Golden Knights' Six-Game Unbeaten Steak Snapped

Photo by Jim Meagher

Boxscore

POTSDAM, NY – A short-handed goal early in the third period by Liz Zorn ended the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team’s six-game unbeaten streak as Cornell University upended the Golden Knights 3-2 in ECAC Hockey action at Cheel Arena.

The Golden Knights, who also saw a four-game winning streak end, fell to 8-6-3 overall and 4-2-1 in conference games, while the Big Red improved to 6-5-1 and evened their league slate at 3-3-1. The victory was Cornell’s second in the 11-game rivalry against the Knights, stopping an eight-game slide to the Green and Gold.

The Golden Knights controlled most of the play for the first 13 minutes or so, but Cornell appeared ready to score the first goal late in the period with a sustained attack in the Clarkson end. However, freshman Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) stole the puck near the blue line and made a nifty pass off the boards to junior Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT), who then skated in and wristed a shot from the top of the circle to give the Knights a 1-0 lead at 13:34. It was Selina’s third goal of the season, and Baribeau picked up her ninth assist.

Clarkson was barely done celebrating when Cornell tied the score up 1-1. Just 12 seconds after the Knights’ goal, the Big Red tallied off a scrum in front, with Karlee Overguard scoring her fourth of the season and the assist going to Stephanie Holmes.

In the second period, Cornell became the first team to hold a lead on the Knights in nine periods when it tallied on the power play at 5:33. Just 13 seconds after a hooking penalty was called on Clarkson, freshman Catherine White tapped in a rebound after the Knights’ goaltender Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) had made the first stop on a shot from Rebecca Johnston. The goal was White’s sixth of the season.

Late in the frame, the Knights became the beneficiary of a 5-on-3 for what would have been nearly a minute and a half, but Clarkson scored at the 16:18 mark to tie the game up at 2-2. Senior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) sent a pass out to junior Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) at the point, and Eusepi found freshman Brittany Mulligan (London, ONT) down near the bottom of the circle. Mulligan then put the puck just inside the post to tie up the score, her second goal of the season. Gaudet’s assist was her team-high 14th of the season, and Eusepi’s assist was her sixth.

After a couple of impressive saves by Cornell’s Jenny Niesluchowski, Clarkson looked like it was ready to reclaim the lead on a power-play chance. A misplayed restart in the Clarkson defensive zone ended that chance, though, as Liz Zorn picked up an errant pass in the slot and flipped a shot in over Dahm, a short-handed marker at 6:09.

The Knights spent the last minute skating with an extra attacker, but Clarkson was unable to come up with the equalizer in the third period.

Niesluchowski made 31 saves, including several sprawling stops in front, while Dahm made 19 saves. Clarkson had a 33-22 edge in shots.