Pine Valley, NY — The Elmira College women’s ice hockey team (3-0-0, 1-0-0 ECAC West) hosted the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland (2-3-0, 1-2-0 ECAC West) in EC’s home opener this afternoon and defeated Cortland 10-2 to earn their first ECAC West Conference win of the season.
Elmira’s Ashley Ryan ’15 entered this afternoon’s contest needing just one point to become the newest member of EC’s 100-point club. The Rochester, NY native not only reached the 100-point plateau, becoming the ninth player in EC history to do so, but exceeded it by five as she totaled six points today, all coming on assists. She would have a hand in five of Elmira’s first six goals.
Ryan’s six assists ties the Elmira College single-game assists record, a mark that had not be reached in 12 seasons. Ryan joins former standouts Charissa Gawant ’05 and Laura Hurd ’05 as the only three players with six assists in a single-game. Gawant was the most recent player, until today, to accomplish the feat when she assisted on six goals in a 14-1 win against Neumann University during the 2002-03 season.
Not to be outdone by Ryan’s efforts today was Ashton Hogan ’15 who registered the second hat-trick of her four year career. Hogan scored Elmira’s first, fourth, and sixth goals. Her first score of the game was assisted by Brooke Wilgosh’15 and Ryan, giving Ryan her 100th career point.
Ryan and Hogan’s efforts today were undeniably great but what should not get overlooked today is the play of Wilgosh. The second-year captain was just one assist shy of joining Ryan, Gawant, and Hurd as EC’s single-game assists leader as she logged a career-high five assists.
Elmira’s scoring started early as Hogan netted her first of three goals just 3:56 into the first period. Her goal was assisted by Wilgosh and Ryan, who combined for 11 assists today. Less than four minutes later, Erin Weston ’15 put the Soaring Eagles ahead 2-0. McKenna Farole ’16 created the opportunity as her initial shot was saved but the rebound bounced out to Weston who would backhand the shot in for a goal.
Less than a minute and a half later, Cassidy Delainey ’15 knocked-in her third goal of the season on a power play opportunity, a goal that would eventually go into the books as the game-winner. Weston and Ryan would both be credited with assists on the play as Elmira carried a three-goal lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, Elmira looked to keep the pressure on and did just that as they outscored Cortland 4-1 in the period. Hogan got things started as she scored her second goal of the contest just3:18 into the second period. Wilgosh and Delainey picked up assists on the goal.
Elmira newcomer, Rachel Grampp ’18, got into the action at the 4:32 mark as her blast from the blue line found its way through traffic for a goal to put the Soaring Eagles ahead, 5-0. Ryan would again be credited with an assist.
Cortland responded a little over a minute later with a power play goal but EC would score two unanswered goals in the period to take a commanding 7-1 lead into the final intermission. Hogan and Phoebe Piku ’16 scored goals for Elmira while Ryan, Wilgosh, and Anna Tude ’17 picked up assists.
In the third period, Elmira would again hold the advantage in the goals department as they never took their foot off the gas pedal, outscoring the Red Dragons 3-1 in the final period.
Scoring goals in the third for the Purple and Gold were Olivia Nystrom ’16, Louisa Lippiatt Durnell ’18, and Kyra McDonald ’18. Nystrom’s goal was scored short-handed, the first short-handed goal of the season for Elmira as well as the first in Nystrom’s career. For Durnell and McDonald, today’s goals mark their firsts as Soaring Eagles.
Getting the start in net today for Elmira was Kierra Pietramala ’17 who stopped 20 shots en route to her second win of the season. She is now 2-0-0 on the 2014-15 season.
Aside from the incredible efforts on the ice, today’s game was also very special as the Soaring Eagles put aside their purple and gold uniforms and donned white and pink ones for EC’s Pink the Rink game, an event that is used to help raise awareness about breast cancer as well as raise money to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Elmira will look to pick up another ECAC West win tomorrow as the Soaring Eagles host SUNY Cortland for another conference game at 3:00 p.m. at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena in Pine Valley, NY.
