Currently on a two-game unbeaten streak (1-0-1) and coming off one of its most decisive victories of the season, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team would like nothing better than to roll into the upcoming exam/holiday break with two solid efforts in central New York this weekend in ECAC Hockey action. Guided by co-head coaches Matt and Shannon Desrosiers and assistant Matt Kelly, the Golden Knights play at Colgate University on Friday in Hamilton, NY at 5:00 p.m. and then face off against national powerhouse Cornell University in Ithaca on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Clarkson stands at 6-8-3 overall and is tied for fifth place in the ECAC Hockey standings with a 3-1-1 league mark. After this weekend, the Knights are off for 33 days before resuming play on January 7-8 when they host Princeton and Quinnipiac at Cheel Arena.

The Green and Gold skated to mix results in November going 3-2-2 during the month. Clarkson closed out its non-league portion of the 2010-11 campaign by tying and defeating Vermont of Hockey East this past weekend in Potsdam.

On Saturday, the Knights outshot the Catamounts by over a 2-to-1 margin (43-20), but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Junior defenseman Katelyn Ptolemy (Dinsmore, SASK) tallied Clarkson’s lone goal late in the second period for her first collegiate goal. Sophomore Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) made 19 saves and backboned the Knights’ penalty-killing effort, which shut down all six Vermont power plays.

Four different Knights scored goals in Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Vermont, equaling Clarkson’s most productive offensive showing of the season. Making her first start since November 12, senior Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) was solid in the Knights’ crease with a 25-save effort as she recorded the shutout, equaling the Clarkson career mark of 20 whitewashes and setting the school-record for career wins at 49. Sophomore Danielle Skirrow (Trenton, ONT), freshman Carly Mercer (Exeter, ONT), senior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) and junior Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) provided the goals in the Knights’ 13th all-time win over Vermont.

Waldie and Baribeau top the Knights’ scoring charts with 10 points apiece. Waldie, who has six goals this season, has tallied 58 career goals and 107 points through 129 games. Baribeau, who has four goals and six assists this year, is striving to join Waldie in Clarkson’s century club. Through 93 career games, she has tallied 80 points (40-40).

Freshman Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT) is Clarkson’s leading playmaker with seven assists. Skirrow shares the Knights’ goal-scoring lead with Waldie and leads the team in game-winning tallies with two.

Dahm has started 11 games this season and holds a .922 save percentage, a 2.41 goals against average and a 4-6-1 record, including one shutout. Howe has played in nine games, including starts in four of the last five games. She posts a .935 save percentage, a 1.51 GAA and a 2-2-2 record, including one shutout.

Colgate owns a 5-11 overall record and is tied for 10th in the league standings with a 2-4 conference slate. The Raiders have lost their last two games, falling to Syracuse 4-3 at Starr Rink on November 23 and losing at Mercyhurst 4-2 on November 27.

Ranked number one in both national polls, Cornell enters the weekend with an 11-1 overall record and a first-place 6-0-0 league mark. The Big Red, who host St. Lawrence on Friday, have won seven straight. In their last action, Cornell won 4-1 at Syracuse on November 30.