ITHACA, N.Y. — The unofficial start of hockey season falls on Saturday this year, when the Cornell men’s and women’s hockey teams hold the annual Red-White Game at 7:30 p.m. at Lynah Rink.
The Big Red men’s team will be looking to reestablish itself as one of the elite programs in ECAC Hockey, a conference that has placed six teams in the national championship game over the last four years. Cornell finished the 2015-16 campaign ranked 16th in the Pairwise Rankings, but narrowly missed out on an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The team returns its five top scorers, all but one of its defensemen and all three of its goalies — including 2015 All-Ivy League selection Mitch Gillam and his eight career shutouts.
The women’s squad is looking to return to the ECAC Hockey playoffs for the 10th straight year and get back the championship game for the seventh time in eight years. The team returns three of its top five scorers, including a pair of seniors in leading scorer Hanna Bunton and co-captain Kaitlin Doering. Sophomore defenseman Micah Hart, who was named to the preseason All-ECAC Hockey team, returns to the point and will serve as the team’s other co-captain. In goal, the team returns a formidable tandem of senior Paula Voorheis and sophomore Marlene Boissonnault. The women’s team also plays an exhibition at 6 p.m. Friday against Carleton at Lynah Rink.
The Red-White Game is free to attend, and the format will include two 30-minute halves, regular power-play situations and a shootout at the end of the contest. The men’s teams and women’s teams will rotate pairs of shifts.
Tickets for door prizes will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting the Cornell Hockey Association. Tentative rosters for the teams will be posted here closer to game time.
