HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/22/08) – The Colgate University women’s hockey team nearly put an end to Harvard University’s perfect season, but a short-handed tally in the final three minutes gave the Crimson the edge to finish, 3-2. Perennial powerhouse Harvard put Lisa Plenderleith (Ajax, Ont.) to the test and the freshman netminder aced the exam, making 24 stops in a spectacular effort.

 

Colgate was called for tripping with just under five minutes left, and less than a minute later Harvard was signaled for interference. Caitlin Cahow was called for obstruction hooking, taking down junior Sam Hunt (Calgary, Alta.) on her way to the net, giving the Raiders a 4x3 advantage. After a shot went wide and sailed around the boards, Sarah Vaillancourt got to the puck and skated in all alone and put the puck in on the right side at 17:32.

 

Harvard capitalized on its first power-play opportunity of the game, netting a goal at 3:36 of the opening frame. Cahow brought the puck towards the slot and passed it off to Kathryn Farni on the right side. Farni ripped a shot into the upper corner off the post and in on the glove side.

 

Anna McDonald expanded the Crimson lead with an even-strength goal two minutes later. Sarah Wilson took a shot from the blue line that deflected off of McDonald’s stick and went five-hole at 5:55.

 

Colgate cut the lead back to one at 13:11 after a scramble along the left boards. Freshman Hannah Milan (Great Barrington, Mass.) found sophomore Beth Rotenberg (Toronto, Ont.) open and Rotenberg threw a shot at the net from the left hash-mark and it went into the right lower corner

 

The goal gave the Raiders renewed confidence and Colgate started to agitate Harvard.

 

The Raiders evened the game with a goal at 9:17 of the second, on their first shot on net in the period.

 

Freshman Jessi Waters (Menlo Park, Calif.) dug the puck out of the right corner and passed to Milan in the slot. Milan one-timed the puck just inside the left post, stick side on goaltender Christina Kessler. Senior Mallory Johnston (Chatham, Ont.) also picked up an assist on the goal.

 

It was the first time since December 14, a 4-1 loss to New Hampshire, that Harvard has allowed more than one goal.

 

The third period all eyes were on Plenderleith. In the opening minute she made a spectacular stop when she took a shot in the chest that then bounced behind her onto the paint. She made a move with her stick behind her back and pushed the puck off to the side before a Crimson skater could get to it and cause any damage.

 

Colgate’s penalty kill kept things interesting with 13 minutes to play. Milan blocked a Kati Vaughn shot and then Clancy Todd (Thorold, Ont.) cleared the puck down the ice. Harvard skated the puck back into the zone and McDonald nailed a shot off the post.

 

Plenderleith made some of her more dazzling saves in the final 10 minutes of the contest. She did a 360, throwing her leg in the air to kick the puck away and sophomore Marissa Dombovy (Webster, N.Y.) came up with a big block on the next shot. With just over five minutes to play Plenderleith made a killer glove save on a Vaillancourt wrister, and quickly switched posts, falling on her back to come up with a save on another Vaillancourt shot seconds later.

 

With 48 seconds left, the Raiders pulled Plenderleith in favor of the extra attacker but Harvard blocked two of the shots, and the other skidded wide.

 

Colgate outshot Harvard in both the first and second periods, but after a 13-6 advantage in the third, Harvard ended up with a 27-22 edge in shots. Colgate went 0-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.

 

Kessler made 20 saves for the Crimson, who improve to 26-1 overall and 21-0 in league play.

 

Colgate, now 12-14-5 overall and 9-8-4 in ECAC Hockey, hosts No. 10 Dartmouth on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.

 

The Raiders can earn either the fifth or sixth seed in the ECAC Hockey Tournament, facing either Clarkson or Dartmouth, who locked up the final home ice spots tonight. Cornell clinched a playoff spot, and the last remaining spot will either go to Yale or RPI depending on the outcome of tomorrow’s game. To finished fifth, Colgate needs a win coupled with a Princeton loss to Clarkson.