PINE VALLEY, N.Y.—The Elmira College men’s hockey team advanced to the ECAC West championship with a 5-3 win over Hobart College in a tournament semifinal game played tonight at the Murray Athletic Center. The Statesmen finished the year with a 14-9-4 overall record.
Seven different Statesmen earned a point in the game that included a total of 23 penalties. Junior Ryan Michel (Camillus, N.Y.) led Hobart with a goal and an assist. Sophomore Lino Chimienti (Montreal, Quebec) played 59:14 in goal and finished with 30 saves. It was the fourth meeting between the Statesmen and the Soaring Eagles this year. Hobart topped Elmira twice in Pine Valley in overtime last weekend. The season series now stands a 2-2-0.
The Soaring Eagles scored three third period goals, tying the game up at 3-3, taking the lead and adding an empty net goal for the final. Brian Depp logged three goals for Elmira. Jesper Strale and Josh Burnell added two assists. Ryan de Melo played all 60 minutes in goal and made 38 saves.
The Soaring Eagles scored first 11:58 in. In a flurry of action in front of the goal, Depp pushed a shot across the line from right out in front. At 4:05 into the second, Jarryd ten Vaanholt gave Elmira a 2-0 advantage off passes from Greg Whittle and Burnell.
Hobart controlled the remainder of the second period, scoring three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead. First-year Jon Neal (Encinitas, Calif.) put the Statesmen on the board at 4:38 off a feed from junior Tommaso Traversa (Torino, Italy). With6:59 left in the middle period, Michel tied the game up at 2-2 with a power-play goal off quick passes from juniors Brad McBride (Lone Tree, Colo.) and Robert Sovik (Prague, Czech Republic). Just over two minutes later, first-year Mitch Beyer (Clifton Park, N.Y.) gave Hobart the lead on another power-play tally after passes from first-year Carl Belizario (Dorval, Quebec) and Michel.
Rob Simpson tied the game up at 3-3 just 2:22 into the third period. It wasn’t until 6:24 left in the third that Depp put the Soaring Eagles back on top. With just under six minutes left in the game, Hobart came inches away from trying things up again, but the Statesmen rattled a shot off the left post. Hobart pulled Chimienti with just over a minute left in regulation, but took a penalty shortly after. The Statesmen went 5-on-5 with the extra skater, but could not get the game-tying goal. Instead Depp logged an empty net goal for the final.
The Statesmen finished with a 41-25 advantage in shots. Hobart went 2-for-7 on the power play, while Elmira went 2-for-6.
Senior captain Tommy Fioretino (New Hartford, N.Y.) played in 102 career games in his four-year career on the Hobart hockey team. He posted 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 career points. Fiorentino, along with his classmates Brett Riley, Tom Rush and Keith Clarke, helped the Statesmen to a 64-34-9 four-year record.
The Soaring Eagles advance to the ECAC West tournament championship, where they will face the winner of the No. 1 seed Utica versus the No. 4 seed Manhattanville semifinal, which will be played tomorrow in Utica, N.Y.
