PINE VALLEY, N.Y. — In the second game of a home-and-home series, the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team earned a hard-fought 4-2 victory over visiting Utica College on Saturday evening at the Murray Athletic Center. With the win, the Soaring Eagles (5-0-0, 5-0-0 UCHC) completed the regular season series sweep of the Pioneers (3-5-0, 2-4-0 UCHC).
For the second consecutive night, the Elmira women more than doubled Utica in the shots department, 38-15. Both squads were whistled for five penalties, resulting in five power-play chances for each of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) rivals. The Pioneers went 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Soaring Eagles logged one goal on five tries.
Mary McCafferty ’22 and Madi Morton ’24 paced the Purple and Gold’s offense with two points apiece. McCafferty (1g-1a) scored the go-ahead goal for EC and assisted on the team’s lone power-play goal. Morton netted tonight’s game-winning goal and was credited with an assist on McCafferty’s tally.
Jenny Heath ’22 (0g-1a), Tristen Tolan ’21 (1g-0a), Devyn Gilman ’21 (0g-1a) and Brooke McArdle ’22 (1g-0a) added one point each. Tolan and McArdle scored one goal apiece. McArdle’s came unassisted in the first period, while Tolan produced EC’s lone power-play goal of the night.
Elizabeth Hanson ’21 got the start in net for the Soaring Eagles. She amassed 13 saves in 59:57 of action between the pipes to improve to 5-0-0 on the year.
Utica’s Erica Sloan opened the game with a power-play goal at 11:41 of the first period. However, McArdle potted an unassisted goal less than four minutes later at 15:11 to level the contest. McArdle’s goal sent the Soaring Eagles into the first intermission deadlocked with the Pioneers, 1-1.
Momentum swung in Elmira’s favor in the first minute of the second period, as the Purple and Gold scored twice in a 45-second span. McCafferty opened the period with an even-strength goal just 14 seconds in, which was followed by a goal from Morton at 0:59.
Special teams helped the Pioneers claw their way back into the game in the second stanza. Following a hooking call against Elmira, Carolyn Whitney scored with 13 seconds left on the power play to bring the visitors to within one score, 3-2.
EC built itself a two-goal cushion at 7:36 of the third period thanks to a power-play tally from Tolan. Tolan’s power-play goal was registered on EC’s fourth power-play opportunity of the game and was assisted by McCafferty and Heath.
From there, Elmira held the Utica offense scoreless to secure the league victory.
News and Notes
- Elmira swept the season series with Utica.
- EC has seven power-play goal in its last four games.
- Morton recorded the first goal of her collegiate career.
- Morton’s goal held up as the game-winner.
- Heath has produced a point in each of EC’s five games (2g-3a).
- Tolan extended her point streak (4g-3a) to four games.
- McCafferty pushed her point streak (2g-4a) to four games.
- Gilman’s point streak (1g-4a) extended to four games.
Up Next
The Elmira women are scheduled to take on the Knights of Neumann University on Friday, March 12. The opening puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m. in Aston, Pennsylvania.
(Elmira Women’s Hockey Photo)
