HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/13/07) – Freshman Evan Minnick’s (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) first career goal proved to be the game winner as she helped propel the Colgate University women’s hockey team to a 2-1 win and sweep of Cornell University.

 

Senior Tara French (Truro, N.S.) sent a pass to freshman Jill Cater-Cyker (Ithaca, N.Y.) at the point, and Cater-Cyker rifled a direct shot at the net.  Cornell’s Jenny Niesluchowski stopped the shot but Minnick was waiting on the doorstep and buried the rebound at 8:01 of the third to give Colgate the 2-1 win.

 

Despite being outshot 22-3 in the first frame, Cornell took a 1-0 lead with a 4x4 unassisted goal from Caeleigh Beerworth at 7:17.  After forcing a turnover in the neutral zone Beerworth carried the puck into the zone along the left-side boards, cut in towards the center of the ice just as a Raider defender caught up.  It wasn’t enough though as Beerworth raced in to the net and flipped the puck over the blocker of Elayna Hamashuk (Nepean, Ont.) as she skated past the right post.

 

Colgate’s Sam Hunt (Calgary, Alta.) tied it up in the second period with help from senior Ashley Bradford (Burnaby, B.C.) at 12:44.  Bradford skated the puck into the zone and sent a shot at the net that went just wide. She chased her own rebound down in the corner and won it during a battle with a Cornell defender.  Bradford then dropped the puck off for Hunt who was free to skate the puck out of the corner and into the slot where she shot between two defenders and over the glove of Niesluchowski.

 

The Cornell coaching staff pulled Niesluchowski with 1:19 left in the third in favor of the extra attacker and right away the Big Red had back-to-back shots on goal.  Another went wide and two more were saved by Hamashuk before the buzzer sounded.

 

Niesluchowski was kept busy today, as Colgate outshot Cornell 42-16.  She made 40 saves in the loss, while Hamashuk made 15 stops.

 

Colgate hits the road next weekend, Jan. 19-20, versus Brown and Yale.  The Raiders and Bears will face off on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m., and the Bulldogs host the Raiders on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m.