As the Red shook hands with Yale after falling in the 2026 ECAC Semifinals, it felt as though a window of opportunity to compete for an NCAA championship had closed.
Cornell lost six more players from the 2025 team that reached the Frozen Four. This year, only nine of the Red’s 24 rostered players from the successful 2024-25 season remain.
However, a new, youthful and perhaps successful era of Cornell women’s hockey has begun.
The 2026-27 Red will feature a freshman class of nine skaters (six forwards, three defenders).
“They're highly competitive,” said head coach Doug Derraugh ’91. “[We] brought in some size too; the game has been getting more and more physical over the years. We brought in some players that I think bring that combination of competitiveness and physicality.”
Being tough to play against could help the Red early in the season as the freshman class settles in.
The Red will open the season against No. 15 Vermont (3-1-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East), a team that has already played four non-conference games and one exhibition. An effective way to settle the team’s nerves in the opening games will be playing the body.
Looking ahead, the Red will face tough weekends against traveling partners Princeton (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) and Quinnipiac (5-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Nov. 6 to 7 and Feb. 5 to 6 and will look to avenge last year’s two losses to Penn State when it visits Happy Valley Jan. 1 to 2.
Offense
The Red will look to returning players to fill the void of last year’s senior class, especially on the offensive front.
Five of Cornell’s eight top scorers from the 2025-26 season graduated. The Red will turn to senior forward Karel Prefontaine and senior defender Piper Grober to set the tone and provide point production early.
Last year, Prefontaine totaled 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 33 games and Grober recorded 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 33 games from the blueline.
The Red hopes the sophomore class takes a step forward. Sophomore forward Nora Curtis scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 33 games played, however, outside of Curtis, last year’s four other freshmen skaters combined for just nine points (five goals, four assists). The group has worked hard this offseason to improve.
“They worked really hard over the summer in their fitness and strength,” Derraugh said. “So they've come back even stronger than last year. It's a difficult step… the NCAA is just so much faster and so much more physical, and it takes a while to adjust to that.”
Fortunately, the power play should remain effective as, last year, returnees Prefontaine, junior forward Lindzi Avar and Grober were one, two and three in power play goals, respectively.
Defense & Goaltending
On the blueline, the Red will miss graduates Grace Dwyer ’26, Alyssa Regalado ’26 and Sarah MacEachern ’26. Last year’s defense held teams to just 2.1 goals per game.
But a low goals against average cannot simply be attributed to the defenders, as the final line of defense, then-junior goaltender Annelies Bergmann remained one of the best goaltenders in all of college hockey. The 6’ 1” netminder recorded seven shutouts and a .928 save percentage, consistently saving the defense after mistakes.
Cornell fans should enjoy watching the Detroit native tend the pipes for one final season. Bergmann’s size and agility have proven invaluable to the Red. Over 97 career games, Bergmann boasts a 1.69 goals against average, a .933 save percentage, and 21 shutouts.
Bergmann has won plenty of awards over the years, including Ivy League Rookie of the Year (23-24), ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year (24-25) and Ivy League First Team (25-26). But ultimately, she is still chasing an NCAA championship.
Bergmann’s play in goal will be crucial as the Red integrate three new defenders into its blueline.
Also, the play of junior defender Rose Dwyer and senior defenders Abby Thibodeau and Grober will help set an example for the freshmen. Last year, Rose Dwyer and Thibodeau played together on the second pairing while Grober played with Grace Dwyer ’26 on the first pairing.
It is possible that Rose Dwyer or Thibodeau will move to the first pairing with Grober, or the pairing may stay together.
Sophomore defender Lily Pachl will look to play a larger role this year as the Wisconsin native was used as the team’s extra skater last season.
Final Thoughts
Cornell will enter the season with a roster of 24 players — three more than last year’s squad that played one forward short. This stability will be evident in the team’s energy down the stretch of games and the season itself.
Depth matters, especially if a team wants to compete for a championship.
“I think we really saw that in 2025 when we went to the Frozen Four,” Derraugh said. “With the women's game going more and more to allowing body checking, there comes the potential for more injuries, and so I think having that depth at every position is crucial.”
At the end of the day, it does not matter how experienced or skilled a team is. It matters how the different pieces fit together. If the Red’s veterans find synergy with the newcomers and Bergmann remains at the top of her game, Cornell will be dangerous.
“In the NCAA, you don't necessarily need to have the superstar player to be able to compete at the highest level,” Derraugh said. “If you get the right characters, you get the right work ethic, the right players for your team, you can compete with anybody in the NCAA.”
Eli Kwait is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is a Sun Staff Writer and can be reached at ekwait@cornellsun.com. You can also follow him on X @EliKwait.
