No. 4/5 women’s hockey entered the top five in the national rankings this week, climbing up two spots in one poll and one spot in another. After being stuck at No. 6 for weeks, two wins allowed the Red to make the jump — putting hosting an NCAA tournament game in the cards.
Regular season games conclude for the team this weekend on the road against Rensselaer and Union.
How to watch or listen:
The puck drops at 6 p.m. in the Red’s matchup at Houston Field House against Rensselaer in Troy, New York on Friday. Cornell’s scheduled set of games reaches the finish line at 3 p.m. at Messa Rink in Schenectady against Union. Both games can be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Home, sweet home:
With the wins last weekend, the Red officially clinched a top-four seed in the ECAC tournament and will host its quarterfinal matchup. And although Lynah Rink will host one of the best-of-three series, the Red still has something to play for: it could potentially win the ECAC regular season crown, or drop all the way down to fourth.
Cornell last time out:
Cornell bounced back from a tough previous weekend with two big wins — the Red toppled Brown 4-1 and shut out Yale 4-0.
Union last time out:
The Dutchwomen collected two more losses this past weekend, scoring only one goal. They lost 4-1 to No. 6/6 Princeton and 5-0 to Quinnipiac.
RPI last time out:
The Engineers could only calculate one win last weekend, losing 4-0 to Quinnipiac and beating Princeton 2-1.
Scouting the Dutchwomen:
Union (2-17-1) won’t be joining Cornell in the playoffs, but they have a little bit to play for this weekend. Currently, the Dutchwomen are tied with Brown for last place in the ECAC, and will strive not to finish the season in the cellar.
Scouting the Engineers:
RPI (13-14-5, 10-9-1 ECAC) currently stands tied for fifth place in the conference with St. Lawrence. They have clinched a playoff berth, but there is variation in which seed they finish in. On the high end, they could end up in sole possession of the fifth seed, or they could stumble all the way to eighth.
Cornell wins if…
it focuses on this weekend and doesn’t look too far ahead to the postseason. The Red has had a great season so far, but winning both games would put Cornell in even better position heading into the ECAC tournament.
What they’re saying in Ithaca:
Senior forward Lenka Serdar on the team’s approach this weekend: “Defense and grit [win] games. We have to continue to commit to playing a solid defensive game this weekend. We are focused on one game at a time.”
Junior forward Amy Curlew on earning an opening playoff series at home: “Lynah’s atmosphere is hard to beat. Having the support of the fans really makes a difference, especially when the games get close.”
Head coach Doug Derraugh ’91 reflecting on last Saturday’s senior night: “Our seniors have been great ambassadors of our program and have done great things both on and off of the ice. We are certainly going to miss them and they all bring something different to our team. They really complement each other.”
Sound smart:
The Red has clinched its third straight year with a record above .500 overall and in the ECAC.