ITHACA, N.Y.  – Senior Karlee Overguard scored just 1:28 into the first overtime to give top-seeded Cornell University a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in game one of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals on Friday. The win gives the Big Red a 1-0 advantage in the series as they improve to 27-2-1 overall. The Engineers, who are the eighth-seed, slip to 10-17-7. 

The win by Cornell sets up a must-win situation for Rensselaer, as the two teams will meet in game two on Saturday. Face-off is set for 4pm at Lynah Rink. 

After junior Rebecca Johnston's (Sudbury, ON/Canada National Team) goal with 6.6 seconds left in regulation brought the game to a 2-all tie. The teams went into the 20-minute first overtime with Cornell riding the 18-0 shot advantage from the third period. The Big Red went after the RPI net from the start over overtime, sending a number of shots at netminder Sonja van der Bliek (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros).  

Rookie Brianne Jenner (Oakville, ON/Canada National Team) earned the primary helper on the game-winner after she fired a shot on net. In the scramble, the puck came loose to Overguard (Sundre, AB/Warner Warriors), who buried it into the open left corner to seal the victory. 

Rensselaer fell behind to the Big Red to open the game as junior Catherine White (Brampton, ON/Mississauga Chiefs) connected on a rebound shot. Sophomore Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, PQ/Dawson College) earned the primary assist on the power play marker, sending a shot in from the high slot, which rebounded off a skate in front to White for the goal. 

Despite trailing in the shots by a 10-3 margin, Rensselaer pulled things even at 17:19 as rookie Toni Sanders (York, PA/Susquehanna Rapids U19) sent a short pass to sophomore Andie Le Donne (Toronto, ON/Durham Lightning). Getting a heads-up down the ice, Le Donne fired a shot through the zone to junior Jill Vandegrift (St. Paul, MN/Minnesota Thoroughbreds), who skated into the zone and roofed a shot from the mid-slot over the shoulder of Lauren Slebodnick (Manchester, NH/Cushing Academy). 

It was an even tempo to open the second stanza as both teams had several chances. RPI, which held a 9-5 advantage in shots for the frame, broke the stalemate at 14:55 as senior captain Kendra Dunlop (Granum, AB/Warner Hockey School) banged home a rebound past Slebodnick. Sanders picked up her second assist of the contest after she found the loose puck of a Katie Daniels (Rockton, IL/Chicago Mission) shot from the mid-slot and backhanded it into play for Dunlop. 

Both goaltenders made a number of outstanding saves. Slebodnick stopped 10 saves for the victory, while van der Bliek posted 34 shots in the loss. 

Johnston's goal to force overtime marked the third straight year in which the Engineers have gone to an extra session in game one of the quarterfinals. RPI lost to Quinnipiac, 2-1 in double overtime of game one in 2009-10, while defeating Princeton, 2-1 in double overtime in game one of the 2008-09 quarterfinals.

Live stats for Saturday's game can be followed at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/cornell/whockey/index.htm while live video can be found at http://www.cornellbigred.com/showcase/#liveevents.  Additionally, Saturday and Sunday's games can also be followed live courtesy of WRPI radio on 91.5 FM WRPI, or log on to www.wrpi.org.