HANOVER, N.H. — After being shut out for two straight games, Cornell women’s hockey once again found its offensive touch, downing ECAC Hockey and Ivy League foe Dartmouth, 5-3, behind two goals from freshman Christian Higham and multiple assists from junior Brianna Veerman (3), sophomore Erin O’Connor (2) and freshman Micah Hart (2). The win, which moves the Big Red back to .500 overall at 7-7-2 (3-4-2 ECAC Hockey), marked the seventh time in its last 10 games that the Big Red has scored at least three goals.
Dartmouth got things started quickly, with captain Laura Stacey blasting home a shot from the top of the right circle just 30 seconds in to the game. But Cornell wasn’t far behind, knotting the score at one when Veerman found senior Taylor Woods in front of the net at 2:48.
Higham then gave the Big Red its first lead of the game with her third goal of the season, deflecting O’Connor’s shot from the point on the power play at 8:21.
Cornell continued to test freshman goaltender Shannon Roth in her first career start, peppering Roth with 16 shots on goal in the first frame. Sophomore Sarah Knee had a quality chance with just over four minutes left in the period, but Roth made a sprawling stick save to deny a third Big Red goal.
Just a moment later, senior Cassandra Poudrier got the puck in open ice at the point and found classmate Jess Brown in front, but Roth stood tall against two close-in shots from Brown. Dartmouth took a penalty on the play, and Stacey broke away with a shorthanded chance at the start of the Big Red power play but fanned on her shot for an easy save for freshman netminder Marlene Boissonnault.
Early in the second period, Roth was tried again as Higham threw a shot on goal from the hash marks, but Roth was there to knock away Higham’s shot and Veerman’s subsequent rebound attempt.
At the other end of the ice, Boissonnault turned away a number of dangerous chances on a Big Green power play in the opening stages of the second.
Dartmouth , however, found an equalizer at 11:18 with Stacey netting her second of the night on a point-blank shot.
After fighting a momentum swing from the Big Green that seemed as if it would continue through the end of the period with Dartmouth headed to the power play with 1:36 left, junior Kaitlin Doering picked up the puck in the defensive zone, raced up the left wing and put away her shot over Roth’s shoulder for her first career shorthanded goal. The tally with just 18 seconds remaining in the frame gave Cornell a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.
In the opening minutes of the third period, Poudrier brought about the first two-goal lead of the game, powering past a Dartmouth defenseman for her fourth of the season and Cornell’s fourth of the game at 2:58. The 4-2 lead was short-lived, though, as the Big Green answered 25 seconds later when Ailish Forfar knocked in her own rebound.
Higham, however, would once again push Dartmouth’s deficit to a pair, corralling a bouncing puck and firing a quick wrist shot past Roth at 13:58 for the freshman’s second goal of the night and her first career multi-goal outing.
Boissonnault made 22 saves en route to her third win in four starts.
The Big Red will have a quick turnaround, heading to Colgate on Tuesday for likely its final game at Starr Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
