Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The top-ranked Cornell women's hockey team survived a scare from a gritty Robert Morris team on Friday night, earning a 3-2 victory in the season opener for the Big Red. Catherine White had a goal and an assist for Cornell, while Hayley Hughes and Amanda Young both chipped in a goal on the night.

Rebecca Johnston, Hayleigh Cudmore, Alyssa Gagliardi and Kendice Ogilvie each added an assist on the night for Cornell, while Amanda Mazzotta stopped 12 shots in earning the victory. Cornell finished the night 0-for-2 on the power play.

Sara O'Malley scored a pair of goals for the Colonials (1-6), while Dayna Newsom picked up a pair of assists. Thea Imbrogno added one assist for Robert Morris, which got 25 saves from Kristen DiCiocco in the losing effort. The Colonials were held scoreless in four power-play chances on the night.

Cornell struck for a pair of goals in the game's opening five minutes, with White scoring the first goal of the year at the 2:55 mark, taking a pass from Johnston and slipping a near-post shot past DiCiocco. The Big Red added to the lead at the 5:00 mark of the game when Hughes took a pass from Ogilvie and beat DiCiocco.

That would be all the scoring for the first period, however, as the Big Red out-shot the Colonials 11-2 in the opening 20 minutes. The second period saw more of the same, with Cornell holding a 12-4 edge in shots, but it was Newsom forcing a turnover in the Cornell zone and passing off to O'Malley, who ripped a shot past Mazzotta to put the Colonials on the scoreboard.

In the third period, Young scored what would be the eventual game-winner, taking a rebound off a shot from White and lifting a shot over the shoulder of DiCiocco at the 10:23 mark of the period. 

Robert Morris closed to within one with 23 seconds to play when O'Malley scored a late goal from in front of the Cornell cage, but that would be the final tally of the contest, despite the Colonials pulling DiCiocco for an extra skater for the game's final 12 seconds.

Cornell and Robert Morris will face off again on Saturday in a 2 p.m. contest at Lynah Rink.