ECAC Hockey

January 29, 2010

Overguard Scores Late to Give Cornell Tie at St. Lawrence

CANTON, N.Y. -- For the second time in three weeks, Cornell junior Karlee Overguard scored a goal late in regulation that lifted the Big Red women's hockey team to a tie. This time, it was a goal with 1:14 to play in the third period to give Cornell a 2-2 tie at St. Lawrence on Friday night in Canton, N.Y.

Laura Fortino added the other goal for the Big Red, while Hayley Hughes, Catherine White and Melanie Jue each had an assist. Amanda Mazzotta stopped 26 shots in earning the tie for the Big Red (10-7-5, 9-1-5 ECAC Hockey), which moved another point closer to clinching its first-ever top-four finish in ECAC Hockey action.

For St. Lawrence, Britni Smith and Courtney Sawchuk both had a goal, while Smith and Kelly Sabatine added an assist. Maxie Weisz and Brittony Chartier split time in net, with Weisz stopping 15 saves and Chartier stopping 17 and earning the tie.

Cornell finished the night 0-for-5 on the power play, while St. Lawrence was 1-for-3, just the third power-play goal conceded by the Big Red this season.

St. Lawrence took the lead with Smith's goal on the power play with 1:56 to play in the first period, but Cornell evened the score midway through the second on Fortino's eighth goal of the year. In the third, Sawchuk scored with 9:01 to play to put the Saints ahead, but Overguard came on for the late heroics, taking a pass from Catherine White to bury the game-tying goal.

Cornell and St. Lawrence both had chances in overtime, but the two netminders were solid. Mazzotta stopped four shots in the extra period while St. Lawrence's Chartier made six saves to preserve the tie.

Cornell returns to action on Friday night, taking on league-leading Clarkson, a 3-0 winner over Colgate on Friday night. The Big Red trails the Golden Knights by two points in the league standings, though Clarkson owns a game in hand over the Big Red. Cornell won the first meeting between the two teams, 2-0, on Nov. 13, at Lynah Rink.