HAMDEN, Conn. – The No. 6/6 Cornell women's hockey team won 2-1 on the road over Quinnipiac Friday evening at Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena. The Big Red is now 5-2-2 on the season and 4-1 in ECAC Hockey play, while the Bobcats fell to 3-6-2 and fell to 3-2 in league play.
In the first five minutes of the second period, Cornell was tested defensively. The Bobcats fired a series of seven shots on goal.
Marlène Boissonnault had the answer each time. Though
Devon Facchinato made the denial on the Bobcats' best opportunity to score. With Boissonnault behind the play at the opposite post, the sophomore defenseman sprawled out to deny the wrap around attempt.
Boissonnault finished the game with 22 saves on 23 shots faced and picked up her fifth win in net on the season. The triumph also marks the 41st win of Boissionnault's career, which ties her for the fifth most all-time in Cornell history with Alanna Hayes (1995-98).
The Big Red first got on the board with just over four minutes left in the second quarter on a goal from
Diana Buckley.
Joie Phelps brought the puck into the zone and sent it to
Jaime Bourbonnais across the ice. Bourbonnais fired a shot that Bobcat goaltender Abbie Ives stopped but did gather in. Buckley slid in and tapped the puck home just before Ives could pounce on it.
Cornell added to its lead with a strike from
Kristin O'Neill with 11:34 left in the third period. O'Neill, who now has a team-leading six goals on the season, has found the back of the net in four out of the five games she's played.
The junior captain's goal was set up by
Paige Lewis, who jumped in front of a Bobcats pass on the forecheck. Lewis gained the zone, while O'Neill planted herself in front of the net. Lewis put the puck right on O'Neill's stick who sent it over the shoulder of Ives in net.
Quinnipiac responded quickly with a goal of their own just over a minute later, but the Big Red held strong with Boissonnault making five saves after surrendering the Bobcats lone goal.
On the night, the Big Red outshot the Bobcats 27-23.
Cornell returns to action at 3 p.m. Saturday when it takes on the Princeton in New Jersey.
