Score: #2 Elmira College 8 – Neumann University 0
Records: Elmira (13-1-1, 8-0-0 ECACW), Neumann (3-11-1, 1-8-1 ECACW)
Location: Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
 
Pine Valley, NY -- The second-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team continued to stay hot on Sunday afternoon, skating to an 8-0 rout of Neumann University at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. The Soaring Eagles were paced by a career day from senior defender McKenna Farole '16 who tallied her first collegiate goal and added two assists to pace Elmira's high flying offense.
 
Following the same game plan as yesterday's 6-2 victory over the Knights, EC continued to push the pace with a hellacious forecheck. Neumann was hemmed in its own zone for the majority of the contest, allowing Elmira to continue to pepper the net with a high volume of shots. It would translate in the goals for the home side, which tallied twice in each of the first and second periods, before exploding for four goals during the final 20 minutes of regulation.
 
Similar to yesterday, EC continued to get aggressive on the forecheck, which led to loads of zone time. Elmira made the most of it, firing six early shots on Neumann netminder Julia Fair who was sharp early. The early pressure was briefly stopped when McKenna Farole '16 was whistled for a hooking at 9:28 of the period. Kyle Nelson '17 was tested once on the Knights advantage, but made a strong denial of Neumann's leading scorer Bek Lucas.
 
Farole did not wait long to atone for the penalty, breaking the scoreless deadlock at 13:05. Taking a pass from Rachel Grampp '18, she walked across the blue-line to the center point. She ripped a slap shot from the point that sailed through traffic, but was just wide of the net. The puck caromed off the end boards and bounced back into the crease. It took a bounce off of the back skate of the Neumann netminder and over the goal line to open the scoring.
 
EC doubled the lead 3:01 later, this time while playing shorthanded. Just seconds after the Knights started their second power play of the period, Farole cleared a puck up the right-wing boards. Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18 skated onto the puck in the neutral zone and carried it one-on-two into the Neumann zone. She made an excellent move to deke one on-rushing Knight defender, before lifting a backhand over the shoulder of Fair to make it 2-0.
 
The Soaring Eagles continued to dominate possession during the middle period. Fair stood strong to keep the Knights in it; however, more goals were seemingly inevitable, as EC sent wave after wave of offensive pressure.
 
Elmira would make it 3-0 at 10:34 of the period. Johanna Eidensten '16 made an excellent play to set up the scoring play. She picked up a puck on the left-wing boards and made a couple silky smooth stick handles to deke to Knights, before whipping a perfect pass onto the blade of Olivia Nystrom '16 who was unchecked crashing the far post. The Swedish national, wired a wrister past the stick side of Fair and into the twine.
 
Grampp would net a goal to add to her earlier assist at 17:34 of the period. Sydney Fischer '17 did the heavy lifting on the play, corralling the puck behind her own net and launching a breakout. She blazed down the left-wing, protecting the puck on her backhand as she entered the Neumann end. The junior swooped behind the net and left the puck on the right-wing boards for Grampp, who just came off the bench and was pinching down from the right point. She charged toward the right post and flicked a backhander top shelf over the blocker of Fair to make it 4-0.
 
The third period would get a little chippy between the two sides. Elmira continued to press the issue tallying four times over a 6:45 span during the back half of the period. Kristin Chivers '19 fired home her first of two goals in the frame at 10:11. Katie Granato '19 whipped a backhander through the five-hole of Fair at 13:17 of the period.
 
The Soaring Eagles struck twice in a 17 second span with under four minutes remaining. Anna Tude '17 scored the first on a wraparound shot. Chivers sent her second of the period on the ensuing shift.
 
In His Own Words…
Head Coach Dean Jackson '03 on his team's performance…
"I thought it was a great performance by our players today. It was a great 60 minute effort. We wanted to make it a point to continue the momentum since the New Year and from last night and I think they did that. The team did a great job to step up to the challenge and play with the energy and pace that we expect to put out there every game."
 
Jackson on the offensive outburst over the weekend…
"The players certainly feel good about it. I think the brand of hockey that we played this weekend provided them the opportunity to put some goals on the board. It has been a struggle to score goals at times this season, but we never have wavered from our game plan to play a fast and physical style of hockey. It's great to see that translate to six and eight goal efforts this weekend."
 
Jackson on Farole's career day…
"She was pretty emotional after that first puck went in. She's been in search of that first one for quite a while now. We've given her a little good natured ribbing about it. But I told her today before the game that we want a puck for her today. I think the great thing about her goal was not the shot itself, but the play she made on the blue-line to set herself up to get the puck in on net. We've been working on that with her for some time and it's nice to see her execute it in the fashion that she did in the game. Scoring the goal on the play made it that much sweeter."
 
Jackson on avoiding the trap games at Chatham next weekend…
"The message is always the same in that we need to take things one game at a time. I think we have a good grasp of that as a group. I don't think there is one person in that locker room that isn't thinking about that big home set with Plattsburgh in a couple weeks. But they know that there is a job ahead at Chatham before that. We've done a good job of taking things one game at time to this point and I look for that to continue."
 
Turning Point
Holding a 1-0 lead and carrying the play over the opening 15 minutes, Elmira gave Neumann a chance to equalize the game by taking a second penalty. Lippiatt Durnell tallied a beautiful shorthanded goal just 15 seconds into the power-play opportunity for the Knights. EC would not look back, sending in six more goals.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira continued to post huge shot volume on Neumann, outshooting the Knights 47-7 in the contest.
• Nystrom nearly outshot the Knights by herself, firing a game-high six shots in the game.
• Chivers, Lippiatt Durnell and Jerolman each fired five shots apiece.
• Elmira also held a decisive edge in the faceoff dot, winning 36-of-52 draws in the game.
• Eidensten continued to absolutely dominate the draws, going 15-for-16 on faceoffs in the game.
• Nelson was little tested in the contest, but made seven stops to notch the shutout.
• Elmira went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Neumann was 0-for-6 with the advantage.
• EC's second goal was a shorthanded tally, the team's fourth of the season.
• A day after having 11 players record at least one point, the Soaring Eagles had 12 players find the scoresheet.
• Farole and Grampp led an active blue-line for the Soaring Eagles, each posting a game-high three points on a goal and two assists apiece.
• Chivers led all players with two goals, while Nystrom, Strawinski and Evangelous each recorded two points.
• Tude, Lippiatt Durnell and Granato each chipped in one goal apiece.
• Fischer, Piku and Eidensten each posted one assist.

 
News and Notes

• With the win, Elmira moved to 33-0-1 all-time against Neumann.
• The victory stretches Elmira's unbeaten streak to 14 consecutive games.
• Elmira moved to 8-0-0 in ECAC West games this season. It is the fifth consecutive season Elmira has begun conference play with eight straight victories.
• Elmira's eight goals marked the most scored in a game since also tallying eight against Neumann last season in an 8-2 victory on the road on January 16, 2015.
• Elmira's seven shots on goal allowed marked a season low for the team this season. It is the lowest shot total the Soaring Eagles have allowed in a game since also allowing seven in a 6-2 victory over William Smith College on February 13^th of last season.
• Four of Elmira's goals came from defenders, marking a season high for the team this season.
• Elmira had 12 players record at least one point in the game, which bested the previous season-high of 11 that was set yesterday.
• Farole's goal was the first of her career.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to action next weekend when they head to Pittsburgh, PA, to face Chatham University in a back-to-back on Friday, January 22^nd, and Saturday, January 23^rd. Opening faceoff on Friday is slated for 5:00 p.m.