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Elmira, NY -- Today's game was a wild one to say the least as the Elmira College men's ice hockey team (4-4-2) outlasted visiting Wesleyan University (2-6-0) in a 13-goal game, downing the Cardinals, 7-6.  Elmira's win was a special one, specifically for Coach Aaron Saul '98, who earned his 100th career victory as a collegiate coach.
 
Although Coach Saul has 100 career wins under his belt, he did achieve a career-first today as his victory took place at the First Arena in downtown Elmira, NY, a venue Saul was coaching at for the first time today as a head coach.  He had coached at the First Arena one other time during the 2006 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament when he served as an assistant coach for the Purple and Gold, a game EC lost 2-1 to Middlebury College.
 
Unlike the 2006 game played at the First Arena, today's game saw a great deal of scoring as 13 goals were put up on the scoreboard by both teams, including a 4-2 score line in the first period alone.  Wesleyan started the scoring frenzy at the 3:53 mark of the first period as James Kline knocked-in a loose puck for the game's opening goal.
 
However, Elmira's offense had the answer as they scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead.  Scoring EC's first of three goals was Liam Burtt '16 who sniped a long shot from the blue line, beating the Wesleyan goalie through traffic.  Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 and Carter Shinkaruk '16 were credited with assists on Burtt's goal at the 6:58 mark of the first period.
 
ten Vaanholt made it 2-1 less than two minutes later as he scored his first of two goals on a power-play opportunity at the 8:25 mark of the first.  The Elmira score was setup by some sleek passing in the zone as Greg Whittle '16 dumped a pass cross-ice to Tommy Sumi '16, who one-timed a slap shot towards the goal, where ten Vaanholt redirected into the back of the net for the score.
 
A little over eight minutes later, and with an extra attacker on a delayed penalty, Whittle would put the Soaring Eagles ahead 3-1.  Whittle's goal came after a pair of strong passes from ten Vaanholt and Rob Simpson '16, with Simpson's pass finding Whittle in the slot for a turnaround wrist shot goal. 
 
On the ensuing power-play, Elmira looked to extend their lead but it would be the Cardinals who would get the score as they forced a turnover in their defensive zone, creating a two-on-two rush where Jordan Jancze would find James Kline for a one-time shot at point-blank range.  Wesleyan's shorthanded goal cut Elmira's lead to 3-2 with 3:05 to play in the first period.
 
Elmira's power-play unit would make up for the shorthanded effort as Alexander Taulien '17 scored his team-leading fourth power-play goal of the season at the 17:29 mark of the first period.  Taulien's goal was created by a great individual effort by Whittle, who forced a turnover in Wesleyan's defensive zone, and would eventually dump the puck to Sumi, who would find Taulien across the ice for a one-time slap shot that beat the Cardinal goalie stick-side.  Taulien's power-play goal would hold up through the end of the period as the Soaring Eagles took a 4-2 lead into the first intermission.
 
The high-tempo offensive approach by both teams continued in the second period as Wesleyan outscored Elmira, 3-1.  55 seconds into the period, Wesleyan's Jaren Taenaka cut the EC lead to one with a power-play score but 11 minutes later, Whittle scored his second goal of the evening, also on a power-play chance, to maintain Elmira's two-goal lead.  Whittle's goal was setup by a nice cross-ice pass into the offensive zone from Taulien to Sumi, at which point Sumi would launch a shot towards net, allowing Whittle to redirect the shot mid-air for the score.
 
Unfortunately, Wesleyan answered Whittle's goal with two more as the Cardinals brought he game to a 5-5 standstill entering the final intermission. 
 
Elmira reclaimed the lead 3:23 into the third period as ten Vaanholt scored his second goal of the afternoon.  The EC score was again a result of hustle and good defense as a Marcus Astesana '17 forced a turnover in the Wesleyan defensive zone, allowing ten Vaanholt to collect the puck and take a shot.  ten Vaanholt's initial shot was stopped by a Wesleyan skater's foot, but the loose puck found its way to Rich Berkander '18 in the slot, where he would turn around and make a pass to a wide open ten Vaanholt for the goal.
 
Then, six minutes into the period, Elmira's Nick Owen '17 was called for a minor penalty, giving Wesleyan an extra skater.  However, following a faceoff in Elmira's defensive zone, an errant pass and a sloppy recovery by Wesleyan at center ice allowed Brian Depp '16 to make a heads up play and steal the puck near Wesleyan's blue line.  From there, Depp carried the puck towards the Cardinal goalie and fired a shot from point-blank range.  Depp's shot was initially saved but the rebound came right back to him and he would calmly one-time the puck off the inside part of the post and into the net for the shorthanded score. 
 
Wesleyan cut the lead to one with 3:06 left in the game but that would be as close as the Cardinals got as the Elmira men skated away with a 7-6 victory.
 
Elmira used a pair of goalies in today's game.  Ryan deMelo '15 got the start and would make 21 saves in the first two periods.  Teammate Sal Magliocco '17 came in for relief duty in the third period and made 24 stops en route to his third win of the season. 
 
Today's game will be the last one in 2014 for the Elmira men as the Soaring Eagles will not be back on the ice until after the New Year.  Elmira's next game is scheduled for Tuesday, January 6th when the Purple and Gold host Buffalo State for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference tilt at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena.