Box Score  | College Hockey Stats Box Score

Cortland, NY -- Three second period goals and timely scores in the third proved to be the difference as the Elmira College men's ice hockey team skated away with a 7-5 road win over Cortland State.  Six Soaring Eagles scored goals tonight and 10 players recorded points as the Purple and Gold improved to 8-6-0 on the season.

EC's Jesper Strale '14 tied his career high for points with four, scoring one goal and assisting on three others. Liam Burtt '16 and Michael Collins '16 were the other two Elmira players to have more than one point, each picking up two. Burtt added two assists to his season total while Collins was the only multi-goal skater for the Purple and Gold. Defensively, Sal Magliocco '17 earned his second straight win, making 33 saves in tonight's contest.  

Elmira scored the game's opening goal just 4:58 into the contest on a power play opportunity, marking their 22nd power play goal of the season.  Tallying the Elmira score was Brian Depp '16, who wristed a shot top shelf, beating the goalie glove-side.  Depp's goal was setup by some great passing following the faceoff as Liam Burtt '16 dumped the puck to Jesper Strale '14 who sent a pass through the slot to Depp who would punch home the goal.

However, Elmira's lead was short-lived as the Red Dragons answered nine seconds later after EC turned the puck over in the defensive zone.  Cortland would maintain the pressure for the remainder of the period, outshooting Elmira 18-11.  The approach paid dividends as Cortland would score two more goals to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. 

In the second period, Elmira fended off an aggressive Cortland attack, killing multiple power play chances for the Red Dragons.  Following one of Cortland's unsuccessful power play opportunities, Elmira's Strale cut the Red Dragon lead to just one at the 8:30 mark.  Greg Whittle '16 created the opportunity for Strale, who entered the game just seconds before scoring, by passing the puck into the Cortland zone where Strale would fire a rocket towards net.  The shot would find the glove of Cortland's netminder, Mark Balkwill, but he was not able to hold on as the puck trickled into the net. 

Elmira would have four power play opportunities in the final 11:30 and would convert on one of the four chances, tying the game at 3-3 at the 18:32 mark of the period.  Tying the game for Elmira was Collins, who redirected a Burtt shot from the blue line, beating the Cortland goaltender for his seventh goal of the season.  Strale was also credited with an assist on the power play goal, his third point of the game. 

Then, 30 seconds later, Elmira would take their first lead of the game since the 5:07 mark of the first period.  Giving Elmira the go-ahead score was Andrew Ciampichini '15, who scored his first goal of the season.  Ciampichini's goal came as he was falling to the ice, but a powerful wrist shot would make its way through traffic to find the twine for the score.  Nick Owen '17 was credited with the assist as the Purple and Gold carried their 4-3 lead into the final intermission.

Cortland wasted little time in the third period as they tied the game at 4-4 just 38 seconds into the final period. 

Just about two minutes later, Eddie Nolan '17 put the Purple and Gold ahead with a great individual effort, scoring an unassisted goal. Nolan's goal was a result of hustle and great stick work as he beat a pair of Cortland defenders on the right side of the ice before his shot sneaked past the Cortland goalie for the score.

Another two minutes passed before Elmira's next score, which turned out to be the game-winner, scored by Sumi, his first of the season.  EC's Collins would make it 7-4 midway through the third period as he crashed the net, punching home a point blank shot off a rebound.  This would be all the offense Elmira would need despite a late goal by Cortland as EC held on for a 7-5 win.

Elmira will be in search for their third straight win this weekend as the Soaring Eagles host No. 10 nationally ranked Oswego State on Saturday, January 18th in a 7:00 p.m. game at the Murray Athletic Center in Pine Valley, NY.