ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Colgate women's ice hockey team earned a 3-2 win over Rochester Institute of Technology here Friday afternoon.

The first period saw each team tally a goal. Breanne Wilson-Bennett struck first with just under five minutes left in the opening frame. About a minute later, though, the Tigers tied it up with a goal from Reagan Rust.

Colgate then had some great offensive pressure in the second period and notched two goals to take a 3-1 lead. The first came from Jessie Eldridge and the second from Shelby Perry.

The Tigers came out strong in the third and recorded a goal just three minutes in to pull within one, but the Raiders were able to deflect any final Tiger chances on net to take the victory.

Wilson-Bennett earned her first short-handed goal of the season with her first-period tally. Hannah Rastrick and Kaila Pinkney teamed up to find the sophomore for her fourth of the year.

The Tigers capitalized during the closing seconds of a Colgate power play caused by an interference penalty. Rust recorded the goal with the assists award to Payerl and Lindsay Stenason.

Heading into the second period, the Raiders knew they had to tilt the momentum back in their favor, and they did just that with two goals midway through the frame.

Eldridge got the puck in RIT's offensive zone just under halfway through the period, made some moves around several defenders and launched a hard shot on goal that blew past netminder Brooke Stoddart. The assists were credited to Bailey Larson and Rastrick.

With about two minutes remaining in the period, there was a scrum in front of Stoddart and Perry was able to poke the puck into the back of the net.

The Raiders headed into the third period with the 3-1 lead but the Tigers weren't going down without a fight. Just three minutes into the final frame, Payerl snuck the puck past Ashlynne Rando.

The Colgate defense stood strong stopping any other RIT scoring chances, which assured the Raiders the 3-2 victory.

Rando finished the contest with 23 saves, while Stoddart registered 32.

These two teams finish out their home-and-home series with a rematch Saturday in Starr Rink. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.

Live stats and video will be available at the start of the contest.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 3, RIT 2
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improves to 5-2-4 overall.
• RIT shifts to 3-9-0.
 
Key Raider Info
• Wilson-Bennett, Eldridge, and Perry had the three Raider goals.
• Wilson-Bennett notched a team-high six shots for Colgate.
• Rastrick led the team with two points, while seven other Raiders recorded one point each.

Raider Goals
• 1st period: Wilson-Bennett (short-handed), assisted by Rastrick and Pinkney.
• 2nd period: Eldridge, assists to Larson and Rastrick; Perry, assisted by Sullivan and Ormel.
• 3rd period: No goals.

Facts & Figures
• The Raiders were 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Tigers went 1-for-5.
• Colgate outshot RIT, 35-25.
• Eight players recorded points in the contest for Colgate.
• Rando recorded 23 saves, bringing her career total to 2,100.
 
From The Source
• Head coach Greg Fargo (on the game): "It was a real solid effort tonight. RIT is a gritty team and I give our group credit for sticking with the plan and coming through with the result we were looking for. We got some good play up and down the lineup tonight. In particular, our defense group defended and moved the puck well all night. They allowed our forwards to play fast. We're excited to play again tomorrow afternoon."
 
Up Next
• The Raiders are back in action tomorrow for the final contest of this home-and-home with RIT. The game is slated for 3 p.m. in Starr Rink.
• Live stats and video will be available at the start of the game.