Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Patty Kazmaier Award finalist Sarah Vaillancourt netted the first and last goals of the game, propelling the No. 1 Harvard women's ice hockey team a 4-2 win over Cornell in game two of the ECAC quarterfinals.

With the victory, the Crimson advances to the semifinals where it will serve as hosts for the remaining two rounds of the ECAC women's hockey tournament. 

Harvard wasted no time getting on the board at the start of game two. After a Sarah Wilson penalty gave Cornell an early power-play, Caitlin Cahow intercepted a Big Red pass in her own end and found a wide open Sarah Vaillancourt streaking across center ice. Vaillancourt converted the short-handed breakaway chance as she faked out the goalie and buried a smooth back-handed shot, giving Harvard a 1-0 lead just 1:10 into the game.

The physical play continued throughout the first period, but the Crimson was up to the challenge, killing two Cornell power plays in the first ten minutes, holding the Big Red without a legitimate scoring chance.

Harvard continued to test Big Red Keeper Jenny Niesluchowski as Cahow had a number of solid looks on a Crimson power play with under three minutes to go in the first. Rebecca Johnston kept Harvard goalie Christina Kessler on her toes with two wrap-around attempts from opposite sides of the net that Kessler was able to smother. Harvard ended the period with an 18-9 shot advantage.

Kate Buesser had a great opportunity at the start of the second period as she picked off a pass near the red line and lead a breakaway down the right side of the ice. Her effort was thwarted by a Big Red slash and Harvard made good use of the ensuing power play.

With just four seconds left on the man-advantage, Ryabkina collected a pass against the left boards at the blue line and fired a rising shot into the crowd in front of the net. With her back to the goal, Cahow redirected the shot away from the Niesluchowski and into the upper right netting for a 2-0 lead.

At the midway point of the second period, after a Nora Sluzas penalty, Cornell wasted little time capitalizing as a flurry in front of the net ended with Liz Zorn putting home a loose puck past a sprawling Kessler.

With the Crimson ahead 2-1 at the start of the third period, Sarah Wilson needed all of 15 seconds into the frame to tally the game-winning goal. Wilson moved the puck down the right side of the Cornell zone and fired a shot that ricocheted off Big Red goalie Jenny Niesluchowski's pad. Wilson lost balance, managed to slide the puck into the net

Cornell responded less than a minute later to once again make it a one-goal game. Brittany Forgues took possession behind the Harvard net and found Hayley Hughes with some room in front of the crease.  Hughes, in turn, beat Christina Kessler for Cornell's fourth goal in two games.

The rest of the period went scoreless, until Vaillancourt recovered an errant Cornell pass with 39 seconds left in regulation, spun around a defender a flung the puck into an open net from center ice to seal the 4-3 win. Caitlin Cahow was credited with an assist after moving the puck up the ice.

Kessler collected the win with a 27-save effort for Harvard while Niesluchowski kept the Big Red close all afternoon, ending the game with 49 saves. Cahow, Vaillancourt and Jenny Brine all ended the game with a +3 rating.  Harvard ended the game with a 53-29 advantage in shots.

Harvard will now face the winner of the Princeton/Clarkson ECAC quarterfinal matchip which is knotted at one game apiece after Clarkson earned an overtime win in action on Saturday.  The Crimson will place either the Tigers or the Golden Knights at Bright Hockey Center at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 8.  The other semifinal game will see St. Lawrence skate against Dartmouth at 4 p.m.