ITHACA, N.Y. – After not starting 2018 off on the right foot, No. 6 women's hockey rebounded in a big way, topping Syracuse, 6-3, on Tuesday night at the Tennity Ice Pavilion. Kristin O'Neill's short-handed score with just 20 seconds remaining in the contest gave her sole possession of the program's career short-handed goals record (7) after previously sharing it with Brianne Jenner (2010-12, 2014) and Jenel Bode (1998-01).
 
The result also marked the ninth-consecutive win for Cornell over the Orange.
 
The Big Red started the game with a bang, needing just 38 seconds to get on the board after Amy Curlew went top shelf with assists coming from Paige Lewis and Lenka Serdar. Serdar herself would score the team's second goal of the night with a slight dramatic flare.
 
Erin O'Connor and Lewis set up the score after O'Connor dumped the puck off to Lewis to clear it out of their defensive zone. Lewis then dished out the feed to Serdar who showcased extreme control, slipping the puck past the goal line in mid fall.
 
Syracuse would not go down quietly though, equalizing twice in the first period to tie things up 2-2 just 10:49 into the game, but Cornell lit the lamp twice more in the first frame to take a 4-2 lead heading into the first intermission.
 
Joie Phelps laid claim to the third Big Red goal after effortlessly winning a one-on-one battle with Syracuse's goaltender, Edith D'Astous-Morea. About two minutes later, Kendra Nealey would record her first-collegiate goal after she sent in a shot from the high slot that evaded traffic in front of the cage.
 
The Orange would rebound after the break to make it a one-goal game early in the second period but two short-handed empty-net goals late in the final frame from O'Connor and O'Neill would seal the 6-3 win.
 
Marlene Boissonnault made her return in between the pipes for Cornell, making 20 saves – including a clutch save in between the pads to prevent the home team from tying it up at four goals apiece. D'Astous-Morea and Abbie Miller each made six stops for Syracuse.
 
The team returns home to Lynah Rink for the first time in the new year, hosting Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend. The game against the Big Green is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. and the clash against the Crimson will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 3 p.m.