Cornell’s season ended without pomp and circumstance after two consecutive losses to Colgate University over the weekend. The Raiders (28-7-1, 16-5-1) ousted the Red (14-14-2, 12-8-2) from the ECAC Championship Quarterfinals round with a 1-0 (OT) win on Friday and 3-2 victory over the Red on Saturday, securing Colgate’s position in the ECAC Semifinals.
Earlier in the season, Cornell had fared well against Colgate, earning a 3-2 win on Feb. 6 after a hard-fought battle. Later in the season, Cornell suffered a 2-3 loss against the Raiders on Feb. 15. During each game, the teams found themselves well-matched and constantly adjusting to the other’s strategies and strengths.
The Red took to the ice with vigor on Friday, determined to put up a battle against the Raiders. For three periods, the Red traded shots with Colgate, and each team effectively maintained a perfect penalty kill all game.
Cornell graduate goaltender Lindsay Browning made a total of 43 saves throughout the game, only allowing one puck to slide past her guard during the overtime period. With only nine seconds left in overtime, a Colgate forward managed to snatch up the loose puck in the Red’s defensive zone, shooting it into the back of the Cornell net.
The following day, Cornell sought redemption for the previous day’s loss. Just over seven minutes into the first period, sophomore forward Gabbie Rud managed to gain the Red’s first goal of the game after freshman forward Leah Macsween intercepted a Colgate pass.
Macsween sent the puck to sophomore forward Kaitlyn Jockims, who passed to Rud before the Colgate goalie had a chance to adjust. Rud drilled the puck into the Colgate net, raising the score 1-0.
Senior forward Athena Song netted the second point on a power play in the second period with another assist from Jockims. The Red looked strong with its two point lead, but Colgate demanded an equalizer. Within one minute, the Raiders scored twice, closing the gap that the Red had worked so hard to create early in the match.
A Cornell penalty denied the Red’s hopes for advancement near the beginning of the third period. The penalty kill team held off the Raiders for one minute and 54 seconds, but a lucky power play shot pushed Colgate ahead, 3-2.
The Red played until the last second, fighting for an equalizer that never came. The Colgate goal ended a hard-fought season of growth and nipped the Red’s shot at another championship title.
The Red faced a season of adversity, from rebounding from last year’s canceled season to welcoming seven new freshmen to the ice. Throughout the season, the team faced seemingly endless swings of highs and lows. However, the team ended as a strong, tight-knit unit with the determination to succeed and grow. Women’s ice hockey ended its 2021-2022 season with two ties, 14 losses and 14 overall wins, many of which it secured during the second half of the season.
The Red will continue to strive for greatness during the off season and will return to the ice in the 2022-2023 season.