ITHACA, N.Y. –
Kami O'Brien scored her first goal of the season and
Sadie Bellissimo turned aside 30 shots, but the RPI women's hockey team fell to Cornell, 4-1, this afternoon in Ithaca.
Cornell opened the scoring midway through the first period when Lindzi Avar found the back of the net, but the Engineers answered late in the frame. O'Brien finished a setup from
Alexis Brunet to even the contest at 1-1, sending the teams into the first intermission tied.
RPI generated several opportunities throughout the second period, with
Mia Montanari putting a pair of shots on goal and
Aylah Cioffi and
Keira Johnson also testing the Cornell netminder. Bellissimo kept the game even deep into the frame before Karel Prefontaine scored in the closing minute to give Cornell a 2-1 advantage entering the third.
The Engineers remained within one through the early stages of the third before Jill McLaughlin extended the Cornell lead. Carly Dann added another goal later in the period to make it 4-1. RPI continued to press down the stretch and received a late power-play opportunity, generating chances from
Kendal Davidson,
Kaylynn Fisher, O'Brien, and Montanari, but could not cut further into the deficit.
Bellissimo finished with 30 saves, including 13 in the third period. Montanari led RPI with two shots on goal, while the Engineers blocked 28 Cornell attempts, led by six from
Gracyn Mackay and four apiece from Davidson and
Brianna Livingstone. RPI also held a 25-22 advantage in faceoffs, paced by nine wins from
Georgia Bailey and eight from
Linn Mattsson.
