No. 6 women’s hockey has won eight straight games, allowing just seven goals along the way. The Red gets a chance to continue its hot streak on the road against rivals Clarkson and St. Lawrence this weekend.
How to watch or listen:
Friday’s contest against No.4 Clarkson is at 6 p.m. and will be held at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, NY. The Red will then travel to Canton, NY to play St. Lawrence for a 3 p.m. start at Appleton Arena.
Series history:
The Red played both of these teams in the same weekend back in late November in one of its most impressive showings of the season, defeating St. Lawrence 4-0 and Clarkson 3-1 in front of the Lynah faithful.
The Red have the edge all-time against Clarkson, 25-20-4, but Clarkson has won five of the last six meetings.
Cornell historically holds a slight edge against St. Lawrence, 38-34-7. The Red has won the last four meetings dating back to the 2017 ECAC semifinals.
Cornell last time out:
The Red expected victories last weekend’s games, but the margin in which those victories came was impressive. Scoring against the Red proved impossible, as they defeated Union 7-0 and followed it up with a 5-0 blanking of RPI. Four of Cornell’s eight straight wins have come by shutout.
Clarkson last time out:
Clarkson was also perfect last weekend, defeating Quinnipiac 3-2 and No. 5 Princeton 3-1. The Golden Knights, too, are on an eight-game winning streak.
St. Lawrence last time out:
Playing the same two teams as Clarkson last weekend, the Saints did not fare as well, losing two close contests. Before beating Quinnipiac 5-4, St. Lawrence lost to Princeton by a score of 4-3 in overtime.
Scouting the Golden Knights:
At No. 4, Clarkson (22-5-1, 13-3 ECAC) has been a juggernaut, spending most of the season ranked in the top five in the nation. Currently, they sit behind Cornell and Princeton in the ECAC standings by one point.
The Golden Knights have a potent offense, ranking first in the conference in goals per game (3.93), with their top three players leading the ECAC in points. No slouches on defense, they rank only behind the Red in goals allowed per game (1.74).
Scouting the Saints:
St. Lawrence (13-12-3, 8-6-2 ECAC) currently sits at fifth in the ECAC standings. Not as dominant as Clarkson, but dangerous nonetheless, the Saints are 3-1-1 in their last five. Their overtime loss to No. 5 Princeton shows that they can give a good team a run for its money.
Cornell wins if:
...the Red’s recent stifling defense can make another big showing. Cornell’s recent stretch has been enough to lower its season average to a conference-best 1.62 goals per game. Although it’s a tough feat to shut out these teams, limiting them to one or two goals would put the Red in prime position to win.
What they’re saying in IthacaJunior forward Kristin O’Neill on the Red’s current hot streak: “[I’m] super excited to see what this team can do in the tail end of the season. We’re trying to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead, but playoff hockey is around the corner and I couldn’t be more confident in our group.”
Coach Doug Derraugh ’91 on playing at home: “We are very fortunate to have great support both in Ithaca and [at] Cornell University. It plays a huge role. Our fans are tremendous and the band provides a lot of energy — it is a real big advantage when we are playing at home.”
Senior forward Lenka Serdar on their showdown with Clarkson: “Clarkson will definitely be a good test of where we’re at, especially playing on the road at Cheel Arena. We know that Clarkson and St. Lawrence are talented offensively and we must be disciplined in our team defense to have success.”
What they’re saying in Potsdam:Head Coach D, Matt Desrosiers back in December, on his team’s recent success: “We know we're going to get every team's best. We know that we're going to have to step up to that challenge. To me, that's a privilege to have that target on your back. Everyone wanting to play well against you and everyone wanting to beat the defending national champions.”
What they’re saying in Canton:Coach Chris Wells on their win against Quinnipiac: "We had a big response from our team today after an emotionally and physically draining game last night at Princeton. […] We're leaving Connecticut with two points that will be very important this last month!"
Sound smart:
Last season, Clarkson ended St. Lawrence’s season in the ECAC conference semifinals.
Fun fact:
St. Lawrence was the first college in New York State to become co-ed.
Lynah Lowdown: Women’s Hockey Takes Streak on the Road
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