HAMILTON - Second period goals from
Alexis Petford and
Emma Beauchamp gave the No. 14-ranked Raiders their biggest win of the young 2025-26 season, as Colgate shut out the No. 4 Cornell Big Red 3-0 at the Class of 1965 Arena on Friday afternoon in a rematch of the 2024-25 ECAC Championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cornell, undefeated on the season, came into Friday's matchup as favorites, but it was a defensive battle early in Friday's matchup, with both sides struggling to get attempts on goal in the opening minutes.
As the first period drew on, the Raiders, led by Emma Pais,
Elyssa Biederman and
Jaimee Spring, put serious pressure on Cornell goaltender Annelies Bergmann. This pressure was for naught though, as the first period ended scoreless despite a flurry of late shots by
Sydney Sawyer, with the Big Red forcing several saves by
Brooke Davis in the final minutes of the first period.
Colgate immediately got off the mark to start the second period, as Alexis Petford scored a close range goal at 0:24, assisted by
Emma Pais. The Raiders maintained the pressure and quickly struck again, as
Emma Beauchamp's follow-up goal at the 1:10 mark, assisted by
Elyssa Biederman, doubled Colgate's lead over Cornell and turned the matchup on its head.
After the early ambush of goals, Colgate settled in defensively and stifled Cornell, holding the Big Red scoreless through the second period, though the Raiders were also unable to add to their lead over the last 18:50.
The last 20 minutes of Friday afternoon's matchup saw the Raiders maintain their defensive stature, withstanding the Cornell pressure to secure the win and a shutout for Brooke Davis.
With just 1:31 to play, the Raiders' Alexia Aubin added an empty-net goal, assisted by
Emma Pais and
Madeline Palumbo, to cap off a massive upset victory for Colgate.
Colgate's 3-0 win handed Cornell their first loss on the season. The Big Red were 7-0-0 coming into Friday.
GAME NOTES
- Alexis Petford's goal was her 8th on the year. She has now scored in three of the last four for the Raiders.
- First-Year Emma Beauchamp scored her second goal of the season in the win.
- Alexia Aubin's empty-netter was her third goal this season.
- Emma Pais had two assists for the Raiders, her season-high.
- Brooke Davis made 20 saves for Colgate, picking up her second shutout of the season.
- Friday was Colgate's first win against a top-4 opponent since the Raiders defeated Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 5, 2024.
UP NEXT
The Raiders (6-6-1, 2-2-1 ECAC) look to sweep their home-and-home series against No. 4 Cornell tomorrow. Colgate will head to Ithaca, N.Y., to face the Big Red at 3 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+.
