This post has been updated.
No. 3 Cornell women’s hockey headed out on Nov. 9 and 10 for its first road trip of the season against St. Lawrence and No. 6 Clarkson. Riding high and coming into the contests with a four-game win streak to start the year, the Red left Ithaca feeling confident.
Without its captains Kristin O’Neill and Micah Zandee-Hart, who were competing with Team Canada for the weekend, Cornell (5-0-1, 3-0-1 ECAC) left the North Country with a win and a tie — a 4-1 triumph over St. Lawrence and a 1-1 draw with the Golden Knights.
Saturday: Cornell 1, Clarkson 1
In a rematch of last season’s ECAC championship game, Clarkson (8-1-3, 3-0-1 ECAC) once again proved to be a worthy opponent for the Red on Saturday night. The first two periods saw strong defensive performances from both sides, especially Cornell junior goaltender Lindsay Browning. She recorded a season-high 28 saves.
Entering the third period, both squads were desperate for a goal to break the scoreless tie. With under four minutes to play, junior Maddie Mills took the puck from behind the net to find freshman Izzy Daniel in front of the crease. Daniel got the puck and quickly fired it into the back of the net for her first goal as a Cornellian.
“Scoring my first goal was an unbelievable feeling and something that I definitely won’t forget anytime soon,” Daniel said. “I just tried to get open in the slot and luckily it went in.”
Just two minutes later, junior defender Devon Facchinato was called for a tripping penalty, giving Clarkson a power play. The Golden Knights took advantage on Elizabeth Giguere’s goal. It was the first power-play goal ceded by Cornell this season, and forced the game into overtime.
Although the Red controlled the puck for the majority of the extra frame, neither team was able to find the game-winner, leading to a 1-1 tie. Nevertheless, it was a successful road trip for the team.
“I thought our team played well this weekend,” Daniel said. “Playing on the road is always a challenge and we did a lot of good things that we can build on.”
Especially for the Red’s younger players like Daniel, the trip was a great experience and gave them a taste of what it’s like to play in much hostile settings.
“The team has been amazing and I’ve loved every second I’ve gotten to spend with them,” Daniel said. “We have great leadership from the captains and upperclassmen and I feel very lucky to be a part of such a special group.”
Friday: Cornell 4, St. Lawrence 1
The Red squared off against against St. Lawrence (4-4-2, 1-1) in Canton, New York, on Friday in its first away game of the season. Halfway through the first period, senior forward Amy Curlew opened the scoring for Cornell with a power-play goal. Daniel crashed the net and scoped up a rebound and quickly passed to senior forward Paige Lewis. Lewis then delivered to her fellow senior Curlew to give the Red a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, still in the first period, the Saints answered with one of their own from the stick of Rachel Teslak. The Red and Curlew wouldn’t let the game for too long, however. Facchinato stole the puck in the neutral zone from a St. Lawrence forward and led the break for the Red. Her shot was saved by Saints’ goalie Lucy Morgan, but Curlew again found a way for Cornell, snatching the rebound and sending the puck into the top corner giving the Red a 2-1 advantage.
After a scoreless second period, Cornell was tasked with holding onto the lead — and it was up to the challenge. The Red was flying around the ice, blocking shots and stopping the St. Lawrence forwards at every turn. With five minutes left in the game, the Red found themselves short-handed after a penalty on Daniel. Junior defender Kendra Nealey grabbed the loose puck and found senior forward Grace Graham for the short-handed goal, giving the Red the dagger and securing the road win.
In the end, Graham added an empty-netter to bring the final tally to 4-1 for the Red.
Up Next
The Red will next take on a pair of Ivy League foes when it hosts Yale and Brown on Nov. 15 and 16 at Lynah Rink.