PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- For the seventh consecutive contest, the Elmira College men's ice hockey team got the better of its opposition, as the Soaring Eagles took down No. 2-ranked SUNY Geneseo, 4-2, at the Murray Athletic Center on Tuesday evening.

Between standout goaltending and a quick-fire offense, the Purple and Gold (9-3-1) were able to upset the national powerhouse Knights (12-3-1). Chris Janzen '21 made a whopping 45 saves in goal as Geneseo kept the junior busy with 47 shots. Matthew Cuce '20 led the way offensively for EC with one goal and an assist, as the Purple and Gold were able to consistently cash in despite limited chances in Geneseo's zone.

It was a busy first period, as the Soaring Eagles got off to a hot start once again. Despite SUNY Geneseo holding an 18-7 shot differential, EC was able to employ a fast-paced attack that led to three goals and chased the Knights starting netminder from goal just nine minutes into the contest.

The Soaring Eagles got on the board a little over three minutes into the period, as Connor Powell '20 netted his fifth goal of the year.  After a long dump into the zone, Nick Ford '20 went to battle in the left corner and eventually dug the puck and sent a pass into the slot to Powell. The Merrimack, New Hampshire native got just enough on the shot to power it through the pads of Geneseo's Aaron Mackay.

Elmira wasted almost no time doubling its lead, as another breakout led to a goal 1:42 later. Harry Kramer '20 started the play in his own zone and shifted the puck to Andrew Pucci '20. Pucci carried the puck across the blue line and dropped a pass back to Kale Kane '21. The junior settled the puck and sent a heat-seeking wrist shot into the upper left corner to give EC a 2-0 edge.

The teams skated up-and-down from there, but the Purple and Gold struck again with 10:21 on the clock. Another goal in transition, Spencer MacLean '20 won the puck inside his own zone and quickly sent a pass to Cuce. The Fort Myers, Florida, native raced the length of the ice from his own blue line and fought through a trio of Geneseo defenders before lofting a backhand that beat Mackay at the near post.

Facing a 3-0 deficit, the No. 2-ranked Knights flexed their muscle 34 seconds later. David Szmyd combined with Tyson Gilmour and Tyson Empey to cut the Soaring Eagles' lead to 3-1. Even though Geneseo applied heavy pressure the rest of the way, EC held out for the remainder of the opening frame.

Geneseo tried to impose its will to start the second period, but the Soaring Eagles capitalized on a turnover to take a commanding 4-1 lead. Jake Russo '23 caught the Knights sleeping at their blue line and raced back into Geneseo's zone. A brilliantly worked give-and-go with Cuce laid the puck back into Russo's wheelhouse at the right faceoff dot and the rookie did the rest, beating Matt Petizian stick side.

As the period wore on, Elmira was whistled for three penalties, while Geneseo was tagged twice as the physical nature of the game continued to increase. Despite facing the Knights' vaunted power-play unit, Janzen and EC's penalty killers fended off the visitors' attempts. Janzen ended the period with 14 saves to preserve Elmira's advantage.

With 20 minutes left to play, the Knights continued to turn up the pressure on Janzen and EC's d-corps with 15 shots. The Soaring Eagles stood tall, however, as Janzen stopped 14 shots, conceding a lone marker to Andrew Romano off of a broken play in Elmira's zone with 3:06 left to play. EC's defense saw out the game from there, as the Purple and Gold held on for the 4-2 victory.

News and Notes

• Elmira earned its seventh consecutive victory.
• The Purple and Gold haven't conceded a game to Geneseo on home ice since the 2011 season.
• EC is 2-1-1 in its last four contests versus the Knights.
• Geneseo marked the third ranked opponent that the Soaring Eagles have defeated this season.
• Elmira's last victory over a team ranked within the top-three came during the 2015-16 season in 5-3 victory against Babson.
• EC held Geneseo's No. 2 ranked power-play unit scoreless on five chances.
• Geneseo's two goals were the least that the Knights have scored since November 22.
• Ford extended his point streak to 13 consecutive games.
• Cuce is currently riding a seven-game point streak.
• Cuce registered his sixth multi-point outing of the season.
• Janzen posted a season-high 45 saves.
• Janzen improved to 6-1-0 between the pipes.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles remain at home to open up a weekend of United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action on Friday, January 17 with a tilt against Chatham. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.