Friday’s contest against the Crimson had the fans in Lynah on the edge of their seats as power play goals proved critical for the Red’s 3-2 victory.
Cornell (3-0, 2-0 ECAC) was able to convert both its power play opportunities giving it an early 2-0 lead against Harvard (1-2, 1-2 ECAC). Junior forward Grace Graham capitalized on the first opportunity 10:12 into the first period off of assists from senior forwards Lenka Serdar and Diana Buckley.
Facing another man-up situation less than three minutes after its first goal, the Red struck once again to put the pressure on the Crimson. This time it was junior defender Jamie Bourbonnais who scored off of assists from junior defender and captain Micah Zandee-Hart and sophomore forward Maddie Mills.
With a power play opportunity of its own, Harvard was able to get on the board to close out the first period 2-1.
The second period looked like it was going to remain scoreless until junior forward Paige Lewis found the back of the net on a breakaway to give the Red a two goal lead again.
The Crimson was able to score once more with 26 seconds left in the the game, but the deficit proved too much for it to overcome and the Red earned its second victory of the season.
“We brought a lot of energy and fire against our rival Harvard,” Serdar said. “We used that energy on the ice to win battles and make good plays with the puck. Our power play was clicking and was a huge factor in winning that game.”
Senior goalkeeper Marlene Boissonnault had 23 saves in the crease for an incredible 0.92 save rate.
The match also marked the momentous century milestone for Serdar and Buckley who are the only players on the current roster who have played more than 100 games for the Red.
“It’s a huge privilege to play for Cornell women’s ice hockey and I’m so proud to have represented our team 100 times,” Serdar said.
Buckley also reflected on the difficulty of accomplishing such an impressive feat.
“It means a lot to play 100 games for the Big Red and it’s even more special to do it with a fellow teammate,” she said. “We have been through a lot our four years and it is not always easy to stay healthy, so a big shoutout goes to my teammates, coaches and trainers for keeping both of us motivated and healthy.”
The Red will play next this Friday in New Haven at 6 p.m. against Yale looking to keep their winning streak alive.