Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – With television cameras focused on the action and a top-10 opponent in Lynah Rink, the No. 3 Big Red shone their brightest. After a tense 40 minutes that saw fast-paced play, Cornell broke a 1-1 stalemate with four third-period goals to down No. 5 Mercyhurst 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Hayleigh Cudmore, Erin Barley-Maloney, Catherine White and Brianne Jenner all scored in the final period, helping the Big Red (22-3) claim a 2-1 season series victory over the Lakers (19-6-2).

“This was one of our best games from start to finish,” coach Doug Derraugh said. “It was a big game for both teams, so you want to play physical but you want to be able to hold the line. … This was the game where we played our toughest as far as the one-on-one battles go. We were really disciplined and tough but we didn't go over the edge.”

When the teams met in December in Mercyhurst's rink, each came away with a victory in close contests. Tuesday night's third period was undoubtedly decisive in Cornell's favor, pleasing the more than 900 fans in attendance and making for an exciting watch for those fans viewing the game on Time Warner Cable Sports at home.

“It's a great atmosphere to be in,” senior forward Rebecca Johnston said. “I wouldn't want to play anywhere else.”

Cudmore's goal came 6:05 into the final period. After a shot by Jessica Campbell rebounded out to Cudmore, the sophomore fired from the right circle toward the left part of the net. In front of the goal, a Mercyhurst player got her stick on the puck and deflected it into the net.

Just under four minutes later, the Big Red made it a 3-1 game on a power play goal. Though the Lakers came into the game with the nation's best man-advantage unit and scored its only goal on the power play, Cornell got two power play goals in the final period. The first came from Barley-Maloney, who redirected a Chelsea Karpenko slapshot into the net past Hillary Pattenden. Pattenden, the NCAA's all-time leader in wins, could do nothing as the puck traveled past her and made a loss likely.

As Mercyhurst pushed forward to try and bring the game back even, Catherine White worked some magic in front of the net and scored a backhanded goal after receiving a pass from Cudmore at the 11:43 mark.

Exactly two minutes later, Cornell put the game on ice with a well-executed power play goal. Laura Fortino passed the puck down low on the right side to Johnston, who skated behind the net before cutting up to try a near-side shot on Pattenden. Instead, Johnston's shot missed, but Jenner snuck down the left side of the ice and knocked Johnston's attempted under Pattenden's pads.

On the defensive side of the puck, Cornell was terrific. The team allowed just 20 shots on goal from Mercyhurst, a team that was averaging 43.5 shots per game. Entering the third period, Cornell had a narrow 17-15 edge in that category. But the third saw the Big Red take 23 shots to the Lakers' 5.

When she was tested in every period, Cornell goalkeeper Lauren Slebodnick was all but flawless. She made 19 saves in her third consecutive win after two losses, dropping her season goals against average to 1.48 and upping her save percentage to .923.

“This is the mark that we can do it,” Slebodnick said. “We overcame that little slump that we were in, and we're ready for the playoffs.”

Cornell is now 6-1 against out-of-conference opposition and is 7-1 against ranked opponents.

In the early going, victory was far from ensured for the Big Red.

Mercyhurst's nation-leading power play proved deadly in the waning minutes of the first period. When Cornell's Amanda Young took a tripping penalty, the Lakers struck. Mercyhurst defenseman Molly Byrne took a shot from the right point, and Lauren Slebodnick made the initial save. But a rebound went directly to Kelley Steadman who put the puck in the back of the net at the 18:05 mark.

Just 35 seconds later, Cornell tied the game. Brianne Jenner received the puck behind Mercyhurst's net on a pass from Alyssa Gagliardi. Jenner quickly found Rebecca Johnston in front, and the senior buried the puck to tie the game at 1-1.

The second period didn't see a goal, but what it did see was fast-paced action from both sides. Cornell had a stretch of nearly five straight minutes in the middle of the period with total control of the puck but was unable to get a puck past Hillary Pattenden, the NCAA's all-time leader in wins. On one breakout, Emily Fulton received a perfect one-time pass from Jessica Campbell, but Pattenden was there to make the save.

Tuesday night's game was also special as the Big Red were supporting the Do it for Daron foundation which aims to raise awareness of suicide prevention. Players wore purple on their skates and taped purple tape on their sticks as the team took donations in the Lynah entrance.

Cornell returns to action on Friday at Ivy League rival Brown at 7 p.m. The Big Red then heads over to Yale on Saturday at 4 p.m. Two wins this weekend would clinch the team's third consecutive ECAC Hockey regular season championship.