ITHACA, N.Y. – Harvard women's ice hockey was tripped up on the road tonight after falling to the No. 10 Cornell Big Red at Lynah Rink. The Crimson (2-6-0, 1-6-0 ECAC) was defeated by its Ivy League foe Cornell (5-3-1, 4-1-0 ECAC) by a score of 5-1.
Paige Lester netted the goal for the Crimson, her first of the season.
How it Happened
The Crimson traveled to central New York for a challenging matchup against Cornell, its ECAC and Ivy League rival, marking their fifth game of the season against a ranked opponent. From the start, the Big Red came out strong, creating several scoring chances in the opening minutes. Harvard's starting goaltender,
Emily Davidson, was up to the challenge, turning away six shots in the first three minutes of play. The Crimson responded with some pressure of their own, as
Paige Lester created two good looks at the net, but Cornell's defense kept the game scoreless halfway through the period.
Harvard had its first powerplay opportunity soon after, registering two shots on goal, but the Big Red's defense held firm once again. Then, in the closing minutes of the period, Cornell struck, scoring three quick goals to take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. The Big Red kept the pressure on to start the second period, adding two more goals early in the frame to stretch their lead to 5-0.
Despite the early deficit, the Crimson began to find their rhythm midway through the second.
Ella Lucia and
Jenna MacDonald both fired quality shots on goal, but were denied by Cornell's goaltender. Harvard's defense also tightened up, not allowing a single shot to reach the net in the final 13 minutes of the period.
Paige Lester broke the ice for Harvard, scoring her first goal of the season in the second period. The senior gathered a loose puck in the slot and fired it past Cornell's goalie to get Harvard on the board. Although the Crimson outshot the Big Red 9-7 in the second period, they were unable to find another goal before heading to the second intermission with the score still at 5-1.
First-year goaltender
Ainsley Tuffy played solidly between the pipes, making several key saves after entering the contest midway through the second period. Tuffy finished the game with 16 saves, stopping Cornell's attacks for the remainder of the contest. Despite the Crimson's efforts and a few opportunities late in the game, Cornell held firm, skating away with a 5-1 victory.
Harvard Highlights
Up Next
Harvard will be back on the ice tomorrow afternoon to take on the No. 5 Colgate Raiders. Puck drop is slated for 3:00 PM and the game will also air live on ESPN+.
