GENEVA, N.Y. -- In a wild back-and-forth United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) matchup, the No. 4-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team came up just short to league rival William Smith College, 4-3, in overtime. The win moved the Herons of William Smith (16-7-0, 12-2-0 UCHC) into a two-way tie with Nazareth for first place in the North Division league standings, while the Soaring Eagles (16-4-2, 11-2-0 UCHC) dropped to third place with one less game played than the current first place co-owners.
 
Three Elmira skaters produced points on EC's three goals. Morgan Mordini '22 had a hand in all three tallies, as she scored twice and assisted on another. Emma Crocker '21 chipped in one goal and one helper, while Captain Kiana Melvin '20 was credited with a pair of assists.
 
Stephanie Martin '22 got the starting nod in net for the Purple and Gold. She made 12 saves, before Elizabeth Hanson '21 came in for relief duty in the second period. Hanson finished with 11 saves, eight of which were logged in the third period.
 
Elmira got off to a fast start in today's contest, similar to the first matchup between these two teams earlier this season, as Mordini found the back the net just 20 seconds into regulation. A breakout pass from Melvin found Crocker in the neutral zone, where she then dished it Mordini. The second-year forward showcased her speed by racing past the Herons' defense, before snapping a wrist shot that beat William Smith's Amanda Aalto glove-side for the goal.
 
The Elmira lead was short-lived though, as Alisa Weiss leveled the contest at the 1:42 mark. Turnovers in Elmira's d-zone created the scoring opportunity, which saw Izzy Friedman dish a pass from the slot to Weis at the left faceoff dot, where she one-time a slap shot into the back of the cage.
 
Nearly 14 minutes passed until the Soaring Eagles reclaimed the lead at 15:20. On the power play, passes around the umbrella found Mordini at the left faceoff dot, where she fired a shot towards net. Crocker, who was positioned just outside the crease, re-directed the shot into the net for the go-ahead power-play goal. Mordini and Melvin were credited with assists on the scoring play, which sent the Purple and Gold into the first intermission with a 2-1 advantage.
 
In the second period, William Smith outshot Elmira 9-6 and went on to score back-to-back goals at the 8:46 and 14:09 marks to pull ahead on the scoreboard, 3-2. Emily Martino scored the first of two goals on a two-on-one rush, which saw Freidman dish it to Martino on the left post for the one-time finish. Gina Scibetta scored the second goal of the period, as she stole the puck in the neutral zone before showcasing some nifty stick work en route to the goal. The Scibetta goal sent today's contest into the final intermission with Elmira trailing by a goal.
 
Elmira upped the pressure in the third frame, outshooting William Smith 10-8, but the biggest one of the final 20 minutes was EC's third attempt of the period by Mordini. After a line change, Mordini raced into the William Smith d-zone and intercepted a pass. Despite being outnumbered 4-to-1, Mordini challenged Aalto with a low-lining shot from the right side of the ice, which beat the William Smith netminder and tied the game, 3-3, at the 5:36 mark.
 
Following the Mordini goal, neither team was able to breakthrough for a game-winner in the third period. Credit Elmira's penalty-kill unit, which held the Herons scoreless from 11:31 to 13:31 in the final frame, an effort that helped force overtime.
 
In the overtime period, William Smith's forecheck was the key, as its pressure forced a turnover in Elmira's defensive zone and set up the game-winning tally just 30 seconds into the extra session. Jules Kennedy intercepted a clear attempt by Elmira and fired a shot that was blocked by several bodies in front of the net. However, the deflected puck jumped into the air, at which point Julia Mings swiped at it out of mid-air and knocked it into the net for the game-winning goal.
 
News and Notes

• William Smith outshot Elmira, 27-25.
• Elmira went 1-for-2 on the power play, while William Smith went 0-for-2.
• EC remains in search of its first overtime win this season (0-1-2).
• Elmira's last overtime win dates back to the March 16, 2018, NCAA Semifinals.
• William Smith extended its winning streak to nine games.
• It marked the fourth time this season Mordini has produced three or more points.
• Mordini has two games this season with multiple goals.
• Crocker logged her 10th multi-point performance of the 2019-20 campaign.
• Melvin produced the sixth multi-point game of her senior season.
• It marked the fifth time this season Melvin has amassed two or more assists.

 
Up Next
The Elmira women will look to bounce back, and jump back into first place in the UCHC North Division standings, when they travel to take on Wilkes University on Monday, February 17. The puck is set to drop at 1:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.