Box Score

Pine Valley, NY – The Elmira College Men's Ice Hockey team scored three straight goals to open the third period and held on late for a 5-4 victory over visiting Brockport Saturday evening at the Murray Athletic Center. The win improves the Soaring Eagles to 3-2-0, while the loss drops the Golden Eagles to 2-4-1.
 
Brockport got on the board first 2:56 in when they had good puck movement as the extra skater advantage winded down. Jesse Facchini deked an EC defender on the right side at the blue line and passed to Mike Hayward at the top of the left faceoff circle. Hayward fed a quick pass across ice to the right side where Jeremy DeFazio beat EC goaltender Ryan deMelo '15 stick side low for the early score.
 
With just more than a minute left in the period after the Soaring Eagles committed another penalty Michael Collins '16 scored his second short-handed marker in two nights to tie the game at one all. The freshman stole the puck out by the blue line and skated in alone on the breakaway. He deked the Brockport goaltender and beat him through the five hole for his team-leading third score of the season. Brockport held a 9-8 shots advantage as the teams took a 1-1 tie into intermission.
 
Just 1:59 into the second period the Golden Eagles regained the lead when Michael Zagari fed Steve Sachman for the even-strength goal. After a heavily contested second period that included three penalties apiece for each team the Soaring Eagles tied it up once again with just 10 seconds remaining in the frame. Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 took the puck in the right corner and played it to Tyler Campbell '13 at the blue line. Campbell touched a quick pass to Liam Burtt '16 on his left who drilled a one-time slap shot just inside the right post. The teams were once again tied, this time at 2-2, heading into the second intermission.
 
The Purple and Gold seized the momentum with two scores in a 12 second span early in the third period. Burtt tallied his second marker of the game, this one unassisted at the 3:06 mark of the period. At the 3:18 mark Jesper Strale '14 scored his second goal of the season off passes from Greg Whittle '16 and Burtt.
 
Four minutes later the Soaring Eagles extended their lead to 5-2 on the power play when Josh Burnell '15 recorded his second score of the season off passes from Collins and ten Vaanholt. Brockport was not done as they stormed back with two scores in less than a two minute time frame. At the 9:38 mark Shane Cavalieri scored off passes from Kody Vaisanen and Troy Polino. Less than two minutes later Hayward scored with the extra skater with DeFazio being credited with an assist. The Golden Eagles pulled the goaltender with just over a minute left but could not find the equalizer as Elmira held on for the 5-4 win.
 
Lockhurster made 23 saves for Brockport and Aaron Green stopped seven shots replacing him, while deMelo made 27 saves in the win for Elmira.
 
The EC Men's Hockey team returns to action Friday when it travels to Utica to take on the Pioneers starting at 7:00 p.m.