Score: Elmira College 5, Stevenson University 3
Records: Elmira (15-9-3), Stevenson (11-8-7)
Location: Reisterstown, Maryland -- Reisterstown Sportsplex

REISTERSTOWN, Md. -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team punched its ticket to the first-ever United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Championship Game by upsetting the second-seeded Mustangs of Stevenson University, 5-3, on their home ice at the Reisterstown Sportsplex on Saturday night.

The Soaring Eagles wasted little time before jumping out to a two-goal lead early in the first period. A mere 40 seconds after the opening puck drop, first-year blueliner Ryan Blais '21 deposited a rebound past Stevenson goalie Jacob Caffrey following the initial shot by Nick Ford '20. Junior forward Chris Moses '19, who tallied the game-winner in the UCHC quarterfinal victory over Manhattanville, netted his second goal in as many games with a backhanded shot from the slot that made it 2-0 at the 5:52 mark.

Given an early cushion, Elmira goalie Gennaro Anzevino '21 was then tested by a flurry of Stevenson shots. The rookie netminder needed to make only three stops in the first eight-plus minutes of the contest, but he was forced to make six saves across a three-minute span in which the Soaring Eagles killed a 5-on-3 Stevenson power play opportunity. Anzevino smothered the first 13 shots he faced, but Doug Rose got the Mustangs on the board with 1:30 remaining in the opening period with a long-range shot from the right-wing side that beat the EC goalie top-shelf.

Just as they did to start the game, the Purple and Gold opened the second period with a quick score. As the Mustangs turned the puck over in their own zone, Matthew Cuce '20 kept it inside the blue line and found Connor Powell '20 with a centering pass. The Merrimack, New Hampshire, native then ripped a shot from the right faceoff circle into the back of the net just 20 seconds into the period, and Elmira led by two, 3-1.

Mike Davis was able to capitalize with a power-play goal for the Mustangs 47 seconds later, trimming the deficit to one. The score remained 3-2 until EC's first line of Powell, Cuce, and Ford combined yet again for Elmira's fourth goal at the 14:02 mark of the middle period. Cuce, who was credited with the primary assist, made a great move to deke his defender and set up a 2-on-1 breakaway. On the odd-man rush Fort Myers, Florida, native dished the puck across the ice to Ford, and the team's leading goal scorer potted his 23rd of the year with a one-timer.

The Elmira defense was tested in the third period, having to tough out several man-down situations and a 6-on-4 attack in the waning minutes. Anzevino made 16 of his 43 saves in the third, including eight during a lengthy Stevenson power play when Joe Smith '21 was assessed with a five-minute major and game misconduct penalty. A Calvin Hughson '20 interference penalty with 1:38 to play allowed the Mustangs to skate with two additional attackers on the ice with Caffrey on the bench. That two-man advantage worked in Stevenson's favor, as Alfred Panelin-Borg made it a one-goal game, 4-3, with 1:22 to play.

Ford's empty-netter with 21 seconds remaining in regulation dashed any hopes the home team had of forcing overtime, sealing Elmira's second consecutive win over a higher-seeded opponent in the UCHC Tournament.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Aaron Saul on taking down another higher seed on the road to advance to the UCHC Championship Game…
"It's a great feeling. We have been playing the right way for some time now, so seeding really doesn't matter when the playoffs start."

Coach Saul on defeating the Mustangs although the team didn't find much success against Stevenson in their first four meetings of the all-time series…
"There was more at stake for this game. The last two times we played them we had played the night before, and they did not. That was a huge advantage for them. This game we had a few days to rest and prepare for them."

Coach Saul when asked about scoring early goals in both the first and second periods…
"It gives the team a boost right away, and we maintained that throughout the game."

Coach Saul on the play of rookie goalie Gennaro Anzevino on Saturday night…
"At this stage, you cannot win games without strong goaltending. 'G' was sharp tonight and made some key saves when we needed them."

Coach Saul's early thoughts on playing Utica, a team Elmira swept in the regular season, for the UCHC title…
"Regular season does not mean anything at this point. Playoffs are a new season, and I am sure they will be ready, and so will we. It should be a great game."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 15-9-3 on the season, while the Mustangs fell to 11-8-7.
• The No. 5 Soaring Eagles have upset fourth-seeded Manhattanville and second-seeded Stevenson thus far in the 2018 UCHC Tournament.
• EC had reached the conference championship game for the first time since the 2013-14 season when the Soaring Eagles captured the last of their 10 ECAC West titles.
• Saturday's victory marked the first for Elmira in five meetings with Stevenson (1-2-2).
• Anzevino tied his season high with 43 saves.
• Anzevino is unbeaten in his last six starts (5-0-1).
• Ford equaled his season and career highs with five points (2g-3a).
• Ford's 48 points on the year are the most by a Soaring Eagle since Dave Evans '97 logged 54 (20g-34a) during the 1996-97 season.
• Ford is tied with Brady Fleurent of the University of New England for the national lead in points.
• Elmira's top line of Ford, Powell (1g-1a) and Cuce (3a) each recorded multiple points on Saturday and have done so in both postseason games this year.
• Moses scored a goal in back-to-back games for the first time in his collegiate career.
• Blais ranks second in the UCHC in freshman scoring and third in defenseman scoring with 21 points (2g-19a).

Up Next
The fifth-seeded Soaring Eagles will travel to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium to battle the No. 2-seed, Utica College, for the inaugural UCHC Tournament Championship on Saturday, March 3. More details regarding the conference title game will be announced in the near future.