Score: #4/5 Elmira College 4 – #8/10 Amherst College 0
Records: Elmira (13-2-2), Amherst (9-5-2)
Location: Orr Rink – Amherst, Mass.
 
AMHERST, Mass. -- Despite a lopsided shot count in favor of the home team, the No. 4/5 Elmira College women's ice hockey team went on the road to blank No. 8/10 Amherst College, 4-0. Tonight's non-conference victory was highlighted by a pair of three-point performances from Katie Granto '19 and Maddie Evangelous '19, as well as a career-high 32-save outing from Kelcey Crawford '18, as the Soaring Eagles extended their win streak to six games.  
 
Granato opened the scoring 11:12 into the first period, as her wrist shot from the left faceoff circle beat Amherst's starting goaltender, Bailey Plaman, through the five-hole to give EC a 1-0 lead. Evangelous and Maddy Jerolman '19 were credited with assists on the game-opening and eventual game-winning goal.  
 
The Soaring Eagles doubled its lead late in the second period on a goal from standout blueliner Kristin Chivers '19. After receiving a pass from Meghan Fonfara '18, the Antioch, Illinois, native snapped a wrist shot into the lower left corner, putting the Purple and Gold out in front, 2-0, with 2:32 left in the second stanza.
 
Elmira's starting netminder, Kelcey Crawford '18, got plenty of work throughout the game, especially in the second period. Crawford made 14 of her career-high 32 saves in the second period alone.
 
EC quickly made it a three-goal lead early in the third period, as Shannon Strawinski '19 struck for her sixth of the season just 3:12 into the final frame. Strawinski, who went five-hole for the tally, has scored five goals in Elmira's last five games. Assisting on the insurance goal were Evangelous and Granato, who both picked up their second points of the night.
 
A little over seven minutes passed until Granato put an exclamation point on today's win with her second tally of the night, giving the Naperville, Illinois, native her team-leading 10th goal of the year. Granato punched in the final goal of the night in the midst of a massive scrum in front of the Amherst cage. Evangelous was credited with her third assist on the goal, while Jerolman picked up her second helper of the evening.
 
Turning Point
Amherst ramped up the pressure in the second period, outshooting Elmira 14-to-8 in the second stanza. With just a one-goal lead entering the second period, the lopsided shot count would suggest a comeback for Amherst. However, junior netminder Kelcey Crawford denied the Purple and White on all 14 attempts in the period, as part of a career-high 32 save effort for the Purcellville, Virginia, native.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Amherst outshot Elmira 32-to-20.
• Neither team was able to capitalize on their power-play chances.
• Elmira was 0-for-5 with the extra skater, while Amherst went 0-for-4.
• Amherst won the faceoff battle, 26-to-24.
• Granato and Evangelous led the way for Elmira with three points apiece.
• Granato scored twice, including the game-winner, and assisted on another tally.
• Evangelous was credited with three assists.
• Jerolman finished the night with two points on a pair of assists.
• Chivers and Strawinski each tallied once for the Purple and Gold.
• Fonfara picked up one point on one assist.
• Crawford made a career-high 32 saves en route to a shutout win.
• Amherst's Plaman finished the day with 16 stops.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira has won six games in a row.
• The Soaring Eagles improved to 13-2-2 on the year.
• EC earned its first win over a nationally-ranked team this season.
• Tonight's win was Elmira's first over a nationally-ranked team since last year's finale, a 4-1 win over Middlebury.
• Crawford's 32 saves were a career high.
• Crawford picked up her fourth shutout of the season to improve to 6-1-0.
• Granato matched her career-high point total with three (2g, 1a).
• Evangelous produced her third three-point performance of the 2016-17 campaign.
• Evangelous' three assists were a career high.
• Jerolman logged her seventh multi-point effort of the season.
• Strawinski extended her point streak to five games (5g-2a-7p).
• Chivers has scored goals in back-to-back games and extended her point streak to four games.

 
Up Next
Elmira resumes to its ECAC West schedule this weekend with a home-and-home series against league rival, Utica College. The Soaring Eagles travel to face the Pioneers on Saturday, January 28th, for a 2:30 p.m. meeting, before returning to the Murray Athletic Center for a 3:00 p.m. showdown with Utica the following afternoon.