnick has not played yet.

LAST TIME OUT
Cornell's season and the career of freshman forward Jillian Saulnier started with a bang, as Saulnier scored four goals on four shots in a 6-2 win at Colgate. Saulnier was set up by Rebecca Johnston three times, and Johnston finished the game with four assists total. Also a big factor in the game was Brianne Jenner, who earned a goal and two assists. Chelsea Karpenko had the other goal for Cornell. Amanda Young had two assists, and Hayleigh Cudmore, Emily Fulton, Lauriane Rougeau and Catherine White notched helpers as well. Amanda Mazzotta stopped 10 of the 12 shots she faced, and the Big Red put up 64 shots on the Raiders.

EXHIBITION VICTORY
Coming off back-to-back Frozen Four appearances, the Cornell women's ice hockey team looked right back in form in its season-opening exhibition on Oct. 14 at Lynah Rink. The Big Red scored two goals in the first period, added one more in the second and broke out for three in the third for a resounding 6-0 victory against Brampton of the Women's Canadian Hockey League. Freshman Jillian Saulnier started her Cornell career on the right foot, scoring two goals to lead the team. Johnston, Laura Fortino and Brianne Jenner each had two assists.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Cornell women's ice hockey is the best team on campus to follow on social media. With updates daily including pictures and direct responses to fan inquiries, you can get all your Cornell women's ice hockey information on Twitter @CornellWHockey. Or, find the team on Facebook by searching for Cornell University Women's Hockey.

CAREER NUMBERS WATCH
In the win against Colgate:
• Coach Doug Derraugh earned his 90th career win.
• Hayleigh Cudmore got her 10th career point.

Players approaching career numbers:
• Alyssa Gagliardi is one away from her 20th career point.
• Brianne Jenner is one shy of her 30th career assist.
• Chelsea Karpenko is three away from her 100th career game.
• Amanda Mazzotta is one shy of her 60th career start.
• Rebecca Johnston needs just three more shots to reach 500.
• Chelsea Karpenko needs just two more for her 400th shot.
• Kendice Ogilvie is one assist shy of 20.

BRING IN THE YOUNG GUNS
The 2011 Cornell team features five new players including four freshmen and one transfer. Freshmen forwards Jillian Saulnier, Monika Leck and Emily Fulton are joined by goalkeeper Katelyn Pippy and senior transfer Erin Barley-Maloney. Barley-Maloney, also a forward, is a senior coming from the University of Vermont.

UP NEXT
The Big Red remains at home for a midweek contest against Syracuse on Tuesday at 7 p.m.