Score: Nazareth College 4 – Elmira College 2
Records: Nazareth (7-10-4, 4-6-1 ECACW), Elmira (9-9-2, 2-7-1 ECACW)
Location: Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
 
Pine Valley, NY -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team returned to its home ice for the first time in nearly a month on Friday night when it welcomes ECAC West rival Nazareth College to the Murray Athletic Center for the first of a two-game set this weekend. Despite an extremely strong start by the Soaring Eagles, it was the Golden Flyers that rise to the top during the decisive third period, sending Elmira to a 4-2 defeat.
 
Returning from a long stretch of road games, Elmira looked quite rejuvenated during the opening period of tonight's contest. EC outhustled and outmuscled Nazareth throughout much of the period, translating the effort into a 2-0 lead at the intermission.
 
The Soaring Eagles broke the scoreless deadlock just two seconds over the halfway point of the period. Brian Depp '16 worked a high cycle with Rob Simpson '16 in the Golden Flyers' zone. The senior blue-liner carried it from his spot at the right point down below the end line, before whipping the puck into a mass of bodies crashing the crease. Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 got the final stick blade on the rubber, spearing it into the cage past Nazareth goaltender Ed Zdolshek.
 
EC doubled the lead 5:47 later, as Elmira's senior line continued to torment the Golden Flyers. Working a controlled breakout from their own zone, Eddie Nolan '17 left a puck for his defense partner Noah Anderson '19, who came flying on the rush down the right wing. He protected the puck on his backhand into the Nazareth end, before sending a soft backhand shot on goal. Zdolshek turned the puck away; however, instead of directing the rebound to the far boards, the puck spilled out into the high slot. Tommy Sumi '16 was there to clean things up the Soaring Eagles, pumping in the rebound.
 
Nazareth sparked the comeback during the second period, as Scott Andler netted a goal at 7:55 of the period shortly after the Golden Flyers began working on their first power play of the night. The forward started the scoring play from down low in the zone, sending pass from below the goal line to the center point. He then made a bee-line to the crease, as J.R. Wojciechowski launched a slap shot. The blue-liners shot was blocked; however, puck jumped straight up in the air. Andler used excellent hand-eye skills to swat the rubber out of midair as it descended back to the ice.
 
The third period was decisively in favor of the visitors, as the Golden Flyers completed the comeback with three goals in the final frame. David Powlowski equalized the game 3:35 into the period, while Oliver Janzen completed a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play with a top-shelf wrister into the right corner to give Nazareth its first lead. Brad Pizzey sealed the game with an empty-net goal with 6.5 seconds remaining.
 
Turning Point
Nazareth took its first lead of the game midway through the third period on a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play. Justin LaCorte fired an intentional shot-pass wide from the center point to Dominik Gabaj below the end line to the left of the Elmira cage. He quickly moved it to an unchecked Oliver Janzen in the left circle, who ripped a laser wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira outshot Nazareth 39-to-28 in the contest.
• Carter Shinkaruk '16 led the Soaring Eagles and tied for a game-high with five shots on goal.
• Elmira held a slight 40-to-37 edge in faceoffs.
• Jordan Robertson '17 was Elmira's most consistent draw man, winning 9-of-14 on the night.
• Elmira went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Nazareth was 1-for-3 with the man-advantage.
• Sumi and ten Vaanholt netted Elmira's two goals.
• Depp, Simpson, O'Neill and Nolan were each credited with one assist.
• Sal Magliocco '17 stopped 24-of-27 shots.

 
News and Notes

• With the loss, Elmira falls to 7-3-1 all-time against Nazareth.
• The loss drops Elmira five points behind Neumann University and Utica College for hosting rights in the first round of the ECAC West Tournament.
• Elmira has now lost four straight.
• The Soaring Eagles have registered 39-plus shots on goal in each of their last three contests.
• It is the second straight game in which Elmira has fallen after securing a 2-0 lead in the opening period.

 
Up Next
The teams resume the two-game series tomorrow night when Elmira celebrates its annual Wounded Warrior Game, as part of Athletics Alumni Weekend, with a 7:00 p.m. puck drop at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena.