Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's ice hockey scored five goals over the final two periods to blow by Syracuse 6-2 on Tuesday evening at Lynah Rink. The victory ups the Big Red's record to 4-6-1, while the squad moves to 4-2-1 at home this season.
 
Freshman net-minder Amelia Boughn (W, 1-0-0) collected her first collegiate victory in her starting debut. She stopped 22-of-24 Orange shots, while projecting a confident attitude that extended from the crease on out to the rest of an inspired Big Red squad who put together its most complete game of the season to date.
 
Sophomore forward Hanna Bunton tallied two goals – including the game-winner on the power-play at 9:44 of the second period – kick starting scoring flurry that permeated throughout the lineup. Five different players scored goals for the Big Red, while five players also collected multi-point games in the victory.
 
Contrary to last night's tightly checked tilt with the Lakers, the goals came in bunches in a wild up-and-down game in the final home matchup for the Big Red before the winter break in the schedule. The teams combined for seven goals over the final 40 minutes.
 
Sophomore Brianna Veerman got the scoring started for Cornell at 16:57 of the opening period. The Big Red dumped the puck into the Syracuse corner and Taylor Woods pinched in from the point to chip the puck behind the net. Junior Jess Brown corralled it behind the cage and quickly whipped a wrap-around shot that was saved by Orange goaltender Jenn Gilligan (L, 4-7-6). Veerman crashed hard to the net and chipped the rebound into the twine behind Gilligan for her second goal on the year.
 
Cornell took the 1-0 lead to the intermission; however, the team did not take long to tally another after the break. Senior Jillian Saulnier (1g-2a) and senior captain Brianne Jenner (3a) executed a perfect give and go, with Saulnier sneak a sinister wrister between the pad and blocker of Gilligan to extend the Cornell lead just 22-seconds into period two.
 
Syracuse (L, 4-8-7) pulled within a goal at 7:39 of the period. With junior defender Sydney Smith off for tripping, the Orange took just nine seconds to capitalize with the advantage. Stephanie Grossi sent the puck from the right half wall down to Jessica Sibley down at the endline. Sibley fired the puck to Melissa Piacentini who was camped in the crease. It took her two swipes, with the second shoveling the puck into the wide open four-by-six past the sprawled Boughn. The goal was the first of two for Piacentini on the evening.
 
Cornell re-established the two-goal lead just over two minutes later. Sophomore Kaitlin Doering made a deft play to keep the puck inside the Orange zone at the blue-line. She then peeled and rifled a pass to the right circle to Bunton. The junior made a fantastic move to deke past the defender, before bearing in on goal and firing a shot through the five-hole of Gilligan for her second of the season.
 
 The lead remained the same entering the third, when again; Cornell took little time before finding the twine. With the top-line of Jenner, Saulnier and Emily Fulton out to begin the final frame the Big Red scored just 16-seconds into the period. Jenner worked into the Orange zone and fed a pass from the end line to Saulnier in the high-slot. Saulnier lasered a one-timer that Gilligan kicked out with the left pad, but the rebound fell right to the stick of Fulton, who deposited it into the back of the net for her team leading sixth of the season.
 
The Big Red stretched the lead to 5-2 at 13:09 of the period with the squads second power-play tally of the game. Freshman point player Erin O'Connor played catch with both Saulnier and Jenner before firing a booming slapper that found its way through a maze of players in front of the net.
 
The Orange would pull one back on Piacentini's second of the game just 16-seconds later off a two-on-one rush with Alysha Burriss. However, the deficit would be too much for Syracuse to overcome.
 
Bunton capped the scoring at 16:13 of the third period with her second of the game. O'Connor started the scoring rush, moving the puck up to Brown who was streaking with speed of the left wing. Brown feathered a pass to Bunton who went uncontested to goal and again found the five-hole of Gilligan.
 
With her three assist effort Brianne Jenner moved past two-time Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Johnston (2007-11) for fifth all-time in scoring (189), while she also passed Cyndy Schlaepfer (1975-78) for third all-time in assists (106). Saulnier also saw her name move up the scoring charts as her two-assist effort tied her with Laura Fortino (2009-13) for sixth all-time in assists (98). Her goal brings her within two of cracking the top-10 in career goals.
 
The Big Red will return to action on Friday, December 5, when it hits the road to face defending National Champion Clarkson for a 7 p.m. faceoff. The Big Red will wrap up the 2014 portion of its schedule with St. Lawrence the following evening.