Box Score (PDF)
 
POTSDAM, N.Y. – Cornell women's hockey showed its mettle yet again on Saturday afternoon, staking another third period rally to down fifth-ranked tournament host Clarkson 3-1 at Cheel Arena in the first of two ECAC Hockey Semifinal contests. The Big Red will move onto tomorrow afternoon's and will await the winner of #4/4 Harvard and #6/6 Quinnipiac, who will play the other semifinal at 4:05 p.m.
 
The ninth-ranked Big Red (19-10-3) has been third period warriors in recent contests and continued its domination of the final fram, outshooting the Golden Knights (24-10-3) 8-to-3, while tallying three goals for the second consecutive game.
 
The turning point in the game came with just over 13 minutes remaining, as Cornell trailed Clarkson 1-0. Although Cornell had been turned away four times with the powerplay advantage earlier in the contest, the Big Red finally found a way to equalize the game on its fifth powerplay opportunity. Senior captain Brianne Jenner, quickly worked the puck into the zone to senior linemate Emily Fulton who was unchecked in the right circle. She whipped the puck into the crease, where senior winger Jillian Saulnier was crashing hard. She went to the ice, tapping the puck past the right pad of Clarkson netminder Shea Tiley to tie the score at 1-1 just 19 seconds into the advantage.
 
The Big Red wasted little time in taking the lead. Just 23 seconds after Saulnier equalized the game, sophomore Hanna Bunton pushed Cornell ahead. With the puck deep behind the Golden Knights net, Clarkson defender Savannah Harmon turned it over as she was pressured hard by junior Anna Zorn. Freshman defender Sarah Knee made a great aggressive read to pinch in and direct the puck to Bunton who was sitting wide open just inside the left circle. She wristed the puck over the shoulder of Tiley for the 2-1 lead. The goal would turn out to be the eventual game-winner.
 
Saulnier and Jenner would each finish with a goal and an assist in the contest, as Jenner would add an insurance goal with 6:48 remaining in the game. The play was created by junior blue-liner Cassandra Poudrier, who made a fantastic individual effort to set up the goal. Saulnier chipped the puck to Poudrier behind the Cornell net. She came flying out of the zone like she was shot out of a cannon, shielding the puck as she weaved through four Clarkson players. She flew down the right wing into the Golden Knights zone, shielding the puck on her backhand, before labeling a perfect feed to the tape of Jenner, who was trailing the play. She ripped the puck over the right pad of Tiley to extend the Cornell lead.
 
The three goals would be more than enough for sophomore netminder Paula Voorheis, who continued her excellent run of play with 19 saves on 20 Clarkson shots. She was incredibly solid through the game's opening 40 minutes, making 16 stops to keep the Big Red within striking distance.
 
Cornell played strongly in the opening 20 minutes, getting several solid looks in the opening period. Jenner nearly got the Big Red off and running under one-minute into the contest, as she corralled the puck with speed through the neutral zone and moved in on a partial breakaway. Freshman defender Savannah Harmon for the Golden Knights made a sprawling play, sweeping the puck first and then legs of Jenner who went crashing into the net.
 
Head coach Doug Derraugh rolled all three lines in the first period and each generated strong chances. The third line got a quality look when sophomore Brianna Veerman moved the puck to junior Anna Zorn at the center point, but her slapper was blocked. Minutes later both sophomore Hanna Bunton and a glorious chance from Jenner were both denied by Clarkson netminder Shea Tiley.
 
The Golden Knights turned on the pressure during the back half of the opening period; generating momentum when sophomore Sydney Smith was whistled for checking with just over eight minutes remaining. Although Clarkson did not score with the player advantage, the home squad carried momentum with several strong shifts. Sophomore goaltender Paula Voorheis was solid, foiling a two-on-one as Cayley Mercer pushed the puck just wide of the net.
 
Clarkson got on the board with the game's first goal with 4:40 remaining in the period. As both team's top lines faced off in the Cornell end. Clarkson's junior winger Olivia Howe won a puck battle to senior Christin Lambert down low. Mercer worked her way into free space in the right circle and Lambert found her with a perfect tape-to-tape pass. Mercer lifted a rising wrister over the glove of Voorheis to put the home side up 1-0.
 
Cornell looked to gain some momentum back with just over two-minutes remaining in the period when the Big Red got a chance to put its powerplay unit on the ice. The visitors generated a couple good looks, just above the crease, but the Knights did a strong job of defending the house and keeping Cornell at bay, taking a 1-0 lead to the intermission.
 
The middle frame was a battle of special teams, as the two teams combined for four penalties. The Big Red got plenty of opportunities in the second period, as the Golden Knights were whistled three times during the second 20 minutes of play, but were unable to capitalize before the intermission horn.
 
The first of the opportunities came just 4:09 into the period, as Clarkson's Jennifer Shields was whistled for hauling down junior Jess Brown as she made an excellent play to carry the puck to the net. Her shot was paddled away by Tiley.
 
Cornell generated a couple good looks with the advantage with the best being a deflected Saulnier shot from the right circle that Veerman steered high off the shoulder of the Clarkson netminder. The Golden Knights nearly caught the Big Red napping at the conclusion of the player advantage, as Harmon received a stretch pass behind the defense setting up a two-on-one with Howe, but the latter's shot was turned away by Voorheis with the blocker.
 
The visitors got another chance with just under eight-minutes to go in the middle frame when Fast was whistled for her second penalty of the day, hauling down Saulnier at the side of the net. The Big Red did not do much with the advantage, as Clarkson's kill did a great job hemming Cornell in its own zone. The Golden Knights nearly scored a shorty, but Howe's backhander off a net front scrum sailed high and wide of the cage.
 
Clarkson got a powerplay chance of its own just 28 seconds after Fast's penalty expired, as Jenner was sent to the box for checking. The Golden Knights looked very dangerous with their turn on the advantage, but could not solve Voorheis. The sophomore netminder made a couple really nice saves, as Clarkson piled the crease with traffic. The best stop came as she shrugged away a rising backhander from Shannon MacAulay from just outside the crease.
 
Tiley looked like she might be the difference in this one, as Cornell had the better of the play over the final five minutes of the middle frame. She absolutely robbed Jenner on quite possibly the save of the season to keep the Big Red off the board. With just over 2:30 remaining in the period, Fulton intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and sent the puck up to Saulnier who was streaking down the right wing on a two-on-one with Jenner. She saucered a puck over to Jenner who turned it over to her forehand and sent it on net. Off-balanced, Tiley sprawled out with her left arm to snare the puck before it went into the vacant cage.
 
Despite the deficit, the tides had certainly shifted, leading to the heroics of the third period.
 
The Big Red will now turn its attention to tomorrow's final, as it awaits the winner of Harvard and Quinnpiac. Cornell will look to secure its third consecutive ECAC Hockey Tournament Title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Quarterfinals with a victory. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and the game will again be broadcast domestically on ESPN3. International fans will again be able to catch the action via the Clarkson Athletics video stream.