Tuesday night’s matchup at Lynah Rink will pit No. 5 Cornell against No. 7 Mercyhurst in a fierce midweek non-conference game.
The Red (16-4, 12-2 ECAC) has a five-game winning streak going into tonight’s game after sweeping Yale and Brown on the road over the weekend. The Lakers (19-4-1, 10-2 CHA) have a three-game winning streak, including a sweep of Lindenwood, outscoring the opponent, 15-1, in two games over the weekend.
“As a team we are really excited and looking forward to the challenge against Mercyhurst,” said senior defenseman and captain Laura Fortino. “We know that they are a very good team that is strong offensively with great skill and works hard in all areas of the ice.”
Based in Erie, Penn., the Lakers have the nation’s third highest scoring offense (4.38 goals per game) and its third highest scoring defense (1.50 goals allowed per game).
Junior forward Christine Bestland averages 2.17 points per game. Cornell’s junior forward Brianne Jenner is just ahead of her in that category, averaging 2.22 points per game with 40 points total in just 18 games.
The Red is the nation’s highest scoring offense with 83 goals in 20 games, averaging 4.15 per game. Cornell is also second in goals allowed giving up just 32, averaging 1.59.
Doug Derraugh, head coach for past eight seasons, is currently tied for the most victories in Cornell history with Bill Duthie at 135. If the Red wins on Tuesday, he stands atop the list.
“As a team, we are going to have to bring our best in order to be successful and focus on the little things right,” Fortino said. “We need to play defense first, be physical and block shots, win the battles, use our team speed to our advantage, move the puck fast offensively and capitalize on our chances.”
Despite Cornell’s hot streak, the squad remains in second place in the ECAC, four points behind Harvard (17-2-1, 14-1 ECAC).
The Crimson’s next game is Friday at Dartmouth. The team plays Cornell on Feb. 15 at Lynah.
“We know the significance of this game and how important it is for [our] future success,” Fortino said.
Original Author: Scott Eckl