PINE VALLEY, N.Y. — It was a special night to say the least for the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team, not only for the 2016-17 edition of the Purple and Gold, but also for the 30-plus alumnae that made their way back to the Murray Athletic Center to participate in the Laura Hurd Memorial Weekend. Elmira honored the late great Laura Hurd ’05 prior to today’s game with a ceremonial puck drop, performed by Laura’s mother Jen and brother Steven, who were also joined on ice by Laura’s former teammates and coach Paul Nemetz-Carlson.
Elmira dazzled in front of the former members of the women’s ice hockey program and treated its alumnae to a dominant 7-1 victory over visiting Chatham University. It marked the second consecutive game Elmira has put a seven-spot on the board, as the Purple and Gold remained unbeaten on the year with a perfect 3-0-0 overall record.
The first period of action was scoring frenzy for the Soaring Eagles, who struck for four goals in the opening stanza. Elmira’s first three goals came in a 3:10 stretch, with the final of the three tallies being scored at the 8:35 mark.
Second-year blueliner Meg Lahey ’19 opened the scoring 5:25 into the first period on a delayed penalty. After receiving a cross-ice pass from rookie defender Kiana Melvin ’20, Lahey ripped a shot from just inside the blue line that weaved its way through traffic and bulged the back of the net for the game-opening score.
The delayed penalty put the Soaring Eagles on the power play, one that EC connected on for the second goal of the game. The scoring play began with Lahey, who dumped a pass along the left-side boards to captain Anna Tude ’17. Tude threaded a pass between a pair of Cougar penalty killers to Kristin Chivers ’19 at the point, where she snapped a wrister that beat the Chatham goaltender through the five-hole for the goal at the 7:04 mark.
Only 42 seconds would pass before the Cougars were whistled for another penalty, putting Elmira’s No. 1 nationally-ranked power-play unit back on the ice. Elmira delivered with the extra skater 59 seconds into the power play on a goal by Maddy Jerolman ’19.
Maddie Evangelous ’19 began the scoring play by carrying the puck behind the Chatham cage, before dumping it off to Louisa Lippiatt Durnell ’18 just inside the right faceoff circle. From there, Lippiatt Durnell whipped the puck into the slot and found Jerolman on the weak side unmarked. Jerolman one-timed the pass into the open net to give Elmira a comfortable 3-0 lead with 11:25 to play in the first period.
Elmira’s first-period scoring continued with a goal by captain Jessica Prance ’17 at the 16:00 minute mark. Melvin began the play in EC’s defensive zone with a breakout pass to Meghan Fonfara ’18, who carried the puck from the neutral zone all the way into the high slot. Fonfara snapped a shot on target, but her attempt caromed off the pipe. However, Prance was there to clean up the miss, as the Chaumont, New York, native routinely passed the puck into the open net for the score.
Despite a sizeable 4-0 lead, Elmira remained relentless on the forecheck, creating chance-after-chance. The offensive assault yielded a pair of goals in the second stanza, one at 7:29 and another later in the period at 17:11.
Elmira’s fifth goal began in its defensive zone, as Chivers fluttered a high pass over a handful of players through the neutral zone to Shannon Strawinski ’19 at the Chatham blue line. Strawinski gathered the puck and carried it into the slot before sending a low shot off the pads of the Chatham goalie. Although the initial shot was saved, the rebound squeaked out to the weak side where Ari Smith ’18 crashed the net and punched in her first goal of the season.
Evangelous would tally Elmira’s sixth goal of the night at the 17:11 mark, giving EC a six-goal cushion. Following a missed shot by Johanna Eidensten ’17, Evangelous found herself with the puck just outside the crease with the Chatham goalie out of position. The second-year forward lifted the puck past the goalie with the backside of her blade for the tally. Jerolman would also be credited with an assist on the Evangelous goal.
Chatham was finally able to get on the board with 32 seconds remaining in the second period, as Kirajean Frost scored her first of the season on the power play. However, the Frost goal was a mere consolation, as the Soaring Eagles struck for their seventh and final goal with 1:13 remaining the third period.
Fonfara scored Elmira’s final goal of the night on the power play, EC’s third extra-skater goal of the evening, to give the Soaring Eagles a 7-1 victory. Chivers and Lahey were credited with assists on the goal, as an initial shot by Lahey was tipped-in by Fonfara for the score.
Turning Point
Once again, Elmira’s first-period offense was key in tonight’s win. The Soaring Eagles struck for four goals in the opening period, two of which were scored on the power play. Elmira entered the night with three first-period goals on the season.
Inside the Box Score
Elmira outshot Chatham 57-13.
EC went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Chatham was 1-for-4.
12 different Soaring Eagles registered at least one point tonight.
Six EC skaters finished with two or more points.
Seven different players scored goals for Elmira.
Lahey and Chivers shared the team lead with three points apiece.
Evangelous, Melvin, Jerolman and Fonfara ended the game with two points each.
Tude, Smith, Strawinski, Eidensten, Lippiatt Durnell and Prance all finished with one point.
Kyle Nelson ’17 picked up her third win of the season with 12 saves.
News and Notes
Elmira honored former Soaring Eagle, Laura Hurd ’05, with a pre-game ceremonial puck drop.
Today’s game was the first of EC’s Laura Hurd Memorial Weekend games.
Elmira improved to 3-0-0 on the year.
Elmira’s power play unit ranks No. 1 in the country after tonight’s game (41.2%).
EC’s fourth goal of the game was scored with exactly four minutes remaining in the first period; Laura Hurd’s number during her playing career was No. 4.
Six of Elmira’s seven goal scorers produced their first tally of the season.
Lahey’s three-point total was a career high and matched her entire scoring output from a season ago.
Lippiatt Durnell produced her team-leading fourth assist of the season.
Fonfara scored her team-leading third goal of the year.
Up Next
Elmira wraps up its season series with Chatham tomorrow afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles host the Cougars at 3:00 p.m. at the Murray Athletic Center.
