Boxscore

HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Forward Sarah Vaillancourt scored the game-winning goal shorthanded on a breakaway with 2:28 remaining in the game to lead No. 1 Harvard to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Colgate Friday evening at Starr Rink.

Harvard (26-1-0, 21-0-0 ECAC Hockey) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Colgate crawled back to tie the game in the second. The contest remained even until Vaillancourt scored on a 3-on-4 chance late in the third.

The Crimson earned a power-play opportunity with 4:06 left to go in the game, but was then called for two penalties, resulting in a 4-on-3 power play for Colgate.

After the ensuing faceoff, Harvard cleared the puck from its own zone. Vaillancourt sped down the middle of the ice, grabbed the puck and skated towards into Raiders' zone. Vaillancourt made a move to her right and then skated around Colgate goaltender Lisa Plenderleith to score the unassisted game-winner.

After Colgate was charged for an interference penalty at 2:56 of the first, Harvard quickly converted on the ensuing power play as defenseman Kathryn Farni netted her second goal of the year 40 seconds later on a wrist shot from the right circle. Farni's shot went over Plenderleith's glove and hit the back of the net. Vaillancourt played the puck in the Colgate zone and gave it to defenseman Caitlin Cahow. Cahow took the pass and moved it to Farni through traffic, setting up the goal. Harvard has now scored on the power play in 22 of its 27 games.

The Crimson scored again two minutes later when forward Sarah Wilson found line mate Anna McDonald, who scored on a bouncing shot between Plenderleith's legs at 5:55.

Harvard kept the pressure on the Raiders in the opening period, but could not find the back of the net again in the first. Forward Liza Ryabkina had a quality scoring chance midway through the period and almost gave the Crimson a 3-0 lead. Ryabkina hit the left post with a shot from in front of the goal and the puck trickled away from Plenderleith.

The Raiders came back to cut the Crimson lead in half at 13:11, scoring on a shot from the left side by forward Beth Rosenberg. Even with the three goals scored in the period, the teams only had 13 combined shots on goal, including six by Harvard and seven by Colgate.

In the second, Colgate (12-14-5, 9-8-4 ECAC Hockey) scored the only goal of the period, tying the game on a tally by forward Hannah Milian at 9:17. Forward Jessi Waters floated the puck into the slot finding Milian for the second Colgate goal.

Harvard goaltender Christina Kessler kept the game even with eight stops in the second, as the teams headed into the final period tied, 2-2.

In the opening seconds of the third, Harvard forward Jenny Brine almost gave the Crimson a 3-2 lead when she lifted the puck in the air over Plenderleith's head, but the goalie dove backwards and to the left to make the save. Harvard came close again at 6:45 when McDonald hit the left post during a Crimson power play.

With five minutes remaining in the third, Wilson rifled a low shot from the top of the left circle, but Plenderleith again robbed the Crimson with a glove save.

The game remained tied until Vaillancourt scored the 3-on-4 goal with 2:28 remaining in the game, propelling the Crimson to the 3-2 win. Vaillancourt now leads the Crimson with two short-handed tallies.

Kessler made 20 stops in net for the Crimson, while Plenderleith finished the game with 24 saves. Kessler picked up her 24th victory of the season and has won 14 straight games in net.
The Crimson moves to 5-0-0 when tied after two periods and 26-0-0 when opponents score two goals or less.

Harvard closes out its regular season with a visit to Cornell Saturday at 4 p.m.