ITHACA, N.Y. — Sophomore Claudia Yu scored her first collegiate goal, then set up senior Gillis Frechette's strike midway through the third period, but Mercyhurst scored the winner 88 seconds later to depart Lynah Rink with a 3-2 victory over the Cornell women's hockey team on Friday.

Mercyhurst struck first when a shot by Chantal Ste-Croix  found its way through the pads of senior Lindsay Browning where Grace Nelles was able to tap in her second goal of the season.

Yu's first collegiate goal came from the low slot off a feed from junior Izzy Daniel to tie the game at 1 entering the first intermission. After the team's sparred through a scoreless second frame, the Lakers took their second lead just 29 seconds into the third. Browning made one of her 24 saves on a shot from Kristy Pidgeon, but the rebound slithered behind her when a desperation clearing attempt from a retreating defender bounded into the net off the skate of Liliane Perreault.

Frechette's goal made the score 2-2 with 10:08 to play on a wraparound to the left of goaltender Ena Nystrom (21 saves). Yu earned the primary assist, while the secondary assist was the first collegiate point for freshman Rory Guilday.

Cornell (0-1) drew even twice against Mercyhurst (7-2-1) and it killed the visitors' first six power plays before they finally converted on the seventh. A turnover on an attempted clear out of the Big Red zone was intercepted by Sara Boucher, who took advantage of time and space to pick out a corner with a shot from the top of the right circle.

"We were waiting for this game for a long time, " said Associate Head Coach Edith Racine. "I think the team did a good job of keeping their emotions in check and competed for the whole 60 minutes."

The Big Red served 14 minutes in the penalty box compared to the Lakers who played down a skater for just six. 

"With such a young team, our goal is to get better every day and we'll look to play hard for another 60 minutes tomorrow," Racine added.

The teams clash again in a rematch at 3 p.m. Saturday at Lynah Rink.