PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – Claire Meeder '23 netted a game-tying goal with nine seconds left in the second period and MK Boyle '26 tallied her first collegiate goal late in the third period to rally the No. 4 Elmira College women's ice hockey program past Utica University on Friday night at the Murray Athletic Center.

First-year head coach Jake Bobrowski earned his first victory guiding the Purple & Gold and his first as a head coach in the collegiate ranks.
 
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 3, Utica 2
LOCATION: Pine Valley, NY | Murray Athletic Center
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (1-0-0, 0-0-0 NEHC), Utica (0-1-0, 0-0-0 UCHC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Soaring Eagles opened the contest with plenty of good looks working in the offensive zone against the Pioneers and would eventually draw a power play early in the first period. The Purple & Gold would take advantage of the extra skater as Morgan Mordini '22 found the back of the net at the 3:47 mark to make it 1-0. Katie Manning '25 and Meeder each helped to set up the play and were credited with assists on Mordini's 33rd career goal.

Utica would make the most of its limited opportunities in the opening frame as the Pioneers would score on consecutive shots to take a 2-1 advantage midway through the period. The Pioneers would knot the score 1-1 at the 7:34 mark as a shot would elude Elmira goalkeeper Leonie-Louise Kuehberger '25. Utica took its lone lead of the contest at the 13:19 mark as a shot from inside the slot beat Kuehberger to the post to make it 2-1.

Elmira would pepper the Utica cage early in the second period as the Soaring Eagles looked to knot the score but would be unable to beat Pioneers netminder Angela Hawthorne. Hawthorne would turn away 11 shots in the frame to keep the Pioneers in front on the scoreboard until Meeder buried a loose puck into the back of the net with nine seconds left on the clock to knot the score 2-2. Emma Bradbury '26 took the initial shot for Elmira and would be credited with her first collegiate assist.

The Purple & Gold's offense would continue to run in search of a go-ahead tally in the third period. With just under two and a half minutes left in regulation, the 2-2 tie would be broken as Boyle collected a loose puck in the offensive zone and beat Hawthorne to the short side to give Elmira a 3-2 lead. Elmira would fight off a late penalty as Utica pulled its goalkeeper for a 6-on-4 advantage over the final 1:38 of action.

Kuehberger turned away eight shots that she faced in the third period for Elmira and finished the contest with 16 saves to secure the victory and improve to 1-0 on the season. Meeder finished with two points (1G, 1A) and recorded a game-high nine shots for the Purple & Gold. She also went 20-for-33 in the faceoff circle for the Soaring Eagles.

UP NEXT:
The Purple & Gold hit the road to open New England Hockey Conference action next weekend with matchups against Southern Maine (Nov. 4) and Salem State (Nov. 5). Elmira returns to the Murray Athletic Center on November 11 to host William Smith College at 6:00 P.M.