PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – The William Smith College ice hockey team dropped an ECAC West Conference game to #3/2 Elmira 5-2 in the MAC Ice Arena this afternoon.
Elmira (18-3-1, 13-2-0) jumped out to a 1-0 lead 78 seconds into the game, when Maddie Evangelous scorerd her first goal of the game. She collected a loose puck and wristed home a shot from the slot. Maddy Jerolman was credited with an assist on the play. Midway through the period, Evangelous forced a turnover in the offensive zone and wristed another shot past Maggie Salmon to put the Soaring Eagles up 2-0. Jerolman and Louisa Lippiatt Durnell had assists on the play.
William Smith (8-12-2, 3-10-2) had its scoring opportunities in the period. First-year Maura Mulligan snapped a shot from inside the right faceoff circle that Kyle Nelson, the Elmira goalie, got her glove on at the last second. Fellow first-year Stephanie Hampton had a shot