UTICA, N.Y. – Mary McCafferty '22 scored a pair of goals while adding one assist as the Elmira College women's ice hockey team opened its season with a 5-1 victory on the road against Utica. The Soaring Eagles held a 42-16 advantage in shots on goal and added a shorthanded marker.
 
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 5, Utica 1
LOCATION: Utica, NY
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (1-0-0, 0-0-0 NEHC), Utica (0-1-0, 0-0-0 UCHC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
McCafferty opened the scoring for the Purple & Gold just eight minutes into the first period as she beat the Utica goalie on a shorthanded opportunity to make it 1-0. Elmira would keep its offensive pressure rolling as the Soaring Eagles took a total of 16 shots in the opening frame. Jenny Heath '22 paced the team with four shots, while McCafferty recorded a trio of shots.

Elmira would add to its lead less than three minutes into the second period as Brooke McArdle '22 found the back of the net off assists from Holley Riva '23 and Claire Meeder '23. McCafferty added her second of the contest at the 6:13 mark to give the Soaring Eagles a 3-0 lead.

Eliza Beaudin '22 and Erika Goleniak '25 each added goals later in the period to increase EC's lead to 5-0. Beaudin's tally would come on the power play, while Goleniak recorded her first collegiate goal.

Utica would find the scoreboard in the third period as Hailey Modlin took a feed from Madison Novotny to trim the deficit to 5-1 at the 3:28 mark. The Soaring Eagles recorded just six shots in the final frame after tallying 36 through each of the first two periods of play.

Making her first collegiate start in net, Leonie-Louise Kuehberger '25 recorded 14 saves on 15 shots for the Purple & Gold. Elmira had seven different players in the contest record at least one assist as Morgan Mordini '22 finished with a pair of helpers. The Purple & Gold finished 1-for-5 on the power play while holding Utica to a 1-for-3 effort.

UP NEXT:
The Purple & Gold return to action on Friday, November 5, and Saturday, November 6 with a pair of games at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. Elmira hosts Salem State University at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and the University of Southern Maine at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be against New England Hockey Conference foes.