Score: Elmira College 6, Stevenson University 4
Records: Elmira (14-8-2, 12-3-2 UCHC), Stevenson (10-14-0, 7-10-0 UCHC)
Location: Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, N.Y.
 
PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team moved one step closer to solidifying a bye into the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Championships Semifinals, as the Soaring Eagles rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the visiting Mustangs of Stevenson University, 6-4. With the win, Elmira moved into sole possession of second place in the UCHC standings with 38 points, one ahead of third-place Wilkes.
                          
Stevenson ended the contest with a slim 30-28 edge in shots on goal. The Mustangs also went 3-for-7 on the power play, while Elmira converted on 2-of-4 extra-skater chances.
 
Five skaters logged points for Elmira this evening, led by a five-point performance from Nick Ford '20. All five of Ford's points were registered on assists, a career best for the junior forward.
 
Rookie defenseman Matthew Cousino '22 was not far behind with a career-high four points on one power-play goal and three assists.
 
Linemates Connor Powell '20 and Matthew Cuce '20 logged three points apiece. Powell recorded a hat trick, which included a power-play goal and the game-winning goal. Cuce scored an even-strength tally and an empty netter, to go along with an assist on Cousino's power-play goal.
 
Senior blueliner Blake O'Neill '19 also got onto the scoresheet, as the Fort Myers, Florida, native was credited with an assist on Powell's game-winning goal.
 
Second-year netminder Jake Sabourin '21 continued his strong play between the pipes with a 26-save performance. Of the 26 stops, 12 were registered in the first period, as Sabourin improved to 9-4-1 on the year.
 
Although Elmira opened the first period with a power-play opportunity in the first 27 seconds, it would be the Mustangs who controlled the opening 20 minutes of action, much of which had to do with their special-teams effort.
 
Stevenson went on the power play four times in the first period and connected on two of those chances. Dominic Brenza tallied the first power-play goal at 8:47 and was followed by Ryan Patrick, who cashed-in with the extra-skater at 12:22.
 
A 12-7 advantage in shots on goal in the second stanza helped the Soaring Eagles level tonight's contest at 2-2. Both of Elmira's goals came on the power play in the final 5:23 of the period, as Cousino and Powell tallied for the Purple and Gold.
 
After receiving passes from Ford and Cuce, Cousino tip-toed his way into the slot before sniping the top corner at 14:37. Then, at 18:34, a beautiful sequence of passing starting behind EC's cage led to the Powell goal. A deep pass from Cousino found Ford in the neutral zone, where he slowed up the play, before dumping it to Powell, who deked a defender and snapped a wrist shot through Riley McVeigh's five-hole for the game-tying goal.
 
Elmira's offense erupted for four third-period goals and the defense held steady, allowing just two Stevenson tallies, as the Soaring Eagles cruised to a 6-4 win.
 
All four of Elmira's third-period strikes came from Powell and Cuce, as Powell registered the hat trick and Cuce logged his third point of the evening.
 
Cuce kicked things off with an even-strength goal, which gave Elmira its first lead of the game, at 4:14 on assists from Ford and Cousino. Less than 1:30 later, Powell punched in a power-play goal to cushion the EC lead at 4-2. Ford and Cousino picked up assists on the tally.
 
Powell struck once again at 12:45 for his third goal of the evening on an assist from O'Neill, as Elmira increased the lead to 5-2.
 
Stevenson's Justin Stelzer trimmed the EC advantage to two goals, as he found the back of the net at 15:44 on the power play. However, Elmira reclaimed a three-goal lead thanks to an empty-netter from Cuce at 18:56. Ford was credited with an assist on the Cuce goal.
 
With the game coming to a close, Stevenson's Austin Swingle scored at the buzzer, which ended tonight's game and saw the Soaring Eagles skate away with a critical 6-4 victory.
 
News and Notes

• Elmira moved into sole possession of second place in the UCHC standings.
• With a win tomorrow, or a Wilkes loss, the Soaring Eagles will clinch the second seed in the UCHC Championships.
• Elmira swept the season series versus Stevenson.
• Ford tied his career-high point total (5).
• Ford's five assists were a career high.
• Powell produced his second hat trick of the season.
• Powell's 22 goals this season are a career best.
• Cousino's four points and three assists were both career highs.
• Cuce increased his career point total to 96.
• Sabourin has not lost in six consecutive starts.

 
Up Next
Elmira concludes the regular season, and eyes a bye into the UCHC Semifinals, as the Soaring Eagles welcome the Cougars of Chatham University to the Murray Athletic Center on Saturday, February 16. Tomorrow's season finale is slated for 7:00 p.m., and following the contest, Elmira will honor its graduating members of the Class of 2019.