Score: Oswego State 6 – Elmira College 3
Records: Oswego (2-0-0), Elmira (0-2-0)
Location: Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, N.Y.
 
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- In front of 1,101 screaming fans at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena, some decked out head-to-toe in Halloween costumes, the Elmira College men's ice hockey team battled non-league rival Oswego State. Despite a good 60-minute effort, the Soaring Eagles would fall for a second consecutive night to the Lakers, 6-3. Although tonight's game did not end how Elmira would have liked, the effort by the Purple and Gold showed great promise of things to come from a freshman-laden squad.
 
It looked as though the first period was going to come to a close without a score for either team, but a 1:39 span from 16:33 to 18:12 yielded a pair of Oswego goals. Shawn Hulshof and Kenny Neil picked up goals for the Lakers, while Alex Botten was credited with assists on both tallies. Hulshof also picked up a helper on the team's second score.
 
With the opening period coming to a close, it looked like the Soaring Eagle fans were in store for a similar story line as last night's contest. However, with just 13 ticks left on the clock, rookie forward Connor Powell '20 notched the first tally of his collegiate career to send the crowd into a frenzy and cut the Laker lead to 2-1.
 
Following a steal by Blake O'Neill '19, Elmira went on the attack starting with an outlet pass from Nick Ford '20 to Powell. The pass by the rookie forward set up a two-on-one rush, allowing Powell to carry the puck into the high slot, before popping the bottle with a wicked wrister for Elmira's first goal on its home ice at the MAC.
 
In the second period, Elmira went on the power play at 6:42 on a boarding penalty by Trent Durocher, who laid a pretty nasty hit on EC starting goalkeeper Sal Magliocco '17. The Soaring Eagles looked to right the wrong with a man-up goal, but Oswego's Jody Sullivan forced a turnover in EC's defensive zone and carried the puck into the slot before scoring shorthanded at 7:49 to put the Lakers back on top by two goals.
 
Following the Sullivan goal, the physicality of tonight's game picked up, as six penalties were whistled in a 9:44 span. The last penalty was called on Oswego's Mitch Emerson, a cross-checking penalty, which put the Soaring Eagles on the power play for a sixth time.
 
Still searching for their first power-play goal of the year, the Soaring Eagles desperately needed to convert with the extra skater and would do so thanks to an absolute snipe from Powell, his second of the night. After a pair of quick passes from Matthew Cuce '20 and Jonathan Grassie '19, Powell whipped a wrister from the right faceoff circle that weaved its way through traffic and into the back of the cage for the score, just six seconds into the power play at 17:39.
 
Powell's goal would hold up through the end of the second period, as EC skated into the final intermission trailing by just a single tally.
 
Elmira's Harry Kramer '20 opened the third period with a hooking penalty just 34 seconds into the final frame, which set up a power-play goal by Matt Galati at 1:14. Botten picked up his third assist of the game on the Galati score.
 
The Soaring Eagles once again fought to claw their way back into tonight's contest and did just that thanks to Nick Ford at the 7:20 mark. A phenomenal defensive effort by Powell, who stick-lifted an Oswego defender in the Laker zone to steal the puck, set up a tipped shot in the crease by Cuce, which was initially saved by Oswego's David Jacobson. However, Jacobson was unable to cover up the puck as the rebound leaked out to the weak side to Ford, who one-timed it past a sprawled out Jacobson for the score.
 
Trailing by just one goal, Elmira upped the pressure on the forecheck and put the Laker defense in a handful of vulnerable positions. However, EC's late surge would not be enough, as Oswego's Neil scored twice in in the final 4:02 of regulation to seal a 6-3 win for the Lakers.
 
Turning Point
With 8:14 remaining in regulation, Elmira had a golden opportunity to even the game when Kramer had a shot right in front of the Oswego net. Kramer's attempt was saved but not covered up, as the puck squeaked out to Anthony Parrucci '20 on the weak side. Parrucci nearly knocked-in the game-tying goal, but he was leveled from behind by Oswego's Joey Rutkowski and into the piping of the goal, knocking the it off of its line and stopping the play. Had the play continued, the loose puck might have had a chance to go in.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Oswego held a 41-to-29 advantage in shots on goal.
• Elmira went 1-for-7 on power-play chances.
• Oswego was 1-for-4 with the extra skater.
• Both teams were whistled for nine penalties.
• The Soaring Eagles served 26 penalty minutes, while the Lakers served 18.
• Powell led Elmira with a three-point effort on two goals and one assist.
• One of Powell's goals came on an Elmira power play.
• Ford finished with two points on one goal and one assist.
• Cuce also logged two points on a pair of assists.
• O'Neill was credited with an assist on Elmira's game-opening goal.
• Magliocco amassed 35 saves in 60 minutes of action between the pipes.

 
News and Notes

• Powell and Ford scored their first collegiate goals.
• Powell, Ford and Cuce became the first three players this season to log multi-point performances.
• Cuce has produced one point in two straight games.
• Powell became EC's first multi-goal scorer of the year.
• Powell's three points are the most registered by an Elmira rookie since the 2013-14 season.
• Magliocco's 35 saves are the most he has made since January 8, 2016 (36).

 
Up Next
Elmira will look to turn things around next Friday, November 4th, when the Soaring Eagles travel to face the newest member of the ECAC West Conference, Stevenson University. Friday night's first-ever meeting between the two programs is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Reisterstown Sportsplex in Reisterstown, Maryland.