Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. – Freshman Paige Lewis scored her first career goal 7:25 into the first period to set off an offensive outburst for the women's hockey team on Saturday afternoon at Lynah Rink, with Cornell going on to defeat Providence, 5-1. The Big Red received a career-high 27 saves from sophomore goaltender Marlène Boissonnault, goals from five different players, saw nine different skaters record points and scored three power-play goals on its way to avenging Friday night's 2-0 loss to the Friars.

Lewis potted her first career goal after seniors Brianna Veerman and Sydney Smith broke the puck out of the defensive zone, with Smith feeding Lewis down the middle, allowing the freshman to burn the defense and beat the glove of Madison Myers.

Less than four minutes later, senior co-captain Kaitlin Doering crashed the net and tapped home a feed from freshman Valérie Audet to give Cornell a two-goal lead heading into the break.

"I thought today we were taking a lot more pucks to the net and were driving to the net a lot more, a lot harder and getting pucks into the paint more," said head coach Doug Derraugh. "Obviously that paid off for us early in the game."

It took just 5:04 into the second period for Cornell to find the net again, this time on the power-play, when sophomore Pippy Gerace beat the Friars to a rebound off of a Diana Buckley shot at the left post and backhanded the puck into the open net for a 3-0 lead.

Play began to even out and get physical, with Cornell taking five penalties in the second period but Boissonnault flashed her pads when needed and turned away 10 shots in the middle frame.

The Big Red received another power-play goal with 4:09 to play in the second when Veerman snatched a turnover at the bottom of the circle and finished the puck off of a Providence stick and past Myers while falling to the ice.

"I think coach [Derraugh] just really wanted us to play our game," said Gerace. "We got away from that a little bit in the first two periods against Providence yesterday."

Cornell would add a third-consecutive power-play goal in the third period when senior Hanna Bunton skated through the slot, just as a wrister from junior Erin O'Connor was sent through, and redirected the puck just inside the left post for a 5-0 lead. Gerace – who finished with a game-high three points on one goal and two assists – sent the initial pass to O'Connor in the high slot.

Providence did not go home quietly and got off 12 shots in the final period, but Boissonnault once again showed great movement between the pipes, sliding to her right to kick a rebound away from Cassidy Carels and then stoning Madison Sansone on a breakaway bid just minutes later.

Providence held a 28-25 edge in shots on goal but Boissonnault (5-1-1) finished with 27 saves while Myers (4-8-1) denied 20 shots. The win moved Cornell to 9-5-1 (6-2-1 ECAC Hockey) and dropped Providence to 10-11-1 (5-6-1 WHEA).
 
Cornell returns to Lynah on Tuesday night to take on Syracuse at 7 p.m. in another non-conference matchup.