Box Score (PDF)
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's hockey concluded its season-long five-game home stand on a positive note Tuesday evening, besting local ECAC Hockey rival Colgate 3-1 at Lynah Rink.
 
Freshman blue-liner Erin O'Connor, fresh off earning ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors, continued her hot streak, marking the game-winning goal just 57-seconds into the third period. Senior winger Emily Fulton also continued her red-hot start, marking her fifth multi-point game of the season with an assist and empty-net goal.
 
Sophomore winger Kaitlin Doering continued to excel in her new top-six role, scoring her second goal in three games. Senior center Jillian Saulnier marked two assists – reaching 158 points for her career – to pass Amy Stanzin (1982-86) for eighth on the program's all-time list.
 
Sophomore net-minder Paula Voorheis (W, 3-4-0) played a strong game making 21-of-22 saves for her third straight victory.
 
While the season is still in its early stages, Cornell (3-4-0; 3-2-0 ECAC Hockey) had to battle some fatigue and weariness as it played its third game in five nights on Tuesday evening. Despite not playing as crisp and efficient as it did over the weekend in dominating victories over Brown and Yale, the Big Red made just enough plays to hold off pesky Colgate (3-9-0; 1-4-0 ECAC Hockey).
 
The key to Cornell's resurgence over the final three games of the current home stand has been its ability to jump on opponents early. The Big Red executed that formula again on Tuesday, as the Kaitlin Doering staked the team to the early 1-0 lead just 3:55 into the game. The Big Red executed its breakout to perfection on the game's opening tally. Junior Taylor Woods started the scoring play from behind her own net, wrapping the puck up the right wall. Fulton got a deft touch on the puck, deflecting it up to Saulnier who was streaking with speed through the neutral zone. She entered the zone on a two-on-one before slotting a cross-ice feed to Doering who was charging towards the crease. The sophomore one-timed a shot that slid five-hole past Colgate net-minder Ashlynne Rando (L, 2-6-0).
 
While the early goal was big for Cornell, the Raiders did not concede the scoring bursts that the Big Red was able to put together over the weekend. Colgate hung tough, putting together some solid scoring chances of its own, as the teams headed to the first intermission with the game still 1-0.
 
One area that has really been an Achilles heel for the Big Red early this season is its propensity to take penalties. This issue reared its ugly head again in the middle period on Tuesday, as the Big Red gave up six power-play opportunities against the Raiders, including three in the period. The penalties led to Colgates lone goal of the contest. With Sydney Smith already off for tripping at 12:19 of the second period, Saulnier also took a tripping minor at 13:54 to set up Colgate's second five-on-three opportunity of the night. The Raiders did not take long to cash in. After a shot attempt by Breanne Wilson-Bennett was blocked, Annika Zalewski moved the puck down low Shelby Perry down on the end line to the right of net. She surveyed the scene before shifting the puck to her backhand and throwing it toward the net front. The puck pin-balled in the crease, before Megan Sullivan was able to locate it and lift a backhand past a sprawled Voorheis to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The score remained tied heading to the third, but the Big Red came out with considerable jump to begin the third period. The energy translated into a goal just 57-seconds into the period. Junior defender Morgan Richardson picked off a puck in the neutral zone and whipped the puck back into the Colgate zone behind the net. The Big Red got in on the forecheck as the puck wrapped around to the half wall. Sophomore Brianna Veerman charged in and was able to tip the puck free to the middle of the zone. Junior Jess Brown continued the play getting a stick on the puck to deflect it to O'Connor. The freshman had a clear lane to the right side of the zone and streamed down the alley towards net. She looked to feather a pass to a wide-open Hanna Bunton who was camped out at the backdoor of the crease, but the freshman's pass deflected off the skate of a Colgate defender just in front of the crease and slid five-hole past Rando to gain the lead back for the Big Red at 2-1.
 
Cornell continued to generate chances early in the period, but the Raiders held strong and began to push back as the period continued. Voorheis held firm in her best performance of the season, making a few excellent saves on some good chances to maintain the lead. Colgate pulled Rando with a minute and a half remaining, but Cornell would hold strong, before Fulton would send a soft lob from the neutral zone into the empty net with just three seconds remaining in the game.
 
Cornell will return to action on Friday, Nov. 21, when it hits the road for the first time since its season opening series at Boston College. The Big Red will take on No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth for a two-game road set at the AMSOIL Center. It will be the first meeting since the Bulldogs topped Cornell 3-2 in overtime of the 2010 NCAA Women's Frozen Four Championship. Puck drop for Fridays game is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. EST.