Box Score

CANTON, N.Y. – St. Lawrence entered Friday night's game at Appleton Arena with the nation's longest unbeaten streak. Cornell left with it.

The No. 2 Big Red held on for a 6-4 win against a resilient Saints team, extending its winning streak to nine games to claim the longest streak in the country. St. Lawrence had nine games without a loss before falling on home ice to Cornell.

What looked like it was going to be a blowout in Cornell's favor got very interesting late as the Saints came back from a four goals down to within one. A St. Lawrence goal with the goalie pulled made the Cornell lead just 5-4 with 2:30 to go. From that point on, the Big Red's defense held firm and did not allow a shot on goal in the final 1:11.

Rebecca Johnston scored an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left, giving Cornell its final margin of victory.

Cornell (19-2, 14-1 ECAC Hockey) has now won three consecutive games against St. Lawrence (14-8-4, 8-4-2) and leads the conference by six points ahead of Quinnipiac. The Big Red's win was its 18th straight in the month of January and its 11th straight win in league play.

What wound up being a close game against the Saints, who are receiving votes in this week's national polls, started off largely in Cornell's favor.

After taking 64 minutes and one second to score at Dartmouth last Saturday, the Big Red's offense got going much earlier on Friday night. Jillian Saulnier got the team's first goal, though she barely had to do any work on the play that was set up by terrific passing.

Senior defenseman Amanda Young had the puck at the left point and faked a shot. Instead, she passed it down low behind the end line to Chelsea Karpenko, and Karpenko slotted the puck through the crease to Saulnier. Waiting on the right side of the net, Saulnier tapped the puck past Carmen McDonald for the 1-0 lead.

Nearly four minutes later, Rebecca Johnston struck for the Big Red on a terrific individual effort. On a long pass ahead, Johnston was in a footrace against the left boards with St. Lawrence defenseman Brooke Fernandez. Johnston beat Fernandez, squeezed past her along the boards across the blue line, and cut in toward McDonald. Looking like she was going to go short side, Johnston instead skated back at the last moment went across the crease and scored on her backhand to make it a 2-0 game.

Late in the period, a collision in front of the net removed starting goaltender Amanda Mazzotta from the game. Charging toward the net was Saints starting left wing Karell Emard, who tripped on Mazzotta as she went down to cover the puck. Mazzotta – who had two consecutive shutouts and is the reigning ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week – left the game and was replaced by Lauren Slebodnick.

The second period was a wild one for both teams as five goals were scored. Cornell took a 4-0 lead on the period's first two scores, netting those on the power play and short-handed.

The power play goal was put in by Lauriane Rougeau, who snuck down from the blue line and rifled a wrist shot past McDonald to make it a 3-0 lead.

Brianne Jenner made it 4-0 on a terrific breakaway effort short-handed. Hayleigh Cudmore began the play by chipping the puck out of the zone along the right boards. Jenner outskated the St. Lawrence defenders, picked up the puck close to the end line on the right side, cut inside and beat McDonald five-hole.

Cornell gave up the game's next two goals – one on the Saints' power play – but then brought the lead back up to three as the period wound to a close. Alyssa Gagliardi earned her third goal of the season and 30th point of her career on a seeing-eyes slap shot from the blue line that made it past players in front of the net.

That would be the team's final goal until Johnston's empty netter as the Saints used the final 24 minutes to catch up. In the end, great defense in front of Slebodnick by Chelsea Karpenko and Johnston kept the Saints from getting the game-tying goal.

Slebodnick, in replacement of Mazzotta, made 21 saves in the game and earned the win. Mazzotta, before she left, had 11 saves in 17:36. She has now played 155:22 consecutively without allowing a goal.

The Big Red returns to action on Saturday afternoon at Clarkson at 4 p.m., hoping to extend its winning streak to 10.