No. 14 Cornell women's hockey visits Quinnipiac on Friday and unbeaten Princeton on Saturday, with coach Doug Derraugh one victory away from 400 career wins.
Both games begin at 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+, according to Cornell's weekend preview. The Big Red enters the trip 4-2 overall and 1-1 in ECAC Hockey after a 4-1 victory over RPI.
Big Red brings scoring momentum on the road
Cornell responded to an overtime loss against Union by outshooting RPI 34-14, getting goals from four players and committing just one penalty. The 14 shots allowed were a season low, and the win improved Cornell to 3-1 at home.
The Big Red has scored at least four goals in three straight games, totaling 13 after scoring four in its first three contests. Nine players have scored through six games, and Cornell holds a 229-146 advantage in shots.
Senior defenseman Piper Grober leads Cornell with four goals and three assists for seven points. She shares the team lead with 29 shots and has a team-high 10 blocked shots. Junior Rose Dwyer has three goals and two assists, with every goal coming on the power play. Together, the defensemen account for seven goals and all five of Cornell's power-play goals.
Senior Delaney Fleming has two goals and four assists, including four points during the opening conference weekend. All six of her points have come during a three-game point streak. Junior Lindzi Avar also has six points and shares the team lead with four assists after scoring in both games last weekend.
Senior Karel Prefontaine scored the winner against RPI for her second goal of the season. Freshmen Carly Dann and Jillian McLaughlin each scored their first collegiate goal in that game and enter the weekend with a goal and two assists apiece.
Dann leads Cornell with a plus-7 rating and earned ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors after a three-point weekend. Five freshmen have points, with Rachel Bishop, Renee Bishop and Kayla O'Donnell also contributing. The newcomers have combined for three goals and seven assists.
Goaltending and coaching milestones within reach
Junior Jeanne Lortie stopped 13 of 14 shots against RPI to win her first start of the season. Senior Annelies Bergmann enters the weekend 3-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.
Bergmann needs one shutout to take sole possession of Cornell's career record. She tied Amanda Mazzotta with her 22nd against Vermont.
Derraugh enters Friday's game with 399 career victories. The RPI win moved him closer to the milestone after Cornell began its conference-opening weekend with 398.
Special teams will also be a factor. Cornell has converted 21.7% of its power plays and killed 70.6% of opposing opportunities.
Two conference challenges in Connecticut and New Jersey
Quinnipiac is 8-2-1 overall and 3-1 in ECAC Hockey after a 3-1 loss to Yale and an 8-2 win over Brown. The Brown game was the Bobcats' highest-scoring conference performance this season. They are 3-2-1 at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Connecticut, the site of Friday's matchup.
The Bobcats shut out Cornell in both meetings last season, winning 3-0 in Ithaca and 4-0 in Hamden. Cornell's last win in the series was a 4-1 home victory Jan. 18, 2025. The Big Red is 4-5-1 over the teams' last 10 meetings.
Princeton enters the weekend 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play after beating Brown 3-1 and Yale 2-1. The Tigers have allowed three goals across their four league victories. Senior goalie and captain Uma Corniea earned her second straight ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week award Nov. 3.
The Tigers host Colgate on Friday before Cornell visits Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, New Jersey, on Saturday. Cornell has won four straight road games against Princeton and is 6-2-2 in the teams' last 10 meetings. The Big Red leads the all-time series 53-51-8.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.