Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. - Cornell women's ice hockey returned to action, following an eight-day layoff for Thanksgiving break, to take on heated rival No. 7/10 Mercyhurst on Monday night at Lynah Rink. The Big Red put together one of its strongest efforts on the young season, but had to settle for a 1-1 overtime tie against the Lakers.

Junior Morgan Richardson tallied the lone goal for the Big Red at 13:36 of the opening period. Junior Jess Brown started the scoring play, working the puck free towards the point from the right half wall. Freshman Erin O'Connor gathered the puck at the right point and sent a firm pass down low to senior captain Brianne Jenner who was cycling by the end line. Jenner protected the puck and swung in behind the net to the left half wall. Richardson made a heads up play to pinch in from the left point and Jenner labeled a perfect drop pass to her. The blue-liner fired a shot that took a deflection off the skate of Mercyhurst defender Caroline Luczak and beat Mercyhurst goaltender Amanda Makela five-hole.

Sophomore net-minder Paula Voorheis (T, 3-6-1) put together her strongest effort of the season. She stopped 27-of-28 shots including several strong saves to keep the Big Red firmly in the game during a strong second period for the visitors.
 
As has been typical over recent matchups in this burgeoning rivalry between the two programs, the game was tightly contested throughout. Both squads came out with some significant jump in the opening 20 minutes. Each team generated some solid scoring chances before Cornell broke the ice on Richardson's tally. The Big Red held a 10-8 advantage in shots and the 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard at the break.
 
Mercyhurst (14-2-2) came out determined to equalize the score in the middle period, firing 14 shots on net during the frame. Cornell (3-6-1) continued to hold strong thanks to the solid work in net by Voorheis. Finally, the Lakers were able to capitalize at the 10:56 mark of the period.
 
Brooke Hartwick started the scoring play for Mercyhurst, winning a puck battle in her own defensive zone and quickly moving it up to Taylor Accursi who was streaking with speed up the left wing. The forward blazed into the Cornell zone on a two-on-one with Hannah Bale. With the pass taken away, Accursi fired a low shot to the far post. Voorheis made the strong save with the left pad, but the rebound fell perfectly to the stick of Bale, who knocked home the rebound to tie the score at 1-1.
 
The third period saw both teams stifle the scoring opportunities with each team only getting four shots on net. The Big Red earned the best scoring opportunity of the period when senior Jillian Saulnier streaked in on a breakaway with just under three minutes remaining, but Makela was able to squeeze the puck and hold on for the save.
 
Cornell again gained a glorious scoring chance in the overtime period. Saulnier gathered the puck with speed in the neutral zone and moved into the Laker zone down the left wing on a two-on-one with Jenner. Saulnier drew the defender and labeled a pass to Jenner who was in all alone on the goaltender. Jenner fired a sinister wrister from 10 feet that looked ticketed for the top right corner of the net for the game-winner. Unfortunately for the Big Red, Makela performed some left hand larceny with the glove, reaching as far as she possibly could to her left, to pluck the puck out of thin-air and preserve the tie.
 
Despite having to settle for the tie, the game was one of the Big Red's best all-around performances of the season. Spirits remained high post-game that the game will serve as a building block as the team continues to find its stride heading into the winter break.
 
Cornell will play its last home game of 2014 tomorrow evening when it welcomes Syracuse for a 7 p.m. puck drop at Lynah Rink.