ITHACA, N.Y. - The Cornell women's ice hockey team gears up to host No. 13 Penn State in the season opener.

GAME INFORMATION
#13 Penn State at #10 Cornell
SITE: Lynah Rink – ITHACA, N.Y.
RECORDS: #13 Penn State (1-4-1, 0-0-0 CHA), #10 Cornell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC Hockey)
BROADCAST: ESPN+
Stats: cornellbigred.com

Exhibition Rewind
The Cornell women's ice hockey team defeated the University of Toronto, 8-3, in an exhibition contest on Sunday Sept. 24 at Lynah Rink. Five Big Red skaters had multi-point games, including Izzy Daniel, Mckenna Van Gelder, and Lily Delianedis, who all had three apiece with one goal and two assists. Eight seperate Cornellians tallied goals in the game.

The Big Red outlasted the University of Ottawa, 2-1, in the final tune up game on Saturday Sept. 30 at Lynah Rink. The Big Red goals were scored by freshman forward Karel Prefontaine and senior forward Daniel.

The Series
Cornell and Penn State are currently tied in the all-time series, 1-1-2. The last time the two squads met, the Nittany Lions routed the Big Red 5-0 in East Hill. The previous matchup before that, Cornell took a commanding 6-1 victory in Happy Valley.

Guilday and Janecke Earn World Gold
Junior blue-liner Rory Guilday of Cornell, and sophomore forward Janecke of Penn State took the ice together during Team USA's gold medal run at the 2023 IIHF World Championships. Team USA finished with a 6-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record. The Americans faced Team Canada in the championship game, winning by a score of 6-3 and claiming the crown.

Five Cornellians also took the ice for the silver medalist, Canada. Brienne Jenner, Rebecca Johnston, Jaime Bourbonnais, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Kristin O'Neill earned silver as Canadian representatives.

Take a look back at the Gold Medal contest HERE

Opponent Breakdown
Penn State comes into the weekend with a 1-4-1 record, but is not to be treated like a slouch. The Nittany Lions have opened up with one of the toughest schedules in the nation, opening up with No.5 Northeastern, followed by No. 14 Connecticut, and most recently traveled to take on No. 3 Colgate.

Team USA Gold Medalist Tessa Janecke leads the squad in points, registering three helpers on the season to date. Senior forward Alyssa Machado is the Penn State leader in goals, registering two so far on the season. Josie Bothun has taken responsibility for the net in all six games, accumulating 153 saves and a .916 save percentage.

New Additions For The Big Red
The Big Red welcomed six new student-athletes. Five of these athletes are first-years from the class of 2027, while one is a transfer from Colgate.

Below are the new additions:

Piper Grober (First-Year)

Grober joins the Big Red as a defensewoman. She boasts impressive accolades, including two consecutive gold medals as a part of Team Canada's U-18 group. She registered 30 points on 21 goals and nine assists for the Durham West Junior Lightning (OWHL U22) this past season. The Toronto native looks to add depth to a strong group of Big Red blue-liners.

Abby Thibodeau (First-Year)
Thibodeau joins the Big Red as a defensewoman. Thibodeau registered 31 points on eight goals and 23 assists last season for the Burlington Barracudas (OWHL U22). Just like her 27' classmate Grober, she will add valuable depth and versatility to a studded Cornell blue-line. 

Beatrice Perron-Roy (First-Year)
Perron-Roy joins the Big Red as a forward. Her well rounded offensive game led her be fourth on the team (Stanstead College) in points last year with 56, notching 24 goals and 32 assists. She looks to add firepower to a Big Red group that was 12th in the nation last year in scoring offense.

Karel Prefontaine (First Year)
Prefontaine joins the Big Red as a forward. She served as an assistant captain for Team Canada in the U-18 World Championships, aiding in a gold medal finish for the squad. At Stanstead College, one of the top prep programs in North America, she registered 66 points on 43 goals and 23 assists. Prefontaine, like her Stanstead College and now Cornell teammate Perron-Roy, aims to add more scoring options to an already potent Big Red team.

Annelies Bergmann (First Year)
Bergmann joins the Big Red as a goaltender. Standing at six foot one, she has a knack for the puck and has the athleticism and ability to move well and stretch out when needed. Bergmann excelled during her time as a USA representative in the U18 World Championships and for the Oakland AAA program. Bergmann will bring her skills and net protection to East Hill, behind a plethora of defensive zone support.

Katie Chan (Transfer)
Former Colgate Raider Katie Chan joins Cornell women's ice hockey. Chan previously took the ice for the reigning ECAC Hockey champion Raiders, where she accounted for 38 points on 16 goals and 22 assists in 79 career games. She was named as ECAC Hockey Rookie of the week during the 2021-22 season, and also a apart of the ECAC All-Academic Team in the same year. Chan will add forward depth to a young and talented Big Red group led by Coach Derraugh, which finished second in the Ivy-League and fifth in the ECAC Hockey standings this past season.

Cornell Returning Firepower
The Big Red lost a handful of skaters, most notably former ECAC Hockey Player of The Year, Gillis Frechette, but return a plethora of fire power on the front-lines, defense, and in goal. Senior forward Izzy Daniel returns, along with her line-mate Lily Delianedis. The pair combined for 29 goals and 46 assists last season, and look to transfer that production into the upcoming season. On the defense, Cornell sees the return of Team USA gold medalist Guilday and captain Ashley Messier, who both missed the majority of last season due to injury. In Guilday's absence, first-year blue liners Grace Dwyer and Alyssa Regalado took the league by storm, both earning All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team selections. In goal, Deanna Fraser returns, looking to compete for the opportunity to protect the net. Last season, Fraser earned a 9-3-1 record while registering 292 saves (.904) on the season.

Follow The Action
Cornell will open up the season with two weekend games against the No. 13-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, this Friday and Saturday at Lynah Rink. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Game action will be broadcast to ESPN+.