REISTERSTOWN, Md. — The Elmira College men’s ice hockey team skated to a 2-2 overtime draw in Friday night’s United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) tilt against the conference-leading and unbeaten Mustangs of Stevenson University at the Reisterstown Sportsplex.
With the tie, the Soaring Eagles earned a point in the league standings and moved into a two-way tie with Neumann University (2-3-1, 2-1-1 UCHC) for second place with five points apiece, while the Mustangs improved to 4-0-1 against UCHC opposition.
EC and Stevenson were able to gain a one-goal lead, but on both occasions the opposing offense quickly responded to even the score. The game’s first goal was deposited by Mustang senior defenseman Doug Rose at the 14:26 mark of the opening period. However, the Soaring Eagles needed a mere 18 seconds to draw the game even at 1-all. Nick Ford ’20 put the Soaring Eagles on the board with his team-leading eighth goal of the season, with assists by classmates Connor Powell ’20 and Matthew Cuce ’20, to send the two sides into the locker room deadlocked at the first intermission.
The Purple and Gold would then take a 2-1 lead of their own with a second consecutive goal at almost the identical time in the second period. At the 14:50 mark of the second stanza, Cuce logged another assist by feeding Blake O’Neill ’19 for the go-ahead score. Alas, Elmira’s lead was not long-lived, as the Mustangs leveled the score at 2-all 1:20 later on a Dominic Brenza unassisted tally.
Although the Soaring Eagles and Mustangs combined for 16 penalties, 32 minutes of infraction and a dozen power-play chances, neither team was able to produce a man-up goal. EC, which finished a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill, was fortunate to keep the hosts from scoring following a penalty for too many men on the ice late in the third period with the score still even at 2-2. Freshman goalie Gennaro Anzevino ’21, in just the second start of his collegiate career, made two of his 32 saves during that two-minute penalty. Anzevino made one more in overtime to preserve the tie.
News and Notes
Elmira’s overall and UCHC records remain at .500 at 3-3-1 and 2-2-1, respectively.
With five points, the Soaring Eagles are tied with Neumann for second in the UCHC standings.
Although still unbeaten, the draw handed to the Mustangs by EC represents Stevenson’s first blemish on its UCHC record (4-0-1).
EC did not surrender a goal to the UCHC’s best power-play unit, as the Mustangs were 0-for-8 with an extra skater.
Ford’s goal was his team- and UCHC-leading eighth of the season.
Cuce produced two assists and is first on the team in that category with eight, which is also tied for the league lead.
Ford and Cuce are tied for the team and conference lead in point with 12 apiece.
Anzevino (1-0-1) is unbeaten through his first two starts of his debut season.
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will conclude their weekend road trip with a stop in Aston, Pennsylvania, to take on the Knights of Neumann in a battle of the UCHC’s second-place teams on Saturday, November 18. The opening puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
