Score: #7/7 Oswego State 4, Elmira College 2
Records: Elmira (1-1-0), Oswego (1-0-0)
Location: Marano Campus Center Arena - Oswego, N.Y.
 
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Penalties played a large part in dictating tonight's outcome, as the seventh-ranked Lakers of Oswego State scored three power-play goals en route to a 4-2 non-league victory over Elmira College men's ice hockey. Elmira held a 2-0 lead midway through the first period, but the nationally-ranked Lakers responded with four unanswered goals to secure their first win of the season.
 
Elmira and Oswego were whistled for a combined 21 penalties, 11 for the Soaring Eagles and 10 for the Lakers. Those infractions granted EC seven power-play opportunities and eight power-play chances for Oswego. The Lakers converted on three of their chances, while EC cashed in on one of its extra-skater opportunities. Oswego held a 43-32 lead in shots, but the Purple and Gold controlled action at the faceoff dot by winning 35-of-61 faceoffs.
 
The Soaring Eagles picked up right where they left off last night with a pair of goals 4:03 apart in the first period, which gave the Elmira men a 2-0 lead. Nick Ford '20 scored the game-opening on a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity at the 8:48 mark. Fellow classmates Harry Kramer '20 and Connor Powell '20 were credited with assists on the goal. Sophomore assistant captain Anthony Parrucci '20 padded the Purple and Gold's lead to 2-0 with his first tally of the season at the 12:51 mark, even strength, on assists from Ryan Blais '21 and Andrew Pucci '20.  
 
EC's two-goal lead stood for only 2:46, as Josh Zizek scored his first of two first-period goals. Zizek tallied the Lakers' first goal of the season at the 15:37 mark, and following a tripping penalty on Elmira, Zizek cashed-in on a power-play opportunity 1:33 later to knot the contest at 2-2. Joey Scorpio earned assists on both goals, while Max Novick was credited with a secondary assist on the power-play tally.
 
Neither team was able to find the back of the net through the rest of the first period, nor were they able to break through for a score in the second stanza, as both sides skated in the third frame knotted at 2-2.
 
Oswego took its first lead of the game 5:28 into the third period on a 5-on-3 power-play chance. Following back-to-back penalties on Kramer and Blais, David Ferreira cleaned up a rebound from just outside the crease for his first tally of the season. Tanner Spink and Zizek picked up assists on the go-ahead goal.
 
Following the Oswego goal, the Soaring Eagles picked up the aggressive play, but it cost them as the EC was whistled for another penalty to put the Lakers' lethal power-play unit back on the ice. The power-play goal scorer was a familiar name, as Zizek scored his third of the night with a tip-in out in front of the crease on an initial shot by Novick at the 11:22 mark. Ferreira, along with Novick, was credited with an assist on the insurance goal, while Zizek earned his fourth point of the evening.
 
Elmira kept up the pressure on the forecheck in hopes of closing the gap, but the Soaring Eagles were limited to just two shots on goal in the final 8:38, as the Lakers skated away with a two-goal win in their home- and season-opener.
 
EC's Jake Sabourin '21 made his second consecutive start in goal and made 39 saves, which gave the rookie netminder 81 stops in his first two collegiate contests. Sabourin made no less than 12 saves in each period for the Purple and Gold tonight. His counterpart from Oswego, David Richer, finished with 30 saves in his season debut.
 
News and Notes

• Elmira suffered its first loss of the 2017 season.
• It was also EC's first road defeat of the year.
• Oswego was the second straight nationally-ranked opponent EC faced this season.
• Elmira has scored power-play goals in back-to-back games.
• Parrucci, Blais and Pucci all earned their first points of the season.
• Parrucci and Ford scored their first two goals of the season.
• Ford, Kramer and Powell have each logged at least one point in EC's first two games of the year.
• Kramer and Powell both have three assists during the 2017-18 campaign.

 
Up Next
Elmira opens play within the newly-formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) this Friday, November 3, as the Soaring Eagles host Manhattanville College. The puck is set to drop at 7:00 p.m. at EC's Murray Athletic Center in Pine Valley, N.Y.