ITHACA, N.Y. — Karel Prefontaine broke a 1-1 tie late in the second period, and the No. 12 Cornell women's ice hockey team beat RPI, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at Lynah Rink, where the Big Red honored the 1975-76 team and head coach Bill Duthie during Alumni Day.
Cornell (4-2-0, 1-1-0 ECAC Hockey) outshot RPI 34-14 and bounced back from Friday's overtime loss to Union. RPI fell to 1-12-0 overall and 0-4-0 in the league.
During the game, Cornell recognized the 1975-76 team, which won the program's first Ivy League championship 50 years ago, along with Duthie, its head coach.
Lindzi Avar gave Cornell the lead at 11:40 of the first period, her second goal of the season, with assists from Delaney Fleming and Carly Dann. RPI's Kami O'Brien tied it at 17:24, with Alexis Brunet assisting.
Prefontaine put Cornell back in front at 19:10 of the second on assists from Jill McLaughlin and Piper Grober, and it held up as the game-winner. McLaughlin made it 3-1 at 7:54 of the third with the first goal of her career, assisted by Renee Bishop. Dann added the final goal at 12:13, also the first of her career, with Prefontaine assisting.
Jeanne Lortie stopped 13 of 14 shots for Cornell and was named the game's first star, with McLaughlin the second star. RPI's Sadie Bellissimo made 30 saves. RPI blocked 28 shots, while Cornell blocked seven.
Dann, who scored her first career goal, had a goal and an assist and led all skaters with six shots on goal. Prefontaine and McLaughlin also each had a goal and an assist. Cornell went 0-for-3 on the power play and killed RPI's lone chance.
Cornell hits the road for a pair of ECAC Hockey games next weekend, visiting Quinnipiac on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. in Hamden, Conn., and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. in Princeton, N.J.
