Women's Hockey: Around the ECAC

Cornell (13-1, 8-0)

The Big Red is riding a nine-game win streak that started over a month ago with a 3-0 victory over Harvard. Led by forward Brianne Jenner, who has already tallied 11 goals this season, Cornell currently sits atop the ECAC Hockey rankings and will likely remain there for the near future. Of course, the Big Red is no stranger to the top spot; Cornell finished first in the conference in the 2009-10 season, as it compiled an impressive 14-2-6 conference record.

Quinnipiac (13-6-1, 6-5)

After finishing fourth in the ECAC Hockey last year, Quinnipiac — second in the league standings — has had a strong start to the season. Despite a few surprising losses to teams such as Rensselaer and Dartmouth, the Bobcats have played true to form, even shutting out Colgate 4-0 in November. Forward Kelly Babstock has so far notched a team-leading 17 goals and 19 assists for a total of 36 points to date — an impressive showing in her debut season.

Dartmouth (6-4, 5-3)

The Dartmouth women got off to a solid start this season, winning six of their first seven games and losing only to top-ranked Cornell. Since then, however, Dartmouth has hit a skid, dropping its last three games, including back-to-back losses to Harvard and No. 6 Boston College. Led by sophomore Sasha Nanji, named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week on Nov. 16, the Big Green will be looking to win its next few nonconference games before resuming league play on Jan. 7.

Harvard (4-5-2, 4-2-2)

The Crimson currently finds itself in fourth place in the ECAC Hockey standings, thanks in part to solid victories over Brown, Colgate and Dartmouth. Though Harvard is currently reeling from a three-game losing streak, upcoming games against New Hampshire and Boston University will give the team a chance to return to winning form. The Crimson will look to forwards Kate Buesser, Katharine Chute and Liza Ryabkina for its scoring production throughout the rest of the season; the three have totaled 13 goals and nine assists so far this year. Make no mistake: This is not the same team that topped the conference in 2007-08 and 2008-09, but it is certainly a talented side capable of getting hot and making a deep run.

Rensselaer (6-8-5, 4-3-1)

The Rensselaer team, which has only three seniors, has struggled through the year’s overall campaign. But although they have only strung together consecutive wins once this season, the Engineers have managed to pick up most of their wins in ECAC competition, which will keep them out of the very rock bottom of the division. Their scoring is distributed fairly evenly among their players, but a lack of leadership is going to keep the Engineers from having a very successful season.

St. Lawrence (8-7-2, 4-3)

The Saints did not start off their season on the right foot. A 6-1 loss to Providence set the tone for October, during which the team suffered a four-game losing streak. A win against Union brought St. Lawrence back into its form, and the Saints have only gained momentum. Including that victory, St. Lawrence has gone 7-1-2 since.

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Clarkson (6-10-3, 3-3-1)

The Golden Knights have gotten off to a cold start after finishing second in the ECAC last year with a 14-5-3 record. Clarkson fell to top-ranked Cornell last Saturday 3-0. However, the game was closer than the score indicates, as the Big Red scored three opportunistic goals in the second period and only outshot the Golden Knights 30-22. Forward Melissa Waldie leads Clarkson’s offense with eight goals and four assists. The Golden Knights have concluded play for December and will resume next year when the Tigers travel to Cheel Arena on Jan. 7.

Yale (4-8-2, 3-4-1)

The Bulldogs stumbled as they entered the 2010 season. Despite a pair of overtime ties against Vermont and Harvard, Yale could not manage a win until four weeks into its season. This streak included losses against Dartmouth and Rensselaer, both teams within the conference. Since finding their stride, the Bulldogs have managed a strong win against Union and close victories over Princeton and Clarkson — all ECAC Hockey teams. Yale will play its next conference game against Cornell on Jan. 7.

Colgate (6-12, 3-5)

The Red Raiders appear to be headed for another below-average season. After managing an impressive 1-0 win in overtime against No. 8 New Hampshire at the outset of the season, Colgate has lost 11 of its last 15 matches, despite playing 12 of the games at home. During this stretch, the Red Raiders faced Princeton twice, with each earning a 2-0 victory once. Colgate will resume its season following winter break with a trip to Syracuse on Jan. 3.

Brown (2-8-2, 1-5-2)

The Bears have already matched their last season’s total of conference wins with a 1-0 victory over Rensselaer, yet Brown has struggled recently. The Bears have lost five games in a row, including their most recent match against Princeton. The Tigers shut out the Bears 4-0 on Saturday at Baker Rink in a very physical game that featured 12 total penalties. Brown’s offense is led by forward Laurie Jolin, who has netted five goals this season but was unable to find the back of the net against Princeton.

Union (1-12-2, 0-6-2)

Union has had a rough season so far. Besides a shutout against Sacred Heart University in October, the Dutchwomen haven’t managed a win. The team handled ties against Rensselaer and Brown but has not managed to tip the scoreboard in its favor during conference play. Luckily for Union, losses have typically been close (a single point difference against St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac and Princeton), so the Dutchwomen still have a chance to turn their season around in 2011.