PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- The No. 5-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team earned an all-important United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) victory on Saturday afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles toppled Nazareth, 3-1, at the Murray Athletic Center.

With today's win, Elmira (18-4-2, 13-2-0 UCHC) moved into a two-way tie for first place in the UCHC North Division with William Smith. Nazareth (17-4-3, 11-2-2) slipped to third on the divisional leaderboard with the loss.

The majority of Elmira's offense was supplied by junior Jess Adams '21. Adams potted two goals, one on the power play and one shorthanded to guide the Soaring Eagles to victory. The Golden Flyers were unable to muster quality chances against EC, as the Purple and Gold controlled the flow of the game, as they held Nazareth scoreless on four power-play chances.

It was a fast skating first period between two of the top teams in the UCHC North Division, as three goals were scored in the first five minutes of action. The Golden Flyers struck first, as Hailey Redders managed to beat Elizabeth Hanson just 1:09 into the contest. As Nazareth attempted to seize control of the game, the Purple and Gold came roaring back with a goal of their own a little over a minute later. With their deadly power-play unit on the ice, Adams wristed home a shot from the right faceoff dot into the top-shelf to beat Nazareth's Adrianna Brehm glove side to tie the game.

Adams added her second goal just 1:46 later. EC was whistled for a tripping penalty, which forced the Soaring Eagles to try and slow down the Golden Flyers power play. The Purple and Gold did that and more, as Mary McCafferty '22 jumped the passing lane and rushed down the ice. The junior rifled a shot off of Brehm's pad and the rebound rolled to Adams who joined the rush on the left side of the ice. The Holliston, Massachusetts, native wasted little time and one-timed the puck into the twine to put EC ahead, 2-1.

The two sides continued to skate up-and-down from there until Elmira broke through with two seconds left in the opening frame. McCafferty started the play with a pass to Amanda Zenstein '22. The sophomore wound up and rifled a shot into traffic in front of Nazareth's goal. Rookie Kelly Matthews '23 glided into the slot and redirected the effort up and over Brehm's shoulder to ensure EC maintained control of the contest.

Elmira continued to dictate the flow of the game from there, as neither side managed to break through for another goal. The Soaring Eagles outshot Nazareth, 18-14 over the final 40 minutes of action. Elizabeth Hanson '21 stood tall in goal as she spurned away all of the Golden Flyers' chances to seal the win with 19 saves.

In his own words...
Head coach Tim Crowley on the team picking up a crucial conference victory...
"We knew coming in how important today's game was. All credit goes to the the group for responding and getting two points. We had a little adversity with the early goal, but it was something we've seen before. We wanted to respond quickly and were able to do just that. It's always great to start the weekend with a win, but it's especially satisfying with tomorrow being a day we celebrate our seniors."

News and Notes

• With the win, EC moved into a two-way tie for first place in the UCHC North Division with William Smith.
• Elmira improved to 12-0-0 at the Murray Athletic Center this season.
• Elmira was 1-for-2 on the power play, while Nazareth was 0-for-4.
• EC outshot the Golden Flyers, 24-20.
• Adams posted her seventh multi-point outing of the season.
• Adams moved into a tie for the team lead with 16 goals.
• McCafferty registered a season-best two assists.
• Emma Crocker '21 has recorded at least one point in each of her last three contests.
• Matthews potted her second goal of the season.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles' playoff positioning hangs in the balance when they close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon against Utica on Class of 2020 Recognition Day. Puck drop against the Pioneers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.