Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Freshman Hanna Bunton scored two goals, including the overtime-winner, to lead the third-ranked Cornell University women's hockey team to a wild, 6-5, OT victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), this afternoon, in ECAC Hockey action from the Houston Field House. With the win, the Big Red improves to 20-3-4 (15-2-3 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 10-18-3 (6-11-2 ECAC Hockey).

With the game tied, 4-4, late in the second period, Bunton (Belleville, ON/Whitby Wolves) netted her first of the game on a slap shot from just inside the left circle. The goal, which came at 19:48 of the frame, was assisted by junior Monika Leck (Nepean, ON/Ottawa Junior Senators) and sophomore Taylor Woods (Morden, MB/Canada U18).

The visitors held onto their slim one-goal lead (5-4) until the waning moments of regulation, when the Engineers were forced to pull junior goaltender Brianna Piper (Oakville, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) for an extra-attacker. The move paid off as junior Ali Svoboda (Arlington Heights, IL/Chicago Mission) buried her seventh goal of the year to knot the score at 5-5, with 24.1 seconds on the clock. The tally, which assisted by sophomores Alexa Gruschow (Mechanicsburg, PA/Washington Pride) and Mari Mankey (Hopkins, MN/Hopkins), sent the game to overtime.

Just 1:19 into the extra session, Bunton scored the game-winner, deking her way through the slot before slipping the puck past Piper, low glove side.

Cornell scored the game's first goal at 12:09 of the opening stanza, when sophomore Cassandra Poudrier (Mount-Laurier, PQ/Canada U18) stole the puck at center ice and skated for a 5-on-3 shorthanded tally. She fired a shot between the legs of Engineers' junior goaltender Kelly O'Brien (Sussex, WI/Madison Capitals) for her seventh of the season.

RPI senior Toni Sanders (York, PA/Susquehanna Rapids U19) answered less than a minute later with her sixth of the year. Helpers went to freshman Heidi Huhtamaki (Espoo, Finland/Espoo Blues) and sophomore Jenn Godin (Clarence Center, NY/Tabor Academy).

The visitors regained the lead at 15:38 of the frame on junior Jillian Saulnier's (Halifax, NS/Toronto Aeros) first of two on the day. Once again RPI had the answer as senior captain Jordan Smelker (Anchorage, AK/Team Alaska 19U) found sophomore Lauren Wash (Belle Mead, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) in front for the tap in goal.

Two quick second periods markers from the Big Red made it a 4-2 game, but the Engineers fought back to even on goals by freshman Laura Horwood (Belleville, ON/Durham West Lightning) and junior Taylor Mahoney (Cary, IL/Chicago Mission).

Cornell senior netminder Lauren Slebodnick (Manchester, NH/Cushing Academy) made 22 saves to improve to 15-1-3, while Piper turned away 18 after replacing O'Brien in the second. O'Brien had 13 saves, including 12 in the first.

Rensselaer is back on the ice next weekend, when it travels to Dartmouth and sixth-ranked Harvard on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4pm), respectively.