The Big Red (10-2) had its six-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers (11-3), who, after falling behind 1-0 in the first period, beat Cornell for the first time in its last three tries.
Cornell came into the game with the country's No. 1 power play, and it showed why in the first period. Hayleigh Cudmore stole the puck from a Lakers player on the end boards, skated with it near Mercyhurst goalie Hillary Pattenden and then passed it across the crease toChelsea Karpenko. The senior, who had two goals and an assist against the Lakers on Friday night, had a wide open net and didn't miss.
The Big Red controlled the first period handily, taking 18 shots to the Lakers' eight. Amanda Mazzotta, who got the start in goal one day after playing just the second and third periods, was perfect in net through 20 minutes.
But the second period belonged entirely to the Lakers and wound up being the Big Red's undoing. When the dust settled, Mercyhurst had taken 22 shots, and four of them made it into the net.
The period began with an even-strength goal by Kelley Steadman as she skated across the blue line from her left to right. With a defender in front of her, Steadman rang a shot off the left post and in, tying the game at 1-1. Five minutes later, Christine Bestland gave the Lakers their first lead when she scored off a rebound.
Molly Byrne made it 3-1 in favor of the home team when she fired a shot from the right side of the blue line through traffic off the same left post that Steadman's goal hit. The goal, coming on the power play, showcased the Lakers' No. 2-ranked man advantage unit. And then, with Cornell already reeling, Jess Jones scored on a breakaway, going forehand to backhand and scoring high over Mazzotta's pads.
The Big Red called a timeout after that goal, and the break appeared to calm the team down a bit. Forward Jessica Campbell helped the cause late in the period when she scored the team's second goal, making it a 4-2 game.
The play began on the left boards as Emily Fulton fought for it and won the puck back to Amanda Young. Young, a captain, skated along the blue line and found Campbell in the middle of the offensive zone. Campbell whirled around and got off a very weak shot, but it somehow snuck under the right arm of Pattenden and appeared to catch her by surprise.
That goal wound up not being enough to spark Cornell, though, as the team was unable to convert on any of its eight shots or three power plays in the third period.
Mercyhurst forward Jess Jones put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal with 1:03 to go, effectively ending the game. Mercyhurst, which leads the all-time series 13-3-1, went two-for-five on the man advantage, as the empty-net goal was also on the power play because of a late hooking penalty on Erin Barley-Maloney.
Through the first two periods, Cornell extended its streak to 16 consecutive periods with a goal, but that streak ended in the third. Cornell has still scored in 34 of 36 periods this year. For the first time all season, the Big Red was outshot, with Mercyhurst holding a 41-35 advantage at game's end.
The team's streak of 10 games scoring at least three goals also came to an end, though it remains a school record to start a season.
Head coach Doug Derraugh was denied his 100th career victory, and he will have to wait until at least Jan. 6 when Cornell returns to action at Union College in Schenectady. The Big Red also plays an exhibition game against St. Lawrence in Akwesasne on Jan. 2.
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