Score: #1/1 Elmira College 1, #4/4 Middlebury College 1 (OT)
Records: Elmira (5-0-1), Middlebury (2-0-1)
Location: Chip Kenyon '85 Arena – Middlebury, Vt.
 
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- A full 65 minutes could not determine a winner in this evening's opening-round game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic, as the No. 1/1-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey skated to a 1-1 overtime tie with No. 4/4-ranked Middlebury College. Elmira eventually fell in the ensuing shootout, 1-0, and the Panthers advanced to tomorrow's title game. 
 
An 11-6 advantage in shots on goal in the first period helped the Soaring Eagles capture their first lead of the game behind the efforts of Shannon Strawinski '19. The fourth-year forward found the puck in the midst of a giant scrum in front of the Middlebury net, where Strawinski punched in the loose puck through traffic for the game-opening goal at 9:05. Jess Adams '21 was credited with an assist on the goal, which sent the Purple and Gold into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
 
Middlebury leveled the contest in the second stanza on a power-play goal from Eva Hendrikson at 1:21. Passes from Jenna Marotta and Madie Leidt put Hendrikson in position to fire a shot from the right faceoff dot that went over the shoulder of Elmira's Stephanie Martin '22 for the game-tying goal. The tally from Hendrikson sent both teams into the final intermission deadlocked at 1-1.
 
Both sides had quality scoring chances in the third period, but EC's Martin and Middlebury's Lin Han came up with eight saves apiece to keep the game knotted at 1-1 through the full 20 minutes. Elmira's penalty-kill unit was key in the third period, as the Soaring Eagles stopped the Panthers on three power-play chances.
 
In the overtime session, Elmira possessed all the momentum and controlled the five-minute period by outshooting Middlebury, 4-0. The majority of those chances came on a power play late in the period, which saw EC nearly score from just outside the crease on a handful of opportunities but Middlebury's Han came up with several clutch saves to send the game into a shootout.
 
During the shootout, both teams had their first two attempts denied by each team's respective goalie. Elmira's third attempt was also padded away by Middlebury's Han, which set Anna Zumwinkle up to score the tournament-advancing goal on the shootout, as she connected on the ensuing shot to propel the Panthers to the title game.
 
News and Notes

• Elmira outshot Middlebury, 31-22.
• EC went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Middlebury was 1-for-7.
• Strawinski scored her first goal of the season.
• Adams registered her third assist of the year.
• Martin finished with 21 saves in net.
• Middlebury's Han logged 30 saves.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will await their opponent for tomorrow's consolation game, as No. 2/2 Plattsburgh State and No. 5/6 Adrian College square off in tonight's final opening-round game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic. Tomorrow's consolation game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Middlebury, Vermont.