The No. 2 women’s ice hockey team has won three straight matches against Princeton and hasn’t lost in five straight games against Quinnipiac. Those streaks look to continue with the way the Cornell squad has been playing.

This weekend, the Red (6-1, 4-0 ECAC) will face off against two foes it has already beaten this year, after coming off of a rare 13-day layoff. Cornell notched a pair of 5-1 victories earlier in the season in beating the Tigers and Bobcats. Faceoff against the Tigers will be at 3 p.m. at Lynah today, while the Quinnipiac match will begin tomorrow at the same time.

While most of the Red enjoyed the long 13-day break, star forwards Rebecca Johnston and Brianne Jenner weren’t exactly vacationing. The junior and freshman were with the Canadian National Team competing in the Four Nations Cup, coming home with a gold medal after beating the United States, 3-2, in overtime in the finals. Johnston notched two goals in the final, including the winning overtime goal en route to seven points on four goals and three assists in the tournament. Jenner, who came up just short of making the team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in January, relished the experience. Nevertheless, both players have had to find a balance with their National Team commitments and their roles with the Cornell team.

“So far, the [balance] has been fine,” Jenner said. “Our teammates are understanding and [head coach Doug Derraugh ’91] is understanding and they’re excited for us to have this opportunity. It’s disappointing that we can’t all be playing every game, but they show their support and when we get back they’re just as excited to have us back.”

Despite being without two of its top forwards, the Red still managed to come out with a pair of victories against then No. 10 Harvard and Dartmouth two weeks ago. The Red’s balance on offense was on display as it managed to notch nine goals on the weekend, led by Hayley Hughes’ two goals and three assists. 16 players have notched points for Cornell so far this season, with ten players tallying five or more.

The Red will try to keep the same game plan going into this weekend that seemed to work well against the Tigers and Bobcats during their last respective matchups. Cornell will try to pressure their opponents heavily and force some turnovers.

“We have to keep the same game plan and limit their space,” said sophomore defender Lauriane Rougeau. “We’re an aggressive team so that’s why we need to be on them fast and not give them any room out there on the ice.”

While the offense has been getting most of the attention, the Red defense has been outstanding as well. Its d-zone has stifled opponents throughout the year, allowing fewer than two goals a game, while killing 21-of-23 opponent power plays. 

“Yes, we are scoring a lot of goals, but you need to also be able to defend,” Rougeau said. “We have to put a lot of emphasis of working on our defensive zone. Defense is the most important aspect of the game. If we play well I think the offense will take care of itself.”

After losing to the Red earlier in the season, both the Tigers and Bobcats will come out with a vengeance.

“Both teams are very aggressive on the front check,” Rougeau said. “We’re going to have to work hard on getting back in our defensive zone quickly and breaking it out. Both teams are hard to play against because they never quit; they’re some of the hardest working teams that we’re going to be playing all year.”