Cornell and Colgate took turns defeating both Dartmouth and Harvard last weekend. The Upstate New York rivals will square off in a home-and-home series this weekend, which starts at Colgate on Friday and will come to Ithaca for game two on Saturday.
How to watch or listen:
Friday’s game at Colgate will take place at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton, New York, and Saturday’s will be at Lynah Rink. Both can be streamed with the ESPN+ app (subscription needed).
Series history:
Each team took one game in the home-and-home last season. The tiebreaker went to the Raiders, though, as they ended the Red’s season in the ECAC tournament semifinal with a 5-4 win.
Cornell, however, has the historical advantage over Colgate with a record of 39-15-4.
Cornell last time out:
The Red (11-2-5, 9-2-1 ECAC) scored nine goals and allowed none in their two ECAC wins last weekend. Sophomore goalie Lindsay Browning recorded her first career shutout in a 3-0 win over Dartmouth. Cornell followed that up with a 6-0 drubbing of Harvard. Sophomore Maddie Mills recorded her 10th, 11th and team-leading 12th goals of the season en route to her first career hat trick.
Colgate last time out:
When the Crimson and Green weren’t losing to the Red last weekend, they were losing to Colgate (14-6-4, 8-2-2 ECAC). Unlike Cornell, the Raiders allowed both opponents to score. However, they were like the Red in that they won each game handily, by scores of 4-2 and 5-1.
Scouting the Raiders:
Games with Colgate tend to have both sides scoring many goals. The Raiders scored the second-most goals in the ECAC, led by three players who rank in the conference’s top 10 in points and goals. On the other end of the ice, the Raiders have allowed the fourth-most goals in the conference.
Cornell will win this weekend if…
It can pressure the Colgate defense. Colgate has faced 716 shots this season, third-most in the ECAC. Therefore, Cornell should be able to get goal-scoring opportunities. Colgate also ranks second-to-last in penalty kill percentage, so the Red can turn the heat up higher if it draws penalties.
What they’re saying in Ithaca:
Senior forward Lenka Serdar on the team’s two shutouts last weekend: “Hats off to [goalies] Lindsay [Browning] and Marlène [Boissonnault] who are both playing great and are a huge part of the success. I also think our team commitment to defense is starting to show.”
Coach Doug Derraugh ’91 on getting over last year’s heartbreaking loss: “Last year was last year and this year is this year. We are both different teams and haven’t seen each other all year long. They are one of the best teams in the country and we know that so we know we are going to have to be at our best to give ourselves an opportunity.”
Senior forward Diana Buckley on the team’s cohesion: “The team has become a lot closer outside of hockey. On the ice, we have really come to buy into the systems that structure the style of hockey we play.”
What they’re saying in Hamilton:
Coach Greg Fargo on last weekend’s sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth: “I give our team a lot of credit. Right from the onset [Friday] through the end of [Saturday’s] game, there was a lot of buy-in. I really loved how we played.”
Senior defender Olivia Zafuto on the team’s current momentum: “We’re really hitting our stride. Everyone is clicking and our forward lines look great and the D-pairs are going strong. It’s exciting to see everyone working hard and we’re hoping to keep it up.”
Sound smart:
Last season, Colgate lost in the ECAC championship as well as the national championship — each time to Clarkson.
Fun fact:
At Colgate, 13 is considered a lucky number; in Hamilton, NY, they celebrate their school pride on every Friday the 13th, dubbing the day as “Colgate Day,” where students, faculty and alumni wear Colgate gear.