Final Score: Harvard 3 - Cornell 2

19:00 - Goalie out. 6-on-5.

18:14 - Just under two minutes left in the game. This is where things get interesting. I wonder when/if Cornell will decide to pull the goalie.

15:39 - Harvard almost pads it lead, but a shot slides through the crease and sneaks by the post and out of harm's way.

13:14 - Harvard band: "Hey Cornell, three points is a field goal, two points is a safety. SAFETY SCHOOL, SAFETY SCHOOL." Clever.

12:00 - HARVARD GOAL - The Crimson power play unit strikes again. A Vaillancourt shot popped into the air, landing in front of Jenny Brine who put it home for her second goal of the game. HARVARD 3 - CORNELL 2

11:14 - There's a timeout on the ice. Harvard clearly is controlling the flow of the game right now, but Niesluchowski is a brick wall. This is going to be an interesting power play.

11:14 - Niesluchowski takes a breather on the whistle after completely shutting down an impressive Crimson offensive assault. Harvard had several very good looks at the net on that sequence. Hooking penalty on Cornell and the Crimson gets another power play.

8:19 - Harvard is pushing hard but the Cornell goalie is putting on a clinic, stopping everything that comes her way. Niesluchowski has 43 saves already.

7:19 - Cahow's out of the box and Harvard has a man advantage.

7:06 - Yet another penalty. This one on Cornell.

5:19 - This is getting out of hand. There are bodies flying all over the ice, and even the Cornell goalie (not spelling that name again) got into the mix. Cahow goes to the box for interference and Harvard is back on the penalty kill. This is just the first game of the series. Imagine what's gong to happen tomorrow.

4:20 - Sophomore Anna McDonald gets a one-on-one shot and charges down the ice but makes one move too many and loses the puck.

2:56 - "This is getting ugly," says someone in the press box. Indeed. The teams are getting very physical and freshman defenseman Leanna Coskren was sent to the box with a hooking penalty.

2:22 - Vaillancourt gets the puck in front of the net and makes a backhand shot but Cornell goalie Jenny Niesluchowski makes a sprawling save.

1:00 - HARVARD GOAL. The Crimson have come out determined in the third frame and have tied the game. Caitlin Cahow took a shot from the blueline which junior Jenny Brine deflected in. Harvard 2 - Cornell 2

0:18 -  Penalty on Cornell and Harvard has an early chance to cut the deficit.

0:00 - The teams takes the ice and we're back.

Start of Third Period

Intermission: The Harvard faithful seem a little down in the dumps with their team down by 1, so the band attempts to raise spirits with a little "Centerfold" by the J Geils Band.

Intermission: I can only imagine what Harvard coach Katey Stone is saying to her players in the locker room. No one could have expected the No. 1 team in the nation to be down 2-1 to the eight seed in the ECAC after two periods. Cornell is playing like a team on a mission and the Crimson is just sluggish. Harvard's really going to have to come out hard in the third period if it expects to win this one.

End of Second Period

18:38 - CORNELL GOAL. A Caeleigh Beerworth (awesome name) shot drew Kessler to the left post. Kessler made the initial save but with the right side of the net open Karlee Overguard put away the rebound. Cornell 2 - Harvard 1.

15:08 - Junior Sarah Wilson appeared to have a breakaway chance but a pair of Cornell defenders caught up to her to break up the play. I don't think many people believed that this game would be tied this late.

12:35 - Not sure what's going on, but a contingency of young ladies in sports bras with B-O-O-B-I-G-R-E-D spelled across their stomachs just arrived to cheer on the Crimson.

9:16 - If And1 ever made a hockey mixtape, it would have to include Sarah Vaillancourt. The junior almost created her own goal out of absolutely nothing, putting some ridiculous moves on a Cornell defender before managing to launch a shot from a very difficult angle. No score, but a nice play nonetheless.

7:24 - Being a hockey referee is a dangerous job. One of the refs just got knocked pretty hard into the board, but came out alright.

5:57 - Charger is in and we're set to go. Cornell is putting up some fight against the No. 1 Crimson. Not only is the score tied, but possession of the puck is pretty even right now.

Start of Second Period

Intermission - The Harvard University Band plays a song from Zelda. I don't know what's worse, them playing the song or me knowing it. Screw that, Zelda is awesome.

Intermission - The idiocy of this blogger continues. I forgot my computer charger in my room. Never fear though! Roommate/Superhero Kevin Mee '10 is on his way with the charger as my laptop gasps its final breaths of life.

Intermission - Where the Bright press box lacks in sufficiently sized water bottles, it makes up for in pizza topped with chicken cutlets. Time to enjoy a slice while the Zamboni man does his thing. This update brought to you by T. Anthony pizzaria.

20:00 - End of first period. Harvard 1, Cornell 1.

19:40 - Cornell on the offensive after a crosscheking penalty by Crimson junior forward Jenny Brine.

18:31 - CORNELL GOAL. The Big Red are looking to make a game out of this one. Fourth line forward Hayley Hughes found the puck in front of the net and put it away. As Harvard tri-captain Caitlin Cahow in today's preview: "it quite frequently is the kid who may not have gotten a ton of ice time who gets the game-winning goal.”

17:19 - A scrum in front of the Harvard net drew some premature celebrating from the Cornell bunch as it looked like the Big Red was on the verge of a score. Sophomore goalie Christina Kessler and co. managed to wrangle the puck in though.

16:20 - Lean times at the Bright Press Box. Looks like we've been downgraded from the standard 20 oz. bottle of water to a strange looking 16.9 oz bottle. This update brought to you by Dasani.

13:32 - Freshman Liza Ryabkina had a clear path to the net but was tripped up by Cornell's Steph Ulrich. 2 minutes for hooking.

10:03 - Now that we're settled in here, how about some context. Harvard comes into this game heavily favored, having gone undefeated in ECAC play to win the regular season title. Cornell is a "gritty" team as Crimson tri-captain Caitlin Cahow put it with a talented scorer in rookie Rebecca Johnston (sister of former Harvard player Katie Johnston '07). This is a best-out-of-three series, so winning Game 1 is crucial.

8:32 - HARVARD GOAL. Incredible score by junior forward Sarah Vaillancourt! With two defenders and a goalie between her and the back of the net, Vaillancourt somehow threaded the needle to put the puck away.

6:20 - After some technical difficulties (re: me being an idiot), we're live here at the Bright! Nothing much going on so far. Harvard couldn't convert on its first power play opportunity of the night and we're back at even strength.

1st Period

Welcome to the live blog for Game 1 of the first round of the ECAC Women's Hockey Tournament between Harvard and Cornell!

—Staff writer Loren Amor is live at the scene at the Bright Hockey Center