ITHACA, N.Y. — Coming off the Cornell women’s hockey team’s first road sweep of St. Lawrence and Clarkson since 2014, junior forward Izzy Daniel has been named the ECAC Hockey Driscoll Skating and Skills Player of the Week and graduate student Lindsay Browning has been tabbed the ECAC Hockey MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
Daniel was a key factor in the Big Red’s offensive efforts over the weekend, factoring into four of the team’s six goals – headlined by the overtime winner on Friday in a 3-2 decision against the Saints. Working at the end of her shift in the three-on-three format, Daniel joined a rush on her off wing and was able to snap a shot from the left circle under St. Lawrence goaltender Lucy Morgan for her ninth goal of the season. Earlier in the night, she earned an assist on freshman defender Alexa Davis’ goal from the left point.
Saturday’s victory then required just the standard 60 minutes, thanks in part to two more primary assists from Daniel. The first came on a power play midway through the first period that was redirected in by sophomore forward Lily Delianedis. Daniel then could have easily scored her second goal of the weekend in the final moments of the game, but instead opted to pass to Delianedis for an empty-net tally that sealed Cornell’s 3-1 victory and ascent to sixth place in the final ECAC Hockey standings.
It’s the second time this season that Daniel has laid claim to the league’s weekly honor for the top skater, with the first occasion coming on Jan. 10. Cornell has won the honor four of the last seven weeks, with the others being freshman forward Leah MacSween on Jan. 17 and junior forward Gillis Frechette on Feb. 7.
Backstopping both efforts was Browning, who had to be – and was – at the top of her game all weekend. After posting 19 saves in the victory over St. Lawrence, Browning stopped 44 shots to stump Clarkson. It was the second-highest save total for Browning in her collegiate career, trailing just a 48-save effort against Ohio State on Nov. 30, 2019. This marks the first time this season that Browning has earned the weekly award for the league’s top goaltender.
Up next for the Big Red is a best-of-three quarterfinal series in the ECAC Hockey Championships at Colgate. Game 1 at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, then Game 2 will be contested at 3 p.m. Saturday. If necessary, a third and deciding game would be at 3 p.m. Sunday.
(Cornell Women’s Hockey Photo)
