Co-captain Sarah Olivier will lead the Big Red offense this season. Olivier was recently named to play for the ECAC North All-Star team in a game against the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team on Oct. 28. She had the third most points on the team last year, with 22. Last year’s second-leading scorer Lindsay Murao will join Olivier on the attack. Murao had 23 points last year.

On defense, the team will rely on junior Brooke Bestwick, who was named to the ECAC North team with Olivier. She had 20 points as a defenseman last season, tops among Big Red defensemen.

In goal, junior Sanya Sandahl will probably get the most minutes, after posting an impressive .875 save percentage for Cornell last seas

On paper, the Big Red lacks the leaadership and firepower to be a particularly outstanding team this season, but will look to the future with its large incoming class.

7. Yale

Yale (3-23-2) has only two seniors on its team this year but hopes that its strong group of underclassmen can work together to put wins on the board.

Captain Katie Hirte will split time in the net for the Bulldogs with sophomore Nicolette Franck. Last season Hirte had 315 saves, and Franck posted a 1.91 goals against average in her rookie year. This combination will provide extraordinary depth for Yale this season.

Junior Kaitlin Procaro will support the duo of goaltenders at the blueline. She led all Eli defensemen in goals last year.

Senior Sara Wood will lead the team offensively. She had the second most assists and the third most goals and points scored last season. Wood was selected for the ECAC All-Academic team the past two years. Junior Deanna McDevitt will join Wood on the front line. Despite tearing her ACL in the middle of last season, McDevitt had the second most goals and total points for Yale.

Yale will have a good anchor in goal this year, but its offense may not have the scoring power needed to win crucial games.

8. Colgate

The 2001-2002 season will mark the first year that Colgate (15-8-3) will play at a Division I level. The team has gone from being a club team to playing at the highest collegiate level in only four years.

It has been playing in a Division III bracket since it first earned varsity status under head coach Ted Wisner.

In addition to adjusting to the higher level of play, Colgate will also have to make up for the fact that three time all-American Heather Murphy is taking the fall semester abroad. Murphy is Colgate’s all time career-scoring leader, and the Raiders relied heavily on her last season. She will rejoin the team November 30, but the Raiders will not want to fall too far behind in the standings before she returns.

Sophomore Caitlin Hornyak, the second leading scoring player last year, will be joined by five freshman additions to keep the offense going while Murphy is gone.