Pine Valley, NY – The Elmira College Women's Ice Hockey team erupted for five goals in the final period as they came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat visiting Utica College 5-2 Sunday afternoon at the Murray Athletics Center. The win improves the Soaring Eagles to 5-1-0 overall and 4-0-0 in ECAC West play. The loss drops the Pioneers to 3-5-0 overall and 1-5-0 in conference play.

The opening period was a back-and-forth affair in which both teams played evenly in puck control but were unable to find the back of the net. Elmira held an 11-9 shots advantage and looked to carry that into the next period.

However, nine minutes into the second period Utica gained control of the game when they scored twice within a 17 second span. Megan Myers fed Louise Stelle-Norton who fired a shot on EC goaltender Lisa Marshall '14 (Powhatan, VA -- Wayne State University). Marshall made the save but the rebound went right to Brittany DelleChiaie who found the back of the net for the power play goal. Moments later the Pioneers scored again when Nicole Schwartz wristed a shot from the middle of the circle over Marshall's shoulder, as the puck trickled over the goal line.

Just under three minutes into the third period Elmira regrouped to bring the deficit within one when Tori Charron '14 (Goodwood, ONT -- Aurora Panthers) fed Tanis Lamoureux '14 (Canton, MI -- Victory Honda), who fired a shot on net. Marissa Hotaling made the stop for Utica, but Alex Bresler '12 (Golden, CO -- Colorado Select) was in perfect position at the left post where she tipped the puck into the net. Five minutes later EC seized the momentum when they scored back-to-back markers of their own within a 17 second span. Katy Walker '12 (Edmonds, WA -- Colorado Select) lasered a shot from the top of the zone and Amber Tirri '14 (Ringwood, NJ -- Wyoming Seminary) redirected it into the back of the net to tie the game at two. Seconds later Lamoureux added her second point of the game as she scored off the feed from Alex Bresler '12 (Golden, CO -- Colorado Select), giving EC a 3-2 lead.

The Purple and Gold kept their foot on the gas pedal seven minutes later when the duo of Bresler to Lamoureux hooked up for another goal, giving Elmira an insurance goal. The Soaring Eagles scored again with 45 seconds remaining, when Bresler tallied an unassisted empty-netter for the 5-2 final.

Marshall stopped 21 shots between the pipes for Elmira in the win, while Hotaling made 37 saves for Utica. EC returns to action Saturday when they take on Middlebury at the Cardinal-Panther Classic hosted by Plattsburgh State.