GENEVA, N.Y. -- A pair of special team goals split evenly between Elmira College men's ice hockey and No. 5 nationally-ranked Hobart College decided tonight's outcome, as the two teams skated to a 1-1 overtime tie. With tonight's draw, the Statesmen sit at 1-0-1 on the year, while the Soaring Eagles remain in search of their first win of the season at 0-1-1.
 
Hobart held a hefty advantage in shots on goal, 48-29. However, Elmira's efforts on the defensive side of the puck did not go unnoticed or unrewarded, as the Purple and Gold racked up 25 blocked shots compared to Hobart's 18.
 
Rookie Logan Bateman '23 got his first collegiate start between the pipes tonight for the Soaring Eagles. The Ottawa, Ontario, native dazzled by making save after save, eventually finishing the night with 47 stops in 64:55 of action.
 
In the first period, neither side was able to find the back of the net, despite one power-play chance for each team. A slashing penalty at 14:59 in the second on Hobart's Kyle Lynch setup the Soaring Eagles to score the night's first goal.
 
Some crafty passing around the umbrella on the power play by Elmira setup the game-opening goal. From the right faceoff dot, Connor Powell '20 wrapped a pass over to Christian Lloyd '20 at the point, where he one-timed a perfectly weighted pass to the left faceoff dot to Nick Ford '20. The feed from Lloyd went right into Ford's wheelhouse, as the senior standout rocketed a one-timer that whizzed past Hobart's Joe Halstrom and went bar-down for the goal at 16:48. It was the second time in as many days that Ford has beat Halstrom.
 
The Elmira men carried their one-goal advantage into the third period, but faced an uphill battle to start the final 20 minutes of regulation, as EC's Spencer MacLean '20 was whistled for a cross-checking penalty at the end of the second stanza.
 
Elmira did a fine job on the penalty kill to start the third period. The Soaring Eagles denied the Statesmen on their first power play, but were then whistled for another penalty just 20 seconds after killing the first. However, Elmira's PK unit proved to be up for the challenge and held the Statesmen scoreless on their second opportunity of the period.
 
EC's efforts were rewarded with a pair of power-play chances of its own. Hobart's Dan Sliney and Lawson MacDougall were whistled for consecutive penalties at 5:09 and 6:55, respectively. Despite playing with the extra skater, it was Hobart that came up with a special-teams goal.
 
Following an errant pass by Elmira inside Hobart's d-zone, Alec Robitaille found himself ahead of the pack on a one-on-none rush. Robitaille raced towards the net, deked several times and then backhanded a shot on net. It looked as though Bateman got a pad on it, but the puck somehow found its way over the line for the shorthanded goal at 7:20.
 
Elmira had two power-play chances following the shorthanded goal but was unable to breakthrough for the score. Defensively, EC's Bateman closed out the third period with a strong performance, logging 17 of his 47 saves.
 
The Robitaille goal sent tonight's contest into overtime. Both teams placed three shots on goal apiece during the extra session, but neither was able to find the back of the cage, as the game ended in an overtime draw.
 
News and Notes

• Elmira went 1-for-6 on the power play.
• Hobart was 0-for-4 on power-play chances.
• Ford scored EC's lone goal on the power play.
• Lloyd and Powell were credited with assists on the power-play goal.
• Ford has scored goals in back-to-back games to open the season.
• Lloyd has produced an assist in back-to-back games.
• Bateman made his collegiate debut in net for the Elmira men.
• Bateman made 47 saves, including an 18-save effort in the second period.
• Bateman's 47 saves are the most by a freshman in a debut performance in over 20 years.

 
Up Next
The Elmira men will eye their first win of the season next Friday, November 8, when they travel to Pittston, Pennsylvania, to take on the Monarchs of King's College (Pa.). Elmira's United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) opener is slated for 7:00 p.m.