The eighth-ranked St. Lawrence University women's hockey team jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but second-ranked Colgate responded with five unanswered goals to defeat the Saints 5-2 at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton, New York, on Friday night.

The Saints fell to 14-8-3 overall, 10-4-1 in ECAC Hockey, while Colgate improved to 23-3-3, 13-2-0. The two teams split the season series, as St. Lawrence defeated Colgate, 3-1, at Appleton Arena in October.

The Saints struck early, as Kennedy Marchment collected a pass from Nadine Edney at the blue line, then fed Hannah Miller (pictured above) as she streaked toward the net. Miller got half a step ahead of a Colgate defender before depositing a backhand in the left side of the net to give the Saints a 1-0 lead just 2:31 into the game.

Edney had a chance to push the lead to two goals halfway through the first period when Marchment once again sprang a teammate free for a breakaway. Edney was hauled down by a Colgate defender from behind and was only able to get off a weak backhand, which was stopped by Colgate goaltender Julia Vandyk. Edney was awarded a penalty shot on the play, but Vandyk once again won the battle, stopping Edney's backhand bid with her glove.

Colgate's Shae Labbe had a golden scoring opportunity on a breakaway just moments after the Raiders successfully killed off a penalty, but St. Lawrence goaltender Grace Harrison stopped the shot to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, Skylar Podvey took a shot from the point that hit the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net to give the Saints a 2-0 lead.

The Saints dominated the first period, outshooting Colgate 14-7, but the Raiders' Annika Zalewski cut the lead to one with just 3.9 second left in the frame. She collected a pass in the slot and, after fanning on her first shot attempt, collected the puck again and sent a low shot to the left side that beat Harrison, who was screened on the play.

Labbe had another opportunity to tie the game on a breakaway two minutes into the second period, but Harrison turned aside Labbe's shot with a blocker save.

Colgate tied the game halfway through the second period with a power play goal by Breanne Wilson-Bennett. Jessie Eldridge took a shot that Harrison stopped with her body, but the rebound came out right to Wilson-Bennett in the slot, and she fired a shot between Harrison's legs to tie the game.

Eldridge gave the Raiders their first lead with less than five minutes remaining in the second period, beating Harrison on a breakaway with a shot between Harrison's legs.

Lydia Grauer almost tied the game on a 2-0 shorthanded break, as Marchment fed her with a pass from the left side, but Vandyk moved from right to left and got a piece of Grauer's wrist shot with her glove and the puck bounced into the right corner.

Olivia Zafuto gave the Raiders a 4-2 lead, roofing a wrist shot over Harrison's left shoulder with just over eight minutes to play.

Schneider added an empty-net goal in the final minute to play to put the game away for the Raiders.

"We were able to get off to a great start," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells '92. "We could have been up by two or three at the end of the first. Colgate came out with more jump in the second and was able to capitalize on a few line rushes. We battled to the end, but couldn't get one past Vandyk to get the equalizer. That was a good game and good one for us to be in as we head into the playoff stretch."

With her assist on the Saints' first goal, Marchment extended her point streak to 10 straight games.

The Saints will face sixth-ranked Cornell, who lost to Clarkson, 4-3 in overtime, on Saturday afternoon at Lynah Rink in Ithaca.