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ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's hockey returned to action following a two-week layoff on Friday afternoon, welcoming Brown to Lynah Rink for the third game of its season long five-game home stand. The Big Red jumped on the Bears early and pulled away late to score a 5-1 victory for the team's first win of 2014.
 
While the beginning of the season had not been kind to the Big Red, the game against Brown may serve as a turning point on the young season. The Cornell offense broke out in a big way on Friday, showing the explosive firepower that generated considerable hype and lofty expectations in the preseason.
 
The Big Red came out flying to begin the opening period, riding the return of two of its biggest stars and its head coach. Seniors Brianne Jenner and Jillian Saulnier, coming off strong performances for Team Canada in its gold medal run at the 4 Nations Cup, did not take long to make their presences felt in the return to the Big Red lineup. Each tallied a pair of goals to spark Cornell's highest goal output of the season.
 
Fellow senior Emily Fulton continued her torrid start to the season, collecting two more assists. Sophomore Kaitlin Doering notched the game-winner with her first period tally. Erin O'Connor tallied her first three collegiate points all coming by way of assists.
 
It did not take long for Cornell (1-4-0; 1-2-0 ECAC Hockey) to crack the scoreboard against Brown (3-5-0; 1-2-0 ECAC Hockey). Jenner opened the scoring for the Big Red, knocking in a loose puck on net front scrum. Sophomore Hanna Bunton started the play, sending a pass from the left wing boards to a wide open Erin O'Connor at the right point. The freshman fired a shot through a massive screen in front of the net. Although the puck did not find its way to net, the rebound off the block came right to the stick of the senior captain, who squeaked the puck five-hole past Brown net-minder Monica Elvin (L, 3-3-0) for her second goal of the year.
 
Cornell capitalized just under three minutes later, this time scoring off the rush. Junior Taylor Woods corralled the puck in the neutral zone and pushed it up quickly to Fulton on the right wing. Fulton hit Doering with a perfect pass as she streaked uncontested through the high-slot. The sophomore one-timed a shot under the blocker of Elvin for her first goal of the season.
 
The Bears battled back midway through the period following the early blitz by the Big Red. The visitors created several scoring chances, before finally solving Cornell goalie Paula Voorheis (W, 1-4-0). The sequence began off of a Cornell turnover in the neutral zone. The Bears Janice Yang countered quickly down the right wing on a two-on-one with teammate Brittany Moorehead. She deked to her backhand and whipped the shot to net. Voorheis made the initial save, but the rebound spilled to the far post. Moorehead was there to plunder the rebound.
 
Both teams continued to generate chances as the opening period wound to conclusion, but the period would end with the score line still at 2-1. The Big Red outshot the Bears 15-10 in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The middle frame was the antithesis of the first. While both teams played a crisp up-and-down opening period, play slogged down in the neutral zone throughout the second. Neither team was able to generate many quality chances, with Cornell holding the slight edge seven-to-five in shots on goal.
 
Play picked up to start the third as the Big Red again exploded for three goals in the span of 2:46 to take control of the game. Jenner started the outburst with her second of the game, this one coming on the power-play. O'Connor picked up her second apple on the day, as she flipped the puck up to the senior captain on the rush. She gave Elvin a head and shoulders fake and turned the puck over to her backhand, before sliding it home on the stick side.
 
Saulnier stretched the lead to 4-1 just 1:38 later. Fulton flipped the puck up to O'Connor at the right half wall. The freshman slid a pass to Saulnier in the high slot, who fired a howitzer past Elvin. Saulnier capped the scoring 1:08 later on a fantastic individual effort. As Brown attempted to exit the zone, she stripped the puck at the blue-line on an excellent stick check and went in solo on Elvin. The senior made a couple forehand-to-backhand fakes, before beating Elvin to the stick side. The sparkler of a goal was a fitting capper for the senior, who was making her 100th career start.
 
Cornell outshot Brown 33-to-23 for the game. Voorheis finished with a strong 22 saves in the victory.
 
Up next for the Big Red is a date with Yale in the team's annual United Way fundraiser game tomorrow afternoon. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.