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Men's Ice Hockey

Collins Nets Game-Winner With 0.7 Remaining to Lift EC to 3-2 Win

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Pine Valley, NY --
0.7. That is all that remained on the clock after Michael Collins '16 put home the dramatic game-winning goal against Nazareth College. The score, which came on Elmira's fifth power play opportunity of the night, gave the Elmira College Men's Ice Hockey team (5-4-0, 4-2-0 ECAC West) a 3-2 victory over the Golden Flyers (1-6-1, 0-6-1), their second win in as many nights against Nazareth and their sixth straight in the series.

The Soaring Eagles got off to a slow start for the second night in a row as EC fell behind 1-0 to Nazareth after a fluttering puck got over an unsuspecting Sal Magliocco '17 and bounced across the goal line. The Purple and Gold were able to settle down and get some shots on net, but the men still entered the first intermission trailing 1-0.

Elmira really turned it on in the second period as they would score two goals within 20 seconds of each other to take a 2-1 lead. The first of the goals came at the 6:58 mark when Josh Burnell '15 scored his fifth power play goal of the season, moving him back into a tie for first in all of NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey in power play goals scored. Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 and Eric David '15 set up the goal for Burnell. EC's second goal of the game was scored by newcomer, Alexander Taulien '17, who wristed the puck over the stick-side shoulder of Nazareth goalie, Ed Zdolshek. Passes from Joe Gagne '14 and Dylan Herold '14 sprung the speedy Taulien for his breakaway opportunity.

The Soaring Eagles held the 2-1 advantage for over 12 minutes, but the Golden Flyers would capitalize on a power play of their own with just 35 seconds remaining in the second period to even up the score and give Nazareth some momentum heading into the third period.

Both teams came out in the third period looking for the go-ahead goal, but quality looks on net were hard to come by as both defenses stepped up their efforts. It appeared as though EC had taken a one-goal lead mid-way through the third period, but the goal was waved off by the officials which kept the score knotted at two.

The turning point of the game came with two minutes left in the game when Nazareth's Geoff Bagnall was whistled for holding and assessed a two minute penalty. This put the nation's fourth-best power play unit on the ice with a chance to win the game and the Soaring Eagles did just that.

After controlling the puck at the blue line with about 10 seconds to play, Jesper Strale '14 dumped the puck down to Carter Shinkaruk '16 who then passed it to Collins who was off to the left of the net. Collins carried the puck in front of the net and wristed a shot on frame which was deflected by a Nazareth defender and past Zdolshek. The red light behind the net signaled the goal with just 0.7 seconds remaining, bringing the 901 in attendance to their feet.

The final faceoff was just a formality as Collins' goal was the difference. Magliocco made 29 saves for his third straight win while nine different Soaring Eagles tallied points on the night.

The men's hockey team will look for their fourth straight win next weekend when they compete in the opening round of the Skidmore Invitational.


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