College Hockey Stats Box Score

Geneva, NY -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team saw their dream of winning back-to-back ECAC West Championships come to an end as the fourth-seeded Soaring Eagles fell to top-seeded, and No.13/11 nationall-ranked, Hobart College, 5-1.
 
Tonight's meeting marked the second consecutive time, and fifth overall, that EC and Hobart have met in the ECAC West Tournament Semifinals. The Soaring Eagles entered the contest winning all five of the previous semifinal matchups, but tonight's loss ends that streak.
 
Despite coming in as the underdogs, and missing two starters that helped them take down Utica College, 5-2, Wednesday night, Elmira looked ready to go from the opening faceoff. EC was skating hard, applying hits, and making all the plays necessary to pull off the upset.
 
The Soaring Eagles had a couple chances early on in the opening period, but Hobart's Frank Oplinger denied the Purple and Gold each time. That, however, changed once Elmira went on the power play halfway through the first period. Hobart had already burned one minute of the power play and possessed the puck behind their net looking to kill more time. As they tried to bring the puck out, Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 came in and took it away, creating an opportunity for EC.
 
ten Vaanholt started a series of passes that eventually found Michael Collins '16 on the near side of the net. Collins roofed his shot and gave Elmira the 1-0 lead. Getting credit for the assists on the play were Carter Shinkaruk '16 and Liam Burtt '16.
 
Elmira held the 1-0 advantage for seven minutes until a Shinkaruk penalty put Hobart's power-play unit on the ice. EC nearly killed off the penalty, but with one second remaining on the man-up advantage, the Statesmen found the back of the net and evened the score at one, which is where the game stood at the first intermission.
 
Hobart opened the second period with the eventual game-winning goal just two minutes in. Bobby Sokol's shot looked to be swallowed up by EC netminder, Sal Magliocco '17, but it somehow got through and slipped over the goal line, putting Elmira in a 2-1 hole. Elmira went on the power play for a second time late in the second period, but the post was not kind as it kept EC from tying the game. Tommy Sumi '16 fired a shot from the slot that raced past Oplinger, but the pipe saved the goaltender and sent the puck out of harm's way. EC would trail 2-1 entering the third period.
 
Hobart again scored early in the third period, taking advantage of another Elmira penalty. But, just over a minute after the Statesmen scored, EC had a shot at making it a two-goal game as Brian Depp'16 worked his way into the offensive zone. Depp fired a wrister on net, but similarly to Sumi's shot in the second period, the puck ricocheted off the post and negated an Elmira goal.
 
Magliocco came up big for the Purple and Gold on multiple occasions all night, but there was a sequence with about 13 minutes to play that, although for a short time, kept EC in the game. Hobart had consecutive point-blank opportunities that would have been sure goals had the sophomore goaltender not come up with impressive saves. Unfortunately for Magliocco and the Soaring Eagles, Hobart's power-play unit was firing on all cylinders tonight as the Statesmen scored two additional power-play goals, one with over 11 minutes to play and another with just under two minutes to play to bring the game to its 5-1 final.
 
Hobart outshot EC, 60-27, including putting 29 shots on frame in the third period. Magliocco stopped a career-high 55 of those 60 shots, which are the most saves recorded by an Elmira goaltender this season. His previous career-high was 43 set against Utica College last season.
 
With tonight's ECAC West Semifinal loss, Elmira's 2014-15 season has come to a close. EC finishes the year with a 12-12-3 record and a 5-8-2 record in conference games.