PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- Senior captain Adam Eby '21 scored two improbable goals in the third period of the 2021 regular-season opener on Friday night to lift the Elmira College men's ice hockey team to a 3-1 win over Stevenson University.

Eby (2g-1a), known more for his contributions behind the blue line than his two-way talents, had a hand in all three goals for the Soaring Eagles (1-0-0). Entering Friday's non-league matchup, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native possessed just one goal in 68 collegiate appearances and had logged only one multi-point game as a freshman. While his two tallies against the Mustangs were likely as much of a surprise to him as they were the rest of his teammates, they provided a much-needed spark for a Purple and Gold squad looking to replace its top-nine point-getters from 2019-20.

Elmira and Stevenson (2-1-0) entered the third period locked in a 1-1 stalemate after the two sides traded goals 38 seconds apart midway through the opening frame. After over 36 minutes of scoreless action, Eby broke the tie with a soft saucer from just inside the blue line near the left-wing boards. Although the shot had little velocity, Stevenson goalie Marko Sturma was screened by his own defenseman, giving the puck enough room to squeeze over his left shoulder.

Down by one, the Mustangs had a golden opportunity to even the score with 1:41 remaining in regulation, when first-year defender Jordan Gonzalez '24 was sent to the penalty box for a hooking minor. Stevenson head coach Dominick Dawes pulled his goalie to set up a 6-on-4 situation with a faceoff in the Elmira zone, but that plan quickly backfired when Graham Denomme '23 won the draw. Denomme fed the puck behind him to Eby, who fired a shot from goal line to goal line with a precision shot that traveled the entire length of the ice.

Eby, senior netminder Chris Janzen '21, and the rest of the Elmira defense did a noteworthy job limiting Stevenson to one score. The Mustangs not only finished the game with a 28-to-20 lead in shots on goal, but they were held 0-for-7 on the power play. Janzen was the winning goalie of record with 27 saves in 59:57 between the pipes.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Aaron Saul '98 on winning the regular-season opener after a year-long layoff due to COVID-19…
"It feels good to be back on the ice. Our players deserved this today. The win was great, but we are thankful to have the opportunity to play."

Coach Saul on Eby's breakout offensive performance…
"It's great to see a player who does it the right way every day and lead by example in every way have a career day."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 1-0-0 with the win, while Stevenson fell to 2-1-0.
• Eby's three points and two goals both marked single-game career highs.
• Second-year forward Jake Russo '23 recorded two assists, also a career-best.
• Freshman Janis Vizbelis '24 scored his first collegiate goal to spark Elmira's run of three unanswered goals.
• In addition to Vizbellis and Gonzalez, freshmen Daniel Dimon '24, Ryan Reifler '24, Shawn Kennedy '24, Bailey Krawczyk '24, Amedeo Mastrangeli '24, Jared Smith '24, Shane Haviland '24, and Chance Gorman '24 made their collegiate debuts.
• Janzen improved to 12-5-0 as a Soaring Eagle with the win in goal.

Up Next
Elmira and Stevenson will conclude their home-and-home series on Saturday, February 20, when the Soaring Eagles visit the Reisterstown Sportsplex in Reisterstown, Maryland, at 5:00 p.m.