Gennaro Anzevino '21 spent his Saturday night preventing the No. 7/11-ranked Utica Pioneers from tickling the twine, as the first-year goalie produced a remarkable performance in the first start of his collegiate career. The 5-foot-9-inch netminder not only backstopped the Elmira men's hockey team to a 5-1 win while handing the Pioneers their first loss of the season, but he did so in front of 3,250 fans at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, regarded as one of the toughest venues in the country to play in. In fact, Saturday's victory was the first for the Purple and Gold inside the infamous Aud since the 2014-15 season.
The South Hackensack, New Jersey, native finished his first game between the pipes with 40 saves, second-most by an EC goalie in a game this season. Anzevino was tested from the get-go, as he made 32 of his stops in the first two periods. He held the Utica offense, which entered the contest ranked second in the UCHC in scoring offense with 4.00 goals per game, scoreless for over 46 minutes, before surrendering the lone goal to the Pioneers in the third period.
With the win, Anzevino joins classmate
Jake Sabourin '21 as one of two Elmira rookies to win his first-ever start between the posts against a nationally-ranked team this season. The one goal Anzevino allowed is also the fewest in a single game among any of the three goalies who have earned a start in 2017-18.
The Soaring Eagles will look to ride Anzevino's hot hand when they continue their current four-game road trip on Friday, November 17, with a 7:00 p.m. UCHC tilt against Stevenson at the Reisterstown Sportsplex in Reisterstown, Maryland.
