PINE VALLEY, N.Y. — The third-ranked Elmira College women’s ice hockey team continued to impress through the early stages of the 2016-17 season with a one-sided 8-0 victory over visiting Chatham University. Elmira saw 11 of its skaters log points in today’s contest, including Katie Grantao ’19, who led the Purple and Gold with a game-high three points on two goals and one assist.
First-period scoring for the Soaring Eagles continued to be a theme this afternoon, as the Elmira women struck for a pair of tallies in the opening 20 minutes. The scoring began with captain Johanna Eidensten ’17, who went bar-down for her first goal of the season, unassisted, just 4:23 into opening frame.
Meg Lahey made it 2-0 at the 17:26 mark, on a beautifully crafted play in Chatham’s offensive zone. The play began with a Louisa Lippiatt Durnell ’18 cross-ice pass through the slot to Lahey on the far post, where she one-timed it into the net for the score.
Elmira continued to spread the wealth on offense with another pair of goals by Meghan Fonfara ’18 and Granato in the second period.
Fonfara scored unassisted at the 5:48 mark, as she beat Chatham’s Tara Riley through the five-hole for the goal. Granato’s score came at 10:28 on a one-on-none rush, as the second-year forward beat Chatham’s netminder stick-side for the goal. Rookie Tiia Hertto ’20 and Kristin Chivers ’19 were credited with assists on the Granato goal.
Elmira doubled its 4-0 lead in the third period with a flurry of goals in the opening seven minutes, while holding the Cougars scoreless for the final 20 minutes of regulation, which secured a lopsided 8-0 win for the Soaring Eagles.
Maddy Jerolman ’19 kick-started Elmira’s offense in the third period by scoring back-to-back goals in a 43-second span, tallying at the 2:34 and 3:17 marks. The first of her two goals came on the power play, Elmira’s first extra-skater goal of the afternoon.
Jerolman’s power-play goal was set up by some sleek in-zone passing by the Soaring Eagles, starting with her classmate Maddie Evangelous ’19. Evangelous drew a handful of defenders behind the Chatham cage, before sending a pass to Lippiatt Durnell in the right faceoff circle. From there, Lippiatt Durnell found Jerolman in the high slot, where she sniped a high-rising shot past a screened Chatham goalie for the score.
The second Jerolman goal was also created by Evangelous, who intercepted a Chatham clear in the defensive zone, before beating a pair of Cougar defenders on her way to the cage. Evangelous carried the puck into the lower right slot and drew the Chatham netminder off of her line, before whipping a pass to Jerolman on the weak-side for the score.
Less than two minutes later, Granato scored her second of the game, unassisted, to put Elmira up 7-0. Following a Chatham turnover in EC’s defensive zone, Granato carried the puck nearly the full sheet of ice and beat a trio of defenders, before deking the Cougar netminder for the goal.
Elmira’s final goal of the game came at the 6:46 mark on a good hustle play by Ari Smith ’18, who scored her second goal in as many days. Sarah Hughson ’18 began the scoring play with a nice feed into the slot to Granato, who would put a low shot on the pads of Riley. However, Riley was unable to cover the puck, as Smith charged the net and punched-in the loose puck for the score.
Turning Point
Elmira’s relentless effort on offense was a key factor in today’s contest, as the Soaring Eagles outshot the Cougars 58-to-9. EC had at least 17 shots in each of the three periods, including a game-high 23 attempts in the final 20 minutes of regulation, a period that the Purple and Gold struck for four goals.
Inside the Box Score
Elmira held a lopsided 58-to-9 advantage in shots.
The Soaring Eagles went 2-for-5 on the power play.
Chatham was held scoreless with the extra skater, going 0-for-2 on the power play.
Granato led the way with a game-high three points on two goals and one assist.
Jerolman finished with two points on two goals.
Evangelous and Lippiatt Durnell also finished with two points apiece on a pair of helpers.
Smith, Chivers, Eidensten, Hertto, Fonfara, Lahey and Hughson all logged one point.
Kelcey Crawford ’18 made nine saves in her first win of the 2016-17 season.
News and Notes
Elmira improved to 4-0-0 on the year, with an identical mark in conference play.
Elmira’s eight-goal total is a season high.
EC has averaged 7.33 goals per game in the team’s last three contests.
Elmira’s eight-goal win is the team’s largest margin of victory since last season’s 8-0 win over Neumann.
The Soaring Eagles secured their second shutout of the season.
Elmira has scored nine power-play goals in its last three games.
11 Soaring Eagles registered points in today’s contest.
Four EC skaters logged two or more points.
Granato produced the first multi-goal game of her EC career.
Granato’s three points tied her career high.
Up Next
Elmira continues ECAC West play next weekend with a pair of road games against Buffalo State. The first of the two matchups is set for Friday, November 18th, at 4:00 p.m. in Buffalo, New York.
