It's hockey season in Ithaca, and for the second straight season, No. 14 women's hockey will start its campaign at Lynah Rink where it will face off against No. 15 University of Vermont on Oct. 16 and 17. Here are some of the need-to-knows heading into the first series of the season.
12 is the Magic Number
On Oct. 5, the Red was ranked 12th in the U.S. College Hockey Online polls. The number 12 has another significance for the program; this season, Cornell can confidently play with 12 forwards. Last season, due to a small roster, Cornell was unable to roll four forward lines. When injuries struck throughout the season, the depth dwindled even more.
This season, that is not the case. With 14 rostered forwards, the Red should always ice the typical twelve forwards that are standard across hockey.
“I'm sure for those young players, there'll be some nerves and some jitters early on,” said head coach Doug Derraugh ’91. “I know they're gonna bring a lot of energy, and I know they're gonna bring a lot of compete, so that'll sort of take care of the nerves.”
Time will tell whether this helps propel Cornell to victory, but if last season is any indicator, having full forward depth will be crucial. The Red had eight forwards with more than five goals last year. The added players can only help a team that is best when able to score by committee.
Senior Starters
For the six seniors on the Red, this weekend marks the first of many lasts in their collegiate careers. They have combined for 543 total games played for the Red. Each senior has been a crucial part of the organization and brings experience and leadership to a team welcoming nine new players.
Senior forward Karel Prefontaine will serve as a captain alongside junior forward Lindzi Avar. Prefontaine was tied for second in goals on the team last season with 11, including six on the skater advantage.
Senior goaltender Annelies Bergmann is three victories and two blank sheets shy of breaking the program’s career wins and shutouts records, respectively. The Michigan native has backstopped the team every year of her collegiate career and looks to return to the ECAC Goaltender of the Year level of her sophomore season.
Forward Beatrice Perron-Roy had a career-high 16 points last season. Fellow senior forward Delaney Fleming also enjoyed a career year, registering 18 points. Both will take on larger roles in the offense this season.
On the blueline, senior defender Piper Grober led the Red in defensive scoring and looks poised for one last run as a quarterback of the offense. Meanwhile, Abby Thibodeau has been a defensive staple for Cornell, blocking 22 shots last season. Thibodeau will have more defensive responsibility this season after the departures of Sarah MacEachern ’26 and Grace Dwyer ’26.
“I do think that we're really fortunate this year to have a senior class and a junior class … it was really tough to decide who was going to be captains this year,” Derraugh said. “Because I thought we have a lot of great leaders.”
This group of seniors who have all experienced NCAA tournament runs will be crucial in guiding the Red towards the postseason.
Catching Up on the Catamounts
The Red’s first opponent is the University of Vermont Catamounts. Ranked 15th in the latest United States College Hockey Online polls, the Catamounts barely trail behind Cornell, but with the upcoming two-game series this weekend, that could change.
Slowly scaling NCAA Division I, the Catamounts have won three games thus far, one of which was a major upset against Minnesota Duluth. Vermont has only lost one game thus far, with the series sweep against Duluth barely falling through in an overtime nail-biter.
The Catamounts have been good at playing a full 200-foot, 60-minute game.
“They’re very well coached,” Derraugh said. “They’re very physical, very aggressive. They make it really difficult to get into their net.”
Defender Linnéa Misner is an offensive quarterback for the Catamounts, with three points, all assists. First-year forward Zoe Charland has also burst onto the scene for Vermont, contributing a goal and an assist in the early goings of the season.
Backstopping the upset victory over Duluth was goalie Tara Bach, making a total of 61 saves on 64 shots that series, leading Bach to be named one of the Hockey East Goaltenders of the Week.
Cornell will attempt to avoid a repeat of last season's series in Burlington, which saw the No. 5 ranked Red split the series with the Catamounts.
“Top to bottom, a real strong team overall,” Derraugh said. “It's gonna be a great test for us here out of the gate.”
While lines will be a game-time decision, the Red will look to start the season with energy and an early win streak.
Cornell opens the season this weekend at home against the University of Vermont. Puck drop on Friday night is set for 6 p.m., with the series wrapping up at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live updates will be available at @DailySunSports on X.
Tyler Goldberg is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is a Sun Senior Writer and can be reached at tgoldberg@cornellsun.com.
