No. 4 women’s hockey put another unbeaten weekend in the books at Lynah against ECAC foes St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
On Saturday, the Red squared off against St. Lawrence and came out on top, 3-2. Cornell swept the season series against the Saints, also having downed them in November by a score of 4-1.
Back in November when the Red played Clarkson, the game ended in a 1-1 tie. It was the same result this time around as the teams were deadlocked through 60 minutes of regular play and five minutes of overtime at one goal each.
In Cornell’s second-to-last homestand of the regular season, the Lynah Faithful packed the stands of Cornell’s home ice. The Red’s success has drawn attention from the community, including children from surrounding local youth teams. The young fans eagerly awaited the chance to high-five their favorite players when the skaters exit the ice.
“It’s definitely been fun looking around the stands and seeing groups of youth hockey teams,” said sophomore forward Gillis Frechette. “Coach said before the game, so many dream of being in our seats right now. It’s so fun to realize that we’re where they aspire to be in a few years, so it’s really cool to know that we’re leaving that mark on them.”
Clarkson (18-4-5, 9-3-3 ECAC) came to play and was not intimidated by the large crowd. Cornell (19-1-3, 13-0-3 ECAC) jumped on the Golden Knights in the first period. Senior defenseman Jaime Bourbonnais, who is currently leading the team in points this season, caught Clarkson in between a line change.
Bourbonnais jumped on the opportunity, skating into the Golden Knights’ zone and finding junior forward Finley Frechette. From a wide angle, the junior took her shot and was able to sneak the puck through to put the Red up 1-0.
Junior goaltender Lindsay Browning once again shone for the team, saving 21 out of the 22 shots she faced. Her shutout was going until the third period, when Clarkson rushed Cornell’s zone.
Deking around the Red’s defense, the Golden Knights’ Elizabeth Giguere took the puck and made a quick pass to Avery Mitchell, who beat Browning for the goal.
“The team so far has been great.” Browning said. “I haven’t been too busy — we’ve just been scoring a lot. It makes it a lot less stressful on the goalie.”
After the game ended in a tie, the Red turned its attention to St. Lawrence (11-11-6, 6-7-3 ECAC), in the team’s annual Do It For Daron game. DIFD is a mental health awareness organization in honor of Daron Richardson, a hockey player who died by suicide in 2010 at the age of 14. Daron was the sister of former women’s hockey player Morgan Richardson ’16.
The organization supports education and awareness about youth mental health. The Red showed its support by hanging purple hearts all around the boards for the afternoon game.
Halfway into the first period, the Red was given a power play thanks to a hooking penalty suffered by the Saints’ Anna Segedi. With Segedi watching from the box, the Red put in its first goal of the game from Bourbonnais after she forced her way into the crease and snuck the puck past the goalie. Senior forward Amy Curlew and junior forward Maddie Mills also recorded assists.
A few moments later, senior forward Grace Graham doubled Cornell’s lead with an excellent wrist shot that beat the St. Lawrence goalie on the glove side. Gillis Frechette passed it ahead to senior forward Paige Lewis, who led Graham into the zone. Charging in on her forehand, she used the Saints’ defender as a screen and fired it around her for the goal.
After Julia Gosling scored for the Saints in the second frame, the Red scored its third of the game. The puck was cleared to Browning, who flicked the puck down the ice right to Lewis’ stick. Lewis then passed it to Gillis Frechette, who beat the goalie from on top of the crease after cutting inside to put Cornell ahead 3-1. It was Browning’s first career point — a rarity for a goaltender.
With time expiring in the third, St. Lawrence put in another goal. However, it was too little, too late — the Red came away with a 3-2 victory, further extending its unbeaten streak to 13. Cornell is also undefeated at home this year with a 12-0-1 record.
“The biggest thing for us has been sticking together as a team,” Bourbonnais said after the game. “We’re doing really well this year. Doing things on our own in the playoffs isn’t going to fly so I think when we play as a team we’re unstoppable.”
Entering the last month of the season, the team will take on Harvard and Dartmouth next week on Feb. 7 and 8 in two vital ECAC matchups.
Students may consult with counselors from Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) by calling 607-255-5155. Employees may call the Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) at 607-255-2673. An Ithaca-based Crisisline is available at 607-272-1616. For additional resources, visit caringcommunity.cornell.edu.