BUFFALO, NY— Buffalo State (9-9-2/7-6-0) gave the No. 1-ranked team in the country all it could handle, but ultimately fell just short as Elmira (18-1-1/13-0-0) remained undefeated in ECAC West play with a 2-1 victory today at the Ice Arena.
Elmira opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal midway through the opening period when Ashley Ryan stole the puck from the Bengals’ defenseman and buried a breakaway over the glove of Justine Silva (El Monte, CA/Arroyo). The Bengals had their best chance to even the score in the final minute of the period when the puck bounced onto the stick of Kara Goodwin (Avon Lake, OH/Avon Lake) alone in front of the net, but her wrist shot was turn aside by the quick glove of Kyle Nelson.
The Soaring Eagles started to control play early in the middle frame, but after the Bengals successfully killed off three-consecutive penalties that yielded a pair of 5-on-3 opportunities, Buffalo State carried play for the final few minutes, keeping the deficit at just one entering the third period.
The Bengals evened the score just 2:41 into the third when Jeyna Minnick (Rochester, NY/Greece-Arcadia) deflected a point shot from Viivi Vaattovaara (Veikkola, Finland) for her fourth goal of the season. Elmira thought it regained the lead with just over seven minutes remaining, but the puck was kicked into the goal. The Soaring Eagles netted one that counted just minutes later, however, and held on for the one-goal victory.
Buffalo State limited the highest scoring team in the nation to just two goals, thanks in part to 27 saves by Silva. Elmira finished with a 29-15 advantage in shots on goal.
The Bengals and Soaring Eagles will complete the second half of the home-and-home series in Elmira tomorrow at 3 p.m.
