Hockey is known for its rivalries. The Red Wings and Avalanche. The Maple Leafs and Canadiens. And of course, there is Colgate and Cornell. The women’s hockey team played the traditional home-and-home series with the women from Ithaca in a pair of matinee affairs on Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11. Both games were hard-fought and close, but Colgate prevailed with a pair of one-goal victories for the series sweep. With the sweep the Raiders improved from 2-4-2 in the ECAC to .500, bypassing Cornell in the league standings in the process.

The opening game in Ithaca started on a positive note for Colgate when senior forward Sam Hunt scored just 4:20 into the first period. Hunt’s classmate and defender Kiira Dosdall and sophomore forward Hannah Milan added the assists on the game’s initial goal. After holding the Big Red scoreless through the first half of the game, sophomore goaltender Lisa Plenderleith allowed the tying goal to Cornell’s Liz Zorn, who capitalized on the Big Red’s third power-play opportunity of the game.

With the game still knotted at one and the minutes dwindling away late in the third period, the contest looked destined for overtime. Colgate junior forward Katie Stewart, however, had other ideas, as she scored with just 1:41 remaining to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead. First-year forward Krista Dermott made the assist on the game-winning goal.

Colgate out-shot Cornell 36-22 in the contest, but failed to convert on all five of its power-play chances. The Big Red also had five man-advantages, scoring their lone goal on the power-play.

The two squads took the ice again the following afternoon in Hamilton. After a tough, low-scoring affair the day before, the teams scored seven times at Starr Rink. The Big Red, poised to split the series, scored two unanswered goals to open the game. Undaunted by the early deficit, the Raiders responded just a minute after the second Cornell goal when junior forward Beth Rotenberg found the back of the net. First-year defender Amanda Kirwan added the lone assist on the goal.

After a scoreless second period, Colgate finally found its offensive rhythm in the third. Junior forward Evan Minnick tied the game four minutes into the period on a goal assisted by classmate and defender Ali Edell. The Raiders took their first lead of the game just seventy seconds later when Hunt scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season. Hunt finished a beautiful passing sequence started by senior Clancy Todd and Stewart, who were credited with the goal’s assists.

Colgate scored its fourth unanswered goal at the midway point of the period to take a 4-2 advantage. Rotenberg found the back of the net again for what would prove to be the game-winning goal. Sophomore forward Jessi Waters assisted the goal.

After a lengthy review by the officials, Cornell was credited with its third goal with just over five minutes remaining, but that would prove to be the game’s final tally. Plenderleith completed the series sweep by making 26 saves for the victorious Raiders.