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Plattsburgh, NY -- A late goal in the first period was all the Elmira College women's ice hockey team (21-4-1) needed as Lisa Marshall '14 posted a shutout to send the Soaring Eagles to the ECAC West Championship game as EC defeated Oswego State (17-9-1) 3-0 in the conference semifinals. 

Tonight's win marks Elmira's fifth straight win of the season and also their second consecutive trip to the ECAC West Conference finals.  Tomorrow's championship game will feature, for the third time this season, the top two teams in the nation as Elmira will face Plattsburgh State at 3:00 p.m.  The 2013-14 ECAC West final will be the 10th conference championship meeting between the two teams with Elmira leading the all-time series 7-2, with Plattsburgh's only wins over Elmira coming in 2013 and 2007.  The winner of tomorrow's title game will receive an automatic bid into the 2013-14 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Elmira had their backs up against the wall in the first period as the Soaring Eagles killed three Oswego power plays.  The Elmira penalty-kill unit was rewarded for their efforts late in the period when Tanis Lamoureux '14 scored the game's first goal, and ultimately the game-winner on a power play opportunity, with just 18 ticks left on the clock.  Lamoureux's game-winner was assisted by Ashley Ryan '15 and Brooke Wilgosh '15. 

The Soaring Eagles upped their shot attempts in the second period, putting 13 shots on target only to have all 13 turned away.  Elmira went 0-for-2 on the power play in the second period but also killed another three Oswego power play opportunities, keeping the game at 1-0 entering the final period of play.

After successfully killing Oswego's sixth power play opportunity of the game, Elmira delivered a crushing blow to the Lakers as the 2014 ECAC West Defensive Player of the Year, Brooke Wilgosh '15, scored an unassisted goal at the 8:16 mark of the third to put EC ahead, 2-0.  For Wilgosh, her two points marks her third consecutive multipoint game and her ninth of the season. 

Even with a goal scored and an assist on the score sheet, Wilgosh's most meaningful play came with 5:35 to play when she cleared a puck that was sitting on the Elmira goal line.  The puck nearly made its way in as netminder Lisa Marshall '14 was sprawled out on the ice away from the goal line after making a save, but  Wilgosh was there to deny Oswego a potentially momentum changing goal.

With the game winding down and Oswego's hopes going with it, Elmira's Erin Weston '15 put the final nail in the coffin when she made a steal in the Lakers' defensive end, allowing her to score an empty-netter to seal EC's 3-0 win. 

Stepping up big tonight was none other than EC netminder Marshall, who turned away 18 shots tonight to preserve the 3-0 shutout win.  Tonight's shutout victory ups her season total to six.

Tomorrow the Soaring Eagles will take on No. 1 nationally ranked Plattsburgh State in the finals of the ECAC West tournament, which marks the second consecutive year that EC will play the Cardinals in the conference tournament finals.