ITHACA, N.Y. – Doug Derraugh, the head coach of women’s ice hockey at Cornell, has announced the team’s 2013-14 schedule that features eight games against NCAA Tournament teams from last season, an early-January trip to Erie, Pa., for an NCAA rematch and the always-grueling ECAC Hockey slate.
Cornell’s biggest road series of the regular season just may be the team’s trip to northwest Pennsylvania for a two-game weekend against Mercyhurst. The Lakers, which defeated Cornell 4-3 in overtime in the NCAA Tournament first round last season, will be welcoming the Big Red to their home ice for the first time since December 2011. The teams have developed a strong rivalry over the last half decade which began with Cornell eliminating Mercyhurst from the national tournament in 2010. The teams will meet in early 2014 onJan. 10 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.
Cornell will open the season with a two-game series against Northeastern on Oct. 19 and 20 at Lynah Rink. The Big Red traveled to the Huskies’ home ice last season, winning by a 4-2 margin. Northeastern just missed the NCAA Tournament last year and was ranked in the top 10 almost all year.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, another Boston opponent will come to Ithaca for two games against the Big Red. Boston College, a NCAA Frozen Four participant each of the last three seasons, hosted Cornell in January last year and came away with a 4-3 overtime victory. The Eagles were ranked in the top 10 nationally all year in 2013, rising as high as No. 2 in the polls. The teams have not played in Ithaca since 2001 when the Eagles were still a member of ECAC Hockey.
The Big Red’s only other non-conference tilt will be a local one as the team heads to Syracuse on Dec. 3 to close its 2013 half of the schedule. The Big Red and Orange met in January 2013 with Cornell claiming an 8-1 victory.
ECAC Hockey competition makes up most of the Big Red’s schedule, as it will again play each league opponent twice during the regular season. The conference slate does not get off to an easy start, as Clarkson and St. Lawrence come to Ithaca on Oct. 25-26. The Knights and Saints both made the ECAC Hockey Tournament last season, and St. Lawrence will be looking to avenge all four of its losses at the Big Red’s hands from last season.
The Big Red will be playing at Harvard and Dartmouth the weekend before Thanksgiving, facing the Crimson on Nov. 15 before a Nov. 16 game against the Big Green. Cornell defeated Harvard in the ECAC Hockey Tournament Championship game last season 2-1, but the Crimson still made the NCAA Tournament.
Cornell will face Dartmouth and Harvard on home ice to re-open conference play after the new year. The Big Green will be in Ithaca on Jan. 17, while the Crimson will square off with the Big Red on Jan. 18. Cornell has its venture to the North Country for Clarkson and St. Lawrence the following weekend.
Also on the schedule are two games each against league opponents RPI, Union, Brown, Yale, Colgate, Princeton and Quinnipiac. Cornell and Colgate will square off in a home-and-away series on Feb. 7-8, and Cornell closes out its regular season with Quinnipiac and Princeton at home on Feb. 21-22.
