PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- Nearly a full year after the last time it took the ice, the Elmira College men's ice hockey team returned to action on Sunday afternoon in an exhibition contest against the USA Hockey's National Development Program Under-17 Team.

Team USA, which boasts a deep and talented roster of Division I commits and future pros, got the better of the Soaring Eagles at the Murray Athletic Center, skating away with a 9-2 victory.

The loss will not count against EC's record during the abbreviated 2021 season, but the game served as an excellent opportunity for the Soaring Eagles to face a different colored jersey ahead of the regular-season opener on Friday, February 19, at Nazareth College. Sunday's tune-up was particularly important for Elmira's young lineup, as the roster was reloaded with 14 newcomers during the offseason, 13 of whom are first-years.

Rookies played a vital role for the Purple and Gold against Team USA, accounting for four of the team's five points. After being held scoreless throughout the first two periods, Shane Haviland '24 and Ryan Reifler '24 each tickled the twine in the third period, as the duo notched their first collegiate goals in their debut.

Haviland – the son of former EC All-American Mike Haviland '90 – may not be as much of a fresh face as some other first-year skaters. Playing in the same rink as his father did three decades ago, Haviland beat goalie Kaiden Mbereko through the five-hole on a breakaway for Elmira's first tally. The scoring play began when Larry Niland '23 forced a turnover at center ice with a glove interception. Niland then pushed the puck towards the right faceoff circle, and Haviland beat the American defenders down the ice for a one-on-one shot against Mbereko.

Trailing 9-1 inside the final minute of regulation, the Soaring Eagles used precision tic-tac-toe passing to break out of the defensive zone to set up their second goal of the evening. After collecting the puck off the end board, Chance Gorman '24 deked out one defender before dishing a cross-ice pass to Jared Smith '24 down the left-wing side. Smith's centering pass was located perfectly for Ryan Reifler '24, who tapped the puck into the upper right corner of the net.

News and Notes

• Elmira's exhibition against the U-17 National Team marked the team's first game since the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) quarterfinals against Nazareth on February 25, 2020.
• The Soaring Eagles dressed 13 freshmen against the American U-17 squad, which featured a roster of players committed to Division I programs such as Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota, and Notre Dame.
• All three goalies received playing time, led by senior Chris Janzen '21, who received the start and made 17 saves in 31:21. Ben Fleischman '21 made 13 stops in 15:24, while second-year netminder Jeffrey Zero '23 recorded four saves in 13:15.
• Rookies Haviland, Gorman, Smith, and Reifler each logged one point.
• First-year defender Amedeo Mastrangeli '24, who received a starting nod on defense, finished with two blocks, while Nick Grinvalds '22 paced all EC blueliners with three blocked shots.
• Charlie Stramel (3g), Cruz Lucius (2g-1a), and Devin Kaplan (1g-2a) led Team USA in points.

Up Next
Elmira's regular season begins on Friday, February 19, when the Soaring Eagles host Nazareth to kick-off UCHC action at the Murray Athletic Center. The opening puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.