Score: Utica College 5, Elmira College 1
Records: Elmira (21-4-1), Utica (19-7-1)
Location: Stafford Ice Arena – Plattsburgh, NY
 
Plattsburgh, NY -- The No. 2/3 Elmira College women's ice hockey team was hoping to make its fourth consecutive ECAC West finals appearance, but that hope ended abruptly this afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles suffered a 5-1 loss to No. 9 Utica College. The third-seeded Pioneers will face the winner of today's other semifinal game between No. 1 Plattsburgh State and Oswego State, while the Soaring Eagles will standby to see if they receive an at-large bid into this year's NCAA Division III Tournament, which will be announced on Monday morning's NCAA Selection Show at 10:00 a.m.
 
Elmira more than doubled Utica's first period shot total (16-to-7), but the lopsided shot count meant little to the score line, as the Pioneers tallied twice in the opening stanza to take a 2-0 lead. Utica's Emily Coope and Victoria Pelton scored for the Pioneers in the first, with Pelton's goal coming shorthanded. 
 
The Soaring Eagles enjoyed the majority of puck possession in the first and had a handful of quality scoring chances in the slot, much of that having to do with Elmira's three power-play opportunities. On those three power-play chances, Elmira launched five of their 16 shots, but would come up empty on all three chances. However, Elmira did draw Utica's third penalty of the period with 14 seconds left on the clock, putting the Purple and Gold on the power play to open the second period.
 
Utica's penalty killers did their job to open the second, as they held Elmira without a shot on the power play to maintain their two-goal lead.
 
Elmira's Rachel Grampp '18 was whistled for a cross-checking penalty at the 4:01 mark, which put Utica's power-play unit on the ice for a second time. The Pioneers wasted little time with the extra skater, as Gabrielle Schnepp tallied a goal just eight seconds into the power play. Schnepp, who was posted up in the slot, redirected a shot into the back of the net for the score, putting the Pioneers ahead 3-0.
 
Following the Utica goal, Coach Dean Jackson '03 called a timeout to settle things down a bit and to make goalie change. Kyle Nelson '17 entered the game in net at the 4:09 mark.
 
Utica's defense continued to stymie the Elmira offense throughout the second period, as EC was held without a shot on goal for nearly the first 10 minutes of the period. EC was finally able to put one on frame when the Soaring Eagles went on the power play midway through the period, but Utica's Keira Goin made four saves on the PK to deny Elmira with the extra skater.
 
Elmira frantically searched for a goal during the final 10 minutes of the second, but a bit of bad luck helped give the Pioneers a 4-0 lead at the 14:28 mark. UC's Coope scored her second of the game, as a puck ricocheted off of her facemask and trickled past a sprawled out Nelson for the score. Coope's tally held up through the period, as EC trailed 4-0 entering the final intermission.
 
In the third, Elmira trimmed the Pioneer lead to 4-1 on a goal by Johanna Eidensten '17, her seventh of the season. The scoring play was setup by McKenna Farole '16, whose pass from the left-side boards found Eidensten in the lower left slot, where she tipped it through the five-hole for the score. Kristin Chivers '19 was also credited with an assist on the goal, as her pass to Farole just inside the blue line kept the scoring play alive.
 
The Eidensten goal looked like it could spark an Elmira rally, but Morgan Reed put the Pioneers back on top by four less than two minutes later, which all but sealed a 5-1 Utica win.
 
Turning Point
The opening period really served as a springboard for Utica, who scored twice. Utica's goals were scored in the opening and closing five minutes of the period. Utica scored 5:23 into the first period, while the eventual game-winning goal, scored shorthanded, was tallied with two minutes remaining in the first.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira held the advantage in shots, 30-to-23.
• Utica scored the lone power-play goal of the afternoon, going 1-for-4 with the extra skater.
• EC was 0-fo-4 on power-play chances.
• Eidensten scored EC's lone goal of the afternoon, her seventh of the season.
• Farole and Chivers were credited with assists on Eidensten's tally.
• Crawford got the start in net and made seven saves.
• Nelson finished the game between the pipes and made 11 saves.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira's streak of three conference final appearances came to end.
• Elmira is 6-4 this season when opponents have scored first.
• The loss to Utica is Elmira's first since the 2010-11 season, which also occurred in the ECAC West Tournament.
• Elmira will need an at-large bid to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced Monday morning at 10:00 a.m.
• EC is 2-1 against Utica this season.
• Today's loss snaps a 12-game win streak against Utica.
• Elmira's record in ECAC West playoff games stands at 19-8.

 
Up Next
With today's loss, Elmira ends the 2015-16 season with a 21-4-1 overall record. EC will be hoping for an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament, which will be announced Monday morning at 10:00 a.m.