ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell women's hockey takes the ice for the first time this season in an exhibition with Western Ontario of Canada at Lynah on Friday. The exhibition, paired with the annual red/white scrimmage Saturday night, will serve as a tune-up before the regular season gets underway on Oct. 23.
 
EXHIBITION: Cornell Big Red vs. Western Ontario Mustangs
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Lynah Rink — Ithaca, N.Y.
2015 RECORDS: Cornell 0-0, Western 2-1
Live Stats | Live Video

Game Notes
Cornell | Western
 
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell is ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey poll, despite not having played any games yet. In the ECAC Hockey preseason coaches' poll, the Big Red was predicted to finish fourth in the league, behind nationally ranked Harvard, Clarkson and Quinnipiac. The Big Red will be looking to a core group of returners to step into significant roles this year, especially with the loss of last season's top line to graduation. Six freshmen join the ranks this season, including five who have spent time with their country's national team programs in some capacity.
 
ABOUT HEAD COACH DOUG DERRAUGH '91
Entering his 11^th season directing Cornell women's hockey, Derraugh has brought the program to national prominence. He amassed a 189-112-24 record in his first ten seasons with the Big Red and has led the team to four ECAC Hockey Tournament Championships, four Ivy League Championships and five NCAA tournament appearances, including three trips to the Frozen Four. From 2009-10 to 2013-14, his teams notched five consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history.
 
IN REVIEW
The Big Red finished last season with a 19-11-3 record. After an 0-4 start, Cornell picked up steam, going 6-2-1 to close the calendar year and going unbeaten in its first seven games of 2015. Cornell topped St. Lawrence in two games in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinal to play the tournament's top seed, Clarkson. The Big Red defeated the Golden Knights, 3-1, to move on. Harvard then put an end to Cornell's ECAC Hockey championship streak, beating the Big Red, 7-3.
 
ABOUT WESTERN ONTARIO
The Mustangs, the defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) women's hockey champion, played a host of exhibitions before beginning their regular season in early October. In the team's first Ontario University Athletics (OUA) game of the season, Western Ontario fell to Guelph, 3-0. The Mustangs have rebounded with back-to-back wins over Waterloo (1-0) and Windsor (7-1). All eight of Western's goals have been scored by different players. April Clark had three assists in the win over Windsor, while Katelyn Gosling added a goal and two assists and Kendra Broad added two assists. Goaltender Kelly Campbell has played every regular-season minute for the Mustangs this season, posting a 1.33 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage over three games.
 
THE SERIES VS. WESTERN ONTARIO
This will be the first time the Mustangs and the Big Red have met.
 
'C' IS FOR CASSANDRA
Senior defenseman Cassandra Poudrier will be serving as the Big Red's captain for the 2015-16 season. In addition to her strength on the ice, head coach Doug Derraugh also notes that Poudrier is well-liked and well-respected by her teammates. She finished last season with a +13 rating and 76 blocked shots. Classmates Taylor Woods and Stefannie Moak will serve as the assistant captains.
 
BACK TO THE BLUE LINE
The Big Red did not lose any defensemen to graduation at the conclusion of last season, meaning Cornell is returning a very experienced defensive core. Senior captain Cassandra Poudrier will once again be a force to be reckoned with. The Big Red also returns ECAC All-Rookie Team and Second-Team All-ECAC selection, sophomore Erin O'Connor. Senior Morgan Richardson, junior Sydney Smith and sophomore Sarah Knee will also bring valuable experience on defense.
 
IN SCORING POSITION
Cornell graduated just three forwards in 2015. Though it was the loss of the team's top point-getters, the Big Red returns a number of forwards who will look to step into major scoring roles. Junior Hanna Bunton finished the 2014-15 season with seven goals and seven assists, while senior Jess Brown added nine goals and 11 assists. After transitioning to defense last season, senior Taylor Woods will return to the Big Red attack. Woods has 24 career goals and 39 assists. After anchoring the second line last season and posting six goals and eight assists, junior Kaitlin Doering will also continue to be an integral part of the offense. Junior Brianna Veerman added three goals and six assists last season and finished the year with a +2.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES
This seasons roster features four goaltenders. Junior Paula Voorheis emerged as the Big Red's No. 1 a year ago, starting all but two games and posting a 2.47 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 1796:39 minutes played. In four appearances last season, sophomore Amelia Boughn recorded a 1.71 goals-against average and .918 save percentage, while senior Stefannie Moak closed out the Big Red's 8-2 victory over Union without allowing a goal. Freshman Marlene Boissonnault, who has spent time with U-18 Team Canada, will also be an option in net.
 
 
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The Big Red has six newcomers this season: four forwards, a defenseman and a goaltender. Pippy Gerace, Lenka Serdar, Diana Buckley and Christian Higham will play up front, while Micah Hart will add depth at the blue line and Marlene Boissonnault will be an option between the pipes. The class is split across the northern border, with Higham, Hart and Boissonnault hailing from Canada and Gerace, Serdar and Buckley coming from the United States. Higham, Hart and Boissonnault were silver medalists with Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championships. The forwards will bring speed and hockey smarts to the Big Red offense, while Hart, who captained the silver medal Canadian team, will add experience and poise at the blue line.  
 
