ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell women's hockey coach Doug Derraugh was named the 2010 Division I Women's Hockey Coach of the Year, announced on Friday. Derraugh wins the award after guiding the Big Red to a national runner-up finish in its first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The fifth-year mentor led the Big Red on a truly memorable season, recording numerous firsts in program history. Under his direction, Cornell won its first Ivy League title since 1996 and its first-ever ECAC Hockey regular-season championship. Entering the postseason as the league's top seed, Cornell continued its groundbreaking season, winning its first league playoff game, first playoff series, and first ECAC Hockey tournament title with a 4-3 overtime victory against Clarkson on March 7.

The run didn't stop there, though, as Cornell knocked off fourth-seeded Harvard in its first appearance in the NCAA tournament to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in program history. Cornell then defeated the top-seeded team in the tournament, Mercyhurst, 3-2, in overtime to advance to the national title game. There, Cornell battled through nearly six full periods before ultimately falling to Minnesota-Duluth, 3-2, with 33.6 seconds left in triple overtime in the longest game in Cornell hockey history.

Derraugh's players were also recognized for their efforts on the year, with sophomore Catherine White earning the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year award. White also earned a spot as a second-team All-American along with freshman defenseman Lauriane Rougeau, with fellow freshman blueliner Laura Fortino becoming the first player in program history to earn first-team All-America honors.

While the award recognizes him for the accomplishments of the 2009-10 season, it is also reflective of his overall work during his tenure at Cornell. The senior class of 2010, the first class brought into the program by Derraugh, struggled to a four-win season as freshmen, before earning a spot in the league playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The quartet of Laura Danforth, Melanie Jue, Kelly McGinty and Liz Zorn then spearheaded and provided tremendous leadership during this year's run to the national championship game.