Cornell Earns League Win Against Colgate
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 11:27 | SH - Johnston, Rebecca (Cornell) |
| 1st - 15:58 | PP - Johnston, Rebecca (Cornell) |
| 3rd - 14:14 | PP - Rougeau, Lauriane (Cornell) |
| Colgate | Cornell |
|---|---|
|
G:
N/A
A: N/A Sh: 2 Players (#12, #22 - 3) Sv: Kimberly Sass - 39 |
G:
Rebecca Johnston - 2
A: Brianne Jenner - 2 Sh: Brianne Jenner - 8 Sv: Lauren Slebodnick - 15 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Colgate | Cornell |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 0 for 7 | 2 for 8 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties (min) | 9 (18) | 7 (14) |
| Shots on Goal | 15 | 42 |
| Face Offs Won | 27 | 34 |
ITHACA, N.Y. – Rebecca Johnston had two goals, Lauren
Slebodnick had her second consecutive shutout, and the Big Red
women's hockey team made its homecoming a winning one with a 3-0
victory against ECAC Hockey rival Colgate at Lynah Rink on Tuesday
night.
In the team's first home contest since Thanksgiving weekend and its
first time playing all together since Dec. 3 at Mercyhurst, Cornell
(13-2, 9-1 ECAC Hockey) scored two first-period goals against
Colgate (8-12-1, 3-6-1) and rode a strong defensive effort to
victory against a physical Raiders team.
“I knew it wouldn't be easy,” said coach Doug Derraugh,
“but I did think that I got an honest effort, and I was happy
with that.”
Johnston's first goal came on a terrific display of skating. After
receiving the puck from Laura Fortino, Johnston skated up toward
the blue line, circled back down toward the net and found the left
side wide open for the goal. Colgate goalie Kimberly Sass appeared
to be distracted on the play by Cornell skaters in front of
her.
The second goal, also in the first period, came on a five-on-three
advantage for the Big Red. When Hayleigh Cudmore fired a slapshot
from near the blue line, the puck found its way through Sass but
not into the net. Johnston was there for the tap in, and the Big
Red held a 2-0 lead.
A scoreless second period saw the Big Red fighting off a
five-on-three Raiders advantage for nearly a minute, and Cornell
was again at a two-man disadvantage in the third frame, this time
for a full minute.
The Big Red came away unscathed both times, and Slebodnick earned
her second consecutive and eighth career shutout with 15 saves. She
made 17 saves at Rensselaer on Saturday and has not had
back-to-back shutouts since Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 at Brown and Yale
last season. The team had back-to-back shutouts earlier this year
against Yale and Brown on Oct. 28 and 29, with Slebodnick earning
one of those and Amanda Mazzotta claiming the other.
“She's a great goaltender, and I love when she's in
net,” Johnston said. “We have great goalies, and it's
nice to know that if one's hurt or one's not playing, the other one
will step up. I feel confident in her, and I'm proud that she's one
of our goaltenders.”
With Slebodnick and the defense staying strong, the Big Red got its
final goal off a slapshot by Lauriane Rougeau. A blue-line pass
from Amanda Young set up the shot, and the puck clanged in off the
post. Cornell had hit the post three times earlier in the game.
Catherine White, Chelsea Karpenko, Mazzotta, Jessica Campbell,
Cudmore and Jillian Saulnier all played in their first Cornell
contest since Dec. 3 after traveling with Canada's under-22
national team last week to Germany.
After taking home the bronze in the Meco Cup, each contributing at
least one point to Canada's efforts, and returning to Ithaca early
Monday morning, five of them were back on the ice Tuesday. With jet
leg as a possible issue, Saulnier contributed the secondary assist
on Johnston's first goal, and Cudmore was the primary helper on
Johnston's second.
Cornell gets a two-day breather before conference-leading
Quinnipiac and third-place Princeton come to Lynah Rink on Friday
and Saturday. The contest against the Bobcats begins at 7 p.m.,
while the Tigers game on Saturday starts at 4 p.m.
