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ITHACA, N.Y. – Emily Fulton scored twice, but the women's hockey team's season came to a close Saturday with a 3-2 loss to Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships at Lynah Rink.

Fulton bookended the scoring in the game, which featured three power-play goals from the Lakers to end the Big Red's season for a second year in a row. Senior Lauren Slebodnick finished up with 34 saves for Cornell (24-5-4).

The Big Red came out firing on all cylinders, with both goalies called into early action. Jessica Campbell got a step on her defender for a semi-breakaway at the 4:12 mark, making a move to her backhand that Mercyhurst goalie Amanda Makela got a glove two. A couple minutes later, Slebodnick kept the game scoreless by sliding across to her right to stop a point-blank try from the Lakers' Christine Cicero.

Mercyhurst then ran into a little penalty trouble, allowing Cornell to go on a five-on-three advantage. Alyssa Gagliardi set up Jillian Saulnier's entry on the right wing, then the junior center feathered a pass across from the bottom of the circle that Emily Fulton deftly tipped between the legs of Makela, giving the Big Red an early 1-0 lead.

Cornell had a chance to double the advantage with six minutes to play in the stanza, but Fulton's shorthanded breakaway attempt was thwarted by Makela.

The Big Red enjoyed another strong start to the second period, with extended possession leading to an early power play. Cornell had a few chances on the advantage, with none better than Taylor Woods' shot that clanked off the crossbar at the 5:52 mark. At even strength a couple minutes later, Gagliardi and Saulnier made nice moves to set up Campbell's shot from the right circle, but Makela was strong on her angle and yielded no rebound. By the midway point of the period, Mercyhurst had just one shot on goal.

All that would change in the next 10 minutes, in part because of four consecutive Lakers power plays. Mercyhurst scored on two of them to take a 2-1 lead into the third. Molly Byrne tied the game at 10:59 with a seeing-eye shot from the right point, then Christine Bestland gave the Lakers the lead 5:18 before the break on a wraparound after Emily Janiga's faceoff win to Slebodnick's right.

The Lakers pushed the lead to two goals 8:08 into the third on their third power-play goal of the game, with Bestland working a perfect goal-mouth give-and-go with Jenna Dingeldein for a tap-in – her second goal of the game.

Cornell made a late push to equalize, but came no closer than the final one-goal margin. Fulton's second goal of the game cut the Big Red's deficit to 3-2 with 4:29 to play in the third after she pulled up in the right circle before beating Makela by the blocker. Cassandra Poudrier and Slebodnick earned the assists.