GOING TO THE POLLS
After just narrowly missing the NCAA postseason tournament last season, the Big Red began the 2015-16 season ranked tenth in the USCHO.com poll. As the women's hockey season has gotten underway, Cornell has stayed steady at No. 10 in the poll for three straight weeks, despite not having played a game yet. The Big Red cracked the USA Today/USA Hockey poll this week, coming in at No. 10 after receiving votes in the poll's first two weeks.
 
OUTSTANDING O'CONNOR
Sophomore defensemen Erin O'Connor had an impressive freshman campaign, leading all Big Red blue-liners in scoring with seven goals and 18 assists. She was also consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally for scoring among defenseman and finished the season tied for first in ECAC Hockey for assists among defenders. Her performance earned her a spot on the All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team and the Second Team All-ECAC. O'Connor also played an integral role on the Big Red power play, notching four goals and seven assists with the advantage. She finished the year with a +10 rating.
 
COMING IN CLUTCH
Junior Hanna Bunton has come up big in some important moments for the Big Red. In 2014-15, she notched three game-winning goals, including the tally that lifted Cornell over top-seeded Clarkson in the ECAC Hockey Semifinal. Bunton has six game-winners in her career, which ties her for 20^th all-time at Cornell.
 
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Last season, Cornell ranked first in ECAC Hockey and second in the nation for assists, racking up 133 in conference play and 183 overall. Sophomore Erin O'Connor led the Big Red's returning players with 18 helpers on the season.
 
VERY SPECIAL TEAMS
The Big Red excelled on both the power play and the penalty kill last season. The team ranked first in Division I with 30 power play goals and third in power play percentage (22.7). Of Cornell's returners, sophomore Erin O'Connor netted the most power play goals with four. On the other side of things, the Big Red was also first among Division I programs with six short-handed goals, two of which belonged to junior Hanna Bunton. Cornell's 84.3 penalty kill percentage was sixth in the country.
 
THE LYNAH ADVANTAGE
Lynah Rink has become a symbol of Cornell hockey tradition and the Lynah Faithful help to truly give the Big Red the home advantage, with both students and community members alike showing up to support both the men's and women's teams. In 2014-15, Cornell ranked second among Division I women's teams for total home attendance (11,844) and home attendance average (740).
 
FOR CLUB AND FOR COUNTRY
Entering the 2015-16 season, the Big Red has eight players who have represented Team Canada at some level. Senior Cassandra Poudrier, junior Hanna Bunton and freshman Micah Hart have all spent time with the senior Canadian Women's National Team. Poudrier competed in the 2015 Four Nations Cup for Team Canada. Senior Morgan Richardson helped the U-18 Canadian team to an IIHF World Championship in 2012, while freshmen Hart captained a U-18 team that also featured classmates Christian Higham and Marlene Boissonnault to a silver medal at the 2015 U-18 IIHF World Championships. Junior Sydney Smith has also spent time with the Canadian U-18 Team. Several American players have attended USA Hockey development camps as well.
 
GOING PRO
In the newly formed National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), teams can draft players entering their final year of NCAA eligibility in order to sign them once they finish their collegiate play. Senior captain Cassandra Poudrier was picked 18^th overall in the 2015 NWHL Draft by the Connecticut Whale. Four Cornell women's hockey alumnae are currently playing in the league, which is in its first season: Alyssa Gagliardi '14 (Boston Pride), Lauren Slebodnick '14 (Boston Pride), Jenny Scrivens (Niesluchowski) '10 (NY Riveters) and Erin Barley-Maloney '13 (NY Riveters). In addition, eight former Cornellians are playing in the Canadian Women's Hockey League.
 
RECORDS WATCH
*Junior Hanna Bunton currently holds the No. 20 spot all-time in program history for career game-winning goals with six. She is two game-winners way from being tied for 10^th.
*Senior Taylor Woods is just one game-winning goal away from tying Hanna Bunton at No. 20.
*Woods is tied for 16^th all-time with 11 career power-play goals. Adding one power-play goal would tie her for 11^th. She is four power-play goals away from tying Emily Fulton, Brianne Jenner and Catherine White for fourth.
*Bunton and Woods are tied for 12^th all-time with two short-handed goals.
*Woods' 260 career shots on goal are good for twelfth all-time. She needs 39 shots on goal to surpass Caeleigh Beerworth in the No. 11 spot. Woods is also No. 15 for shots per game with 2.60 entering her senior season.
*Senior Cassandra Poudrier is 18^th all-time with 205 career shots on goal and 17^th in shots per game with 2.18. She is just 11 shots away from taking the 16^th spot and passing Laura Danforth and Brianne Schmidt.
*Bunton needs just 13 shots on goal to break into the all-time top 20.
*Junior Paula Voorheis sits at No. 6 for most career wins in program history with 24. Fourteen wins would tie her for fourth with Amanda Mazzotta.
*Voorheis also holds the No. 8 spot for career shutouts with five. She needs two shutouts to tie for fifth all-time.
*Voorheis is currently No. 12 for saves with 1106 and needs 69 to surpass Amanda Mazzotta in the No. 11 spot.
 
UP NEXT
The Big Red opens the regular season next weekend with a challenge, when No. 2/2 Boston College visits Lynah Rink for a pair of games. The Eagles are off to a 4-0 start to the season, including a pair of commanding victories of ECAC Hockey's St. Lawrence, and host Maine and New Hampshire this weekend before making the trip to Ithaca. The puck drops on Cornell's 2015-16 season at 7 p.m. on Friday. The second game of the series will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday.