Saturday’s game against Northeastern, the third ranked team in the nation, may have been the best played game of the season thus far for the women’s hockey team. Unfortunately for the Red (3-11-0) the Huskies (17-2-0) ultimately proved stronger, finding the back of the net two minutes into the overtime session to seal the 2-1 win.
Yesterday’s game versus Boston College (4-12-3) had a similarly disappointing close as the Eagles came from behind to tie up the game and take the victory with another overtime goal.
Suffering two tough overtime losses in an equal number of days is never easy, but the icers can certainly find encouragement for the future from their tough play against national powerhouse Northeastern. While their record isn’t stellar, making a team like the Eagles fight through three periods and into overtime certainly speaks to the talent and drive of the team.
The score was all zeroes until 16:53 in the second period when Eagles team leader Brooke Whitney picked up a score, redirecting a deflected shot. It looked as though Whitney’s goal might be the game winner, as Cornell was unable to answer with a goal of its own in the stanza. Senior tri-captain Sarah Olivier wasn’t ready to give up that easily, however, as she buried the puck with just under seven minutes into the final period. Tri-captain senior Jenel Bode and junior Brooke Bestwick assisted on the goal — Olivier’s fourth of the season.
The remaining 13 minutes of regulation saw the score stand at 1-1, but both teams picked up their intensity in the overtime, sending three shots towards goal apiece within the first two minutes of the session. While Cornell edged out Northeastern in shots on goal (26-20), it was the huskies who would have the last laugh. Whitney was in on this score too, combining with Brooke White to assist Pamela Pachal for the game winner.
Saturday’s game may have been a heartbreaker for the icers, but there was little time to wallow over the loss, as the Red was back on the ice the next day to face Boston College. The Eagles had battled into overtime the day before as well, losing to Yale despite a valiant comeback that sent the game into the extra period.
The goaltending of Cornell junior Sanya Sandahl and the Eagle’s Lisa Davis dictated the first two periods as the two combined to stop all shots on goal and keep the game scoreless through the second. Offense finally kicked in for both teams in the third, as Bode assisted junior Lindsay Murao just 30 seconds into the final period of regulation. Boston College rallied to come from behind for the second night in a row to send the game into overtime.
Alaina Clark scored the tying goal for the Eagles at 11:48 in the third. Within the first minute of the extra period Jacyln Kryzak had ended it, completing BC’s comeback and handing the Red it’s second loss of the weekend.
The women will look to pick up two much-needed wins against St. Lawrence at Lynah this weekend. The action starts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Archived article by Sarah Spain