Matthew Cuce '20 played an integral role in Elmira's perfect 3-0-0 week, as the Soaring Eagles topped SUNY Potsdam on the road on November 22nd and swept Nichols College in a weekend series at the Murray Athletic Center. He recorded team highs with eight points and six assists, while tallying a power-play game-winner and scoring once a man down.
The Fort Myers, Florida, native began his electrifying week with a pair of helpers against the Bears. Cuce then produced six of his eight points in the two-game set with Nichols with two goals and four assists.
In Saturday's 4-1 victory, he assisted on the eventual game-winner, netted by classmate Connor Powell '20. Sunday marked the brightest performance of his young career, as he turned in a near-historic outing with five points on two goals and three assists in the 7-4 triumph over the Bison. He scored once shorthanded and once on the power play, with the latter going down as the game-winning goal.
The five-point output marked the first for the Soaring Eagles since former All-American Kevin Willer '12 did so against Manhattanville in 2011 (4g, 1a). He also became the first freshman to score five points in a game since Rusty Masters '10 posted five points (2g, 3a) against Lebanon Valley in 2007. Additionally, Cuce is the first Soaring Eagle to score a power-play and shorthanded goal in the same game since Josh Burnell on January 24, 2014.
Following his high-scoring weekend, Cuce leads the team with 14 points on four goals and 10 assists. The Floridian also ranks second in all of Division III in points by a freshman and eighth on a points per game basis with 1.27.
Elmira men's ice hockey will look to continue its current unbeaten streak in its last game of the 2016 calendar year, as the Purple and Gold host No. 14 Trinity College (Conn.) at the MAC on Saturday, December 10th, at 5:00 p.m.
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