PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- In a titanic battle between a pair of top-10 programs, the No. 7-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey skated away with a 3-1 victory over No. 3 Norwich at the Murray Athletic Center. 

With the win, Elmira improved to 8-2-2 overall, while Norwich moved to 10-3-1.

Elizabeth Hanson '21 got the starting nod in goal once again and did not disappoint with a 25-save effort to seal the victory. Eliza Beaudin '22 and Ariella Haas '22 led the way on the opposite end of the ice for the Purple and Gold, as each finished with one goal and one assist.

Both sides showcased their pedigree throughout the opening 20 minutes, as neither seized control of the contest. The Soaring Eagles ended the frame with a slim 10-8 advantage in shots as EC peppered Norwich's Amanda Berg early and often. The Purple and Gold looked to have struck first a little over three minutes into the contest as Eliza Beaudin '22 buried a feed from Emma Crocker '21, but the tally was waived off of the board by the officials.

The Cadets seized on Elmira's misfortune five minutes later. After winning a faceoff at the left dot, the puck found its way behind the net to Amanda Conway who fired a pass into the slot. Carley Sedlar collected the puck and one-timed a pass to Sophie McGovern, who snuck the puck past Hanson at the near post.

Facing a deficit, the Soaring Eagles cranked up the pressure and capitalized with just over three minutes to play. After forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, Haas lofted a pass high off of the glass to Beaudin. EC's leading goal scorer did the rest, carrying the puck into the zone before sniping a wicked wrist shot into the top shelf to beat Berg on the glove side to close out the scoring for the period.

Elmira started the second frame on the power play after a late whistle on Norwich's Conway but was unable to take advantage of the extra skater as the Cadets staved off the Purple and Gold's attack. Sydney Harris '21 was called for slashing 3:29 into the period, giving Norwich a chance on the power play. Conway looked to have given the Cadets a lead after she cut into the slot, but her shot rang off the crossbar before Elmira's defense cleared the puck.

The back-and-forth continued from there as both sides skated hard and fast. Crocker saw a chance turned away with 7:18 on the clock, as Berg barely got a shoulder onto the junior's wrist shot. Elmira continued to apply pressure in the neutral zone and another turnover led to a chance for Ronnie Callahan '21. After an initial chance rebounded off of Berg, Callahan ripped a shot that looked destined for the back of the net, but Berg slid across the face of the goal to keep the game at 1-1. Hanson answered her counterpart with just over three minutes to play, fending off a point-blank shot.

Norwich came out firing to open the final period, but Hanson stood tall in goal to keep the score even. Despite the early pressure, Elmira was able to respond and seize a 2-1 advantage. A long pass from Bella Hanson '22 caromed into Norwich's zone. Junior Jess Adams '21 raced after the puck and won the battle for the puck in the corner. Adams centered the puck to Haas who one-timed the puck into the upper right corner with 7:26 left to play.

A little over two minutes later, the Soaring Eagles put the game out of reach on the power play. Beaudin started the scoring play behind the Cadets' net with a pass to Morgan Mordini '22. Mordini fed the puck to Crocker, who got just enough on a shot in the slot to force the puck past Berg for the game's final goal. Hanson staved off three more chances by Norwich to seal the victory at the Murray Athletic Center.

In his own words...
Head Coach Tim Crowley on today's win...
"I thought we were cleaner on our breakouts, which can be credited to our d-corps. It made a big difference in today's game and allowed our forwards to use their speed. Hanson made key saves when we needed them, she's been playing great for us recently. This win was great for our group. I thought everybody chipped in and the effort was high today. "

News and Notes

• EC is undefeated in its last four meetings with Norwich (3-0-1).
• Elmira outshot Norwich, 30-26.
• The Soaring Eagles went 1-for-3 (33.3%) on the power play while Norwich went 0-for-3 (0%).
• Elmira held the advantage in the faceoff circle, 31-18.
• Six different skaters registered a point for the Purple and Gold.
• Beaudin (1g-1a) produced her fourth multi-point game of the season.
• With her 10th goal of the season, Beaudin moved into a tie for sixth nationally in goals per game (0.83).
• Haas registered her first goal of the campaign.
• Hanson remained undefeated on the season with her fifth win (5-0-1).
• Hanson posted 20 or more saves on four occasions.
• Hanson remains first in the nation in goals-against average (0.33) and save percentage (.986).

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles continue a season-long six-game homestand on Saturday, January 18, when they host United Collegiate Hockey Conference foe Stevenson at the Murray Athletic Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.