Kalie Grant and Kennedy Marchment both scored goals as the St. Lawrence University women's hockey clinched the No. 2 seed in the ECAC Hockey tournament with a 2-2 tie with Cornell on Friday night at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y.

St. Lawrence, ranked fifth nationally, moved to 23-4-4 overall and 15-3-3 in ECAC Hockey contests, and maintained a two-point lead over Cornell (17-6-5, 13-3-4) for the second-place spot. While the Big Red, ranked seventh nationally, could move into a tie with the Saints with a win and a Saints loss, the Saints hold the tiebreaker between the two teams with a 1-0-1 edge in the heads up matchup with the Big Red. St. Lawrence will host Yale, which clinched the No. 7 seed, in a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting on Feb. 24.

"While we're not in the playoffs yet, tonight's game was playoff hockey at its best," said Saints' head coach Chris Wells '92. "That was an important point for us. We did a good job settling down after they tied it and had some great chances to win it on overtime. Cornell played hard and fast all night and made us work for everything."

Grant gave the Saints a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the game, scoring a power play goal on a rebound off a hard shot from the point by Alex Moore.

Marchment increased the lead to two goals with less than six minutes to play in the second period, picking up a loose puck on a Cornell turnover at the blue line and beating Cornell goaltender Marlene Boissonnault glove side for her 18th goal and 50th point of the season.

Cornell cut the lead to one just three minutes into the third period when Jamie Bourbonnais picked up a loose puck after a St. Lawrence defender blocked a shot and fired a shot from the slot to the top right corner.

Halfway through the period the Big Red tied the game, with Amy Curlew scoring off a rebound off a shot by Kristin Curlew.

The Saints held a 21-18 advantage in shots on goal, including a 3-0 edge in the overtime period. Hannah Miller had the best scoring opportunity in the extra frame, skating from her own defensive end and beating a defender down the ice to put a low shot on goal, but Boissnnault made the save to preserve the tie. Boissonnault made 19 saves for the Big Red, while Grace Harrison stopped 16 shots for the Saints.

St. Lawrence closes the regular season tomorrow, facing Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y.