Box Score

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 wrist shot from near the blue line, the puck found its way through Sass but not into the net. Johnston was there for the rebound 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 wrist shot 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.