Score: #2 Elmira College 2 - #3/6 Amherst College 2 (OT)
Records: Elmira (11-1-1), Amherst (8-0-3)
Location: Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
 
Pine Valley, NY -- The second-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team concluded its brutal stretch of non-conference play on Tuesday evening when it welcomed unbeaten No. 3/6 Amherst College to the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. In a thrilling back-and-forth tilt that saw several twists, turns and fluky goals, neither team could separate through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime in a 2-2 tie. The draw snaps Elmira's 11-game winning streak.
 
Sarah Hughson '18 and Katie Granato '19 found the back of the net for the Soaring Eagles, who held a lead deep into the game, before having it slip away late. Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18, Maddy Jerolman '19 and Kristin Chivers '19 each tallied one assist apiece.
 
Kyle Nelson '17 got the starting nod for the first time in over a month and was spectacular against the potent Amherst offense. She looked extremely sharp despite the long layoff, coming up big on several occasions in the tightly contested game. The third-year netminder finished with 24 saves to remain unbeaten this season, pushing her record to 4-0-1.
 
The energy of the contest could be felt right out of the gates with both team's looking to add another signature non-conference victory to their respective résumés. The first period witnessed the home side and the visitors both create several excellent scoring chances.
 
Elmira opened the scoring 6:40 into the contest. Working with an attacking zone draw in the left circle, Lippiatt Durnell muddled the puck drop, while Jerolman gained inside position to push the puck behind the cage. Hughson corralled the net behind the cage and made a quick wraparound move, just barely pushing the puck over the goal line ahead of the outstretched pad of Amherst netminder Sabrina Dobbins.
 
Amherst did not wait long to equalize. Working an aggressive forecheck throughout the contest, which would translate into the tying goal at 9:34 of the first period. Pressuring the puck deep, Elmira attempted to make a clear up the left wing boards, but Amherst's Caroline Bornstein would cut the puck off at her right point. She fired a knuckling puck that went over the shoulder of the screened Nelson.
 
EC reestablished the lead just 1:35 into the second period on a highlight-reel goal by Granato. Chivers started the breakout in her own zone, winning a race to a loose puck on the left-wing boards and lifting into empty space in the neutral zone. Granato flew to the puck and raced down the left-wing into the Amherst end. Showcasing her excellent hands she protected on her backhand and nimbly lifted a backhander that went bar down off the far post.
 
Elmira would hold the lead late into the third period, but the visitors had one final answer to spoil the party for the Soaring Eagles. Lynndy Smith whipped a puck into a mass of humanity in Nelson's crease, which Amherst's Brenna Sullivan located and got just enough of her stick on the puck to redirect it over the goal line.
 
The Soaring Eagles looked to have netted a potential game-winning goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation. With EC's pacey second line buzzing in the visitors end, Jerolman fired a sneaky wrister from the right circle. Dobbins got in front of the puck to smother it; however, it would eventually find its way through her equipment and into the net. Unfortunately for Elmira, the whistle went before the puck crossed the goal line, as the referee lost sight of the puck, washing out the potential winning goal.
 
Overtime proved to be somewhat cautious for both teams. Amherst generated the best chance of the extra session when Alex Toupal sent a hard wrister from just inside the left circle; however, Nelson calmly denied it with her blocker to neutralize the threat.
 
In His Own Words…
Head Coach Dean Jackson '03 on the team's performance…
"I am extremely happy with the team's performance. I thought we played a very strong game for 60 minutes and overtime. I thought we did a good job on the execution of our game plan. We were disciplined in our systems. I thought the pace of the game was tremendous and it was the fastest game we have played so far. Overall, I am very happy with our performance today."
 
Jackson on Katie Granato's performance…
"Katie is a player who is tall and skilled. She has great pace in her game and her stride can be deceiving to opposing defenders. She has the ability with just the flick of her wrist to change the complexion of a game. Her goal today was a great example of all the above and it could not have come at a better time for us."
 
Jackson on Kyle Nelson's performance…
"It can be tough for a goaltender coming off a long break like that, especially facing a team as talented as Amherst. But for Nelly, nothing fazes her. She always gets up for the big game. I thought she played a great game. Sometimes unfortunate bounces happen, like on the tying goal, but she also made several tremendous saves to keep us in the game and give us a chance to win."
 
Jackson on Elmira's apparent goal, which was waved off late in the third period…
"The whistle went and then the puck seemed to cross the line after the whistle went. You can't argue it. The ref was in good position to make the call and you just have to believe in the system and trust their judgment. It's part of the game."
 
Jackson on heading back into conference play…
"We're looking to continue on the good roll we've been on. I think we have tremendous momentum right now and we just have to keep pushing forward. We can't worry about what has happened prior to this coming weekend. It's conference play and that's huge and we have a job to do over the next 12 games."
 
Inside the Box Score

• Amherst narrowly edged Elmira in shots 26-to-22 in the contest.
• Elmira dominated the faceoff circle, winning 39-of-63 draws in the game.
• Hughson and Granato tallied goals for Elmira.
• Bornstein and Sullivan were the goal scorers for Amherst.
• Lippiatt Durnell, Jerolman and Chivers each tallied one assist for the Soaring Eagles.
• Nelson finished with a  game-high 24 saves in the contest.
• Each team only generated one power-play opportunity apiece, both were unsuccessful.

 
News and Notes

• The tie snaps Elmira's win streak at 11 games; however, it extends Elmira's unbeaten streak to 12 contests.
• It was Elmira's first overtime game of the season. The last time Elmira went beyond regulation was in the quarterfinals of last season's NCAA Tournament, where EC secured a 3-2 victory over Trinity. The last time Elmira went to overtime in regular season play was last season in January 3, 2015, meeting against then-No. 3 Middlebury, with the team's also playing to a 2-2 tie.
• The tie brings Elmira's record to 4-0-1 at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena this season.
• It is the first time in 13 all-time matchups between the two programs where a winner was not determined.
• Chivers registered her team-leading 11^th assist of the season on Granato's second period tally. She ranks third in the nation among defenders in points per game, while she ranks first among all rookie blue-liners.
• An Elmira rookie has registered at least one point in 11-of-13 games this season.
• Amherst's two goals marks just the third team that has been able to tally multiple goals against the Soaring Eagles this season. EC has conceded only 17 goals through the team's first 13 games.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to ECAC West play this weekend when it concludes its season-long five-game homestand with a back-to-back against Neumann University on Saturday and Sunday. Opening faceoff on both days is slated for 3:00 p.m.