The women’s hockey team played to a 1-1 tie against its travel partner Colgate in the first game of the home-and-home series last night at Lynah Rink. The Red (4-16-2, 2-9-2 ECAC) still remains in eighth place, one point behind the Raiders (11-17-1, 3-9-1 ECAC) in the ECAC standings. The result of tomorrow’s game will most likely determine the Red’s final playoff seeding.
Back in the lineup for the Red was freshman Caitlin Warren, who did not travel with the team last weekend due to a concussion she suffered two weeks ago against Yale.
The Raiders dominated the opening stanza, keeping the puck constantly in the Red’s zone. The penalty-killing unit was tested early, as Colgate went on the power play at 1:23. Senior Sanya Sandahl looked sharp from the start, and made a great save on an early Colgate breakaway.
“I’m disappointed with [our performance] in the first period. I didn’t think we showed up in the first period, and it could have really hurt us in the end,” commented head coach Melody Davidson.
The Red’s best scoring chances in the first came on its two power plays, but the icers were unable to solve the goaltender.
At the start of the second period, Cornell came out with a lot more intensity, and completely controlled the puck in Colgate’s zone. Freshman Jen Munhofen nearly netted a goal on the power play midway through the period. Colgate’s Rebecca Lahar gave up a rebound to her right, and the puck dribbled across the crease. Munhofen raced in to tap the puck in, but Lahar dove and got her glove on it.
The Raiders had a 5-on-3 power play with seven minutes remaining in the period, but were unable to capitalize, as the Red’s penalty killers came up big to keep the game scoreless. Midway through the two-man advantage, Colgate’s Avery McGlenn went down with a leg injury, and had to be helped off the ice. She did not return to the game.
With only seconds left in the second period, the Red held the puck in the Raider zone. Sophomore Jamie Ramenofsky received a pass from junior Briana Jentner, and took a hard shot from the high slot. The traffic in front of Lahar provided a good screen, and the Red got on the board with only 14.6 seconds left on the clock. The tally was Ramenofsky’s first collegiate goal.
“It helps the confidence [of the team] to get a goal late in the period. You know you can put one past that goaltender, so it gives you that big moral boost. They worked so hard in the second period, and that goal was huge for us,” said Davidson.
The Red continued its offensive push in the third period, but it was Colgate who came away with the goal. After Sandahl made a sprawling save, Kristy MacDonald knocked the puck home at 12:18 to tie the game at one.
The last five minutes of third were very intense, with both teams generating plays in the offensive zone. With Colgate going in on a breakaway, Ramenofsky came from behind and knocked the puck away to prevent a shot.
Cornell nearly lit the lamp as Lahar gave up a big rebound on freshman Emily Cabral’s shot from the right point, and the Red collected the puck on the right side of the goal, but couldn’t finish.
Neither team could score in the closing minutes of the third, and the game went to overtime. The Red controlled the extra frame, registering five shots while the Raiders had none.
“We pretty much controlled the overtime, and the last part of the third. We just couldn’t find the back of the net, which has been sort of our Achilles’ heel all year,” remarked Davidson.
Sandahl finished the game with 29 saves, while Lahar stopped 35 for Colgate.
“[Sanya’s] been playing really well. She’s taking away the bottom half of the net, and making good decisions on her saves, not going down early, and outwaiting the shooter. I’m really happy with how she played,” lauded Davidson.
The Red will travel to Hamilton on Saturday for a 4 PM showdown against the Raiders. The icers then wrap up the regular season next week at home against Harvard and Brown.
Archived article by Jonathan Auerbach