Box Score

Pine Valley, NY – The Elmira College Men's Ice Hockey team scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods, but it was not enough as it fell to visiting Utica College, 6-4, Friday evening at the Murray Athletic Center. The win improves the Pioneers to 13-3-0 overall and 4-2-0 in ECAC West play, while the loss drops the Soaring Eagles to 8-10-0 overall and 3-5-0 in conference competition.
 
Elmira got on the board first at the 8:15 mark of the first period. Steve Carlette '16 fed the puck to Tyler Campbell '13 who fired a shot on net. Nick Therrien made the initial save for Utica but Jordan Robertson '16 corralled the rebound and beat the goaltender low glove side for the early 1-0 lead.
 
Utica tied the game at one all just as Elmira was killing a penalty at the 14:15 mark of the opening period. Robert Etts shot the puck from the point just as Jesper Strale '14 was returning to the ice. Darren MacDonald '13 made the initial stop but the rebound didn't get cleared and Mike Slowikowski finished over a diving MacDonald for the score.
 
The Pioneers tallied another marker four minutes later in almost the same scenario. Steve Zappla fed the puck to Ridge Garbutt who fired a shot just as an EC skater returned to the ice. MacDonald stopped the shot but after a scrum in front of net Donny Olivieri found the back of the net, as Utica took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
 
Utica opened up a 3-1 lead just more than two minutes into the second period when Jordan Hobaica skated behind the net and played a quick pass to Garbutt who beat MacDonald five-hole. The Pioneers opened up a four-goal lead after tallying back-to-back power play scores in a four and a half minute span.
 
At the 7:09 mark Mike Baird lit the lamp on a shot from the slot as MacDonald was shielded out in front of net on the play. Garbutt and Louis Educate tallied assists on the score. Just more than four minutes later Oliveri added another extra skater marker beating MacDonald top shelf after he appeared to be taken down on the play. Evan Chlanda and Joel Wetmore tabbed helpers on the play. Ryan de Melo '15 then relieved MacDonald in net for EC.
 
The Soaring Eagles used a strong ending to the second stanza as they scored twice in a 1:02 span. Taylor Love '16 blasted a slap shot from just inside the blue line beating Therrien high stick side. D'Arcy Oakes '13 and Josh Burnell '15 earned assists on the goal. Sixty-two seconds later Brian Depp '16 nailed a shot on net that was saved but the rebound kicked right to classmate Tommy Sumi '16 who finished past the goaltender's stick side. EC held a 15-9 shots edge in the second frame as Utica took a 5-3 advantage on the scoreboard into the second intermission.
 
Elmira continued to carry momentum when it scored its fourth unanswered tally just under six minutes into the third period. Michael Collins '16 played the puck cross ice to Liam Burtt '16 just inside the offensive blue line where he ripped a shot beating Therrien stick side once again.
 
Just more than midway through the third period Utica committed a boarding penalty, which allowed the Soaring Eagles the extra skater as they tried to tie the game. EC had two or three solid chances near the end of the power play, but couldn't quite find the back of the net. The game continued to go back-and-forth down the stretch without any additional scores. With 1:25 remaining Elmira pulled its goaltender for the extra skater advantage and had a sequence of two shots in a row on goal but Therrien was up to the task making the stops. With just one second remaining Whetmore tallied an empty net goal for the 6-4 final.
 
MacDonald made 11 saves, while deMelo stopped eight shots for the Soaring Eagles. Therrien made 29 saves in the win for Utica.
 
The Men's Ice Hockey team returns to action Friday when it travels to Geneva, NY to take on Hobart at 7:00 p.m. The Soaring Eagles will return to the Murray Athletic Center Saturday at 7:00 p.m. when they will also take on Hobart.