TROY, N.Y. — The women’s hockey team doubled Rensselaer’s shot total on Friday afternoon, but couldn’t solve Engineers goaltender Lovisa Selander, who made 41 saves for a 1-0 shutout win. Sabrina Repaci scored the game’s only goal with just 2:26 remaining in the game to deal the Big Red the loss in its first ECAC Hockey game of the season.
Cornell (2-1-0, 0-1-0 ECAC Hockey) outshot RPI (3-5-1, 1-0-0 ECAC Hockey) 41-20 in the game.
Senior goaltender Paula Voorheis was tested early in the first period, but she was ready for what the Engineers threw at her and made six saves in the first 10 minutes of the game.
The offenses traded chances in the first period, with Cornell forcing Selander – a preseason All-ECAC selection – to make some difficult saves on some odd-man rushes. Selander did get some help as time wound down in the first, when senior Briana Veerman fed freshman Kristin O’Neill in the slot but the shot dinged off the post.
The Cornell defensemen did well to get involved in the offensive flow in the first period. Junior Erin O’Connor had two opportunities early on – crashing the net on one play for a rebound and then getting open for a feed from senior forward Kaitlin Doering – but Selander made the save on both shots. Sophomore co-captain and senior Sydney Smith both created quality shots of their own by floating towards the slot and finding space.
Hart and O’Connor each finished the game with five shots on goal, as did O’Neill and senior Hanna Bunton.
Just 1:15 into the second period, a holding penalty sent the Big Red to a power-play and the offense moved the puck well but Selander continued to have the answers.
After the penalty expired, Cornell continued to create chances on offense and peppered Selander with shots. The Big Red outshot the Engineers 9-1 in the first 10 minutes of the second period and 15-4 overall in the frame.
Though only called upon to make a few saves in the second period, Voorheis made them count. She made a big pad save on a 2-on-1 Engineer break into the zone and then a minutes later remained composed on a scramble in front of the net.
Voorheis continued that play in the third period and made a huge save just as an Engineer power play expired, as she stretched out her right pad to stop Repaci who had picked off a pass at the hash marks. A few minutes later Taylor Schwalbe cut off the puck in the slot but Voorheis squared up and stoned the short-handed attempt to keep it scoreless.
Voorheis finished with 19 saves.
Neither team was able to break the deadlock through the first 57:34 minutes of the game, but after a puck hit the post and fell dead in the crease, Repaci was able to poke it home for the 1-0 lead.
The goal was reviewed but was ultimately upheld, giving the Engineers the league win.
Cornell returns to the ice tomorrow afternoon for another ECAC Hockey matchup against the Union Dutchwomen at 3 p.m. at the Achilles Center.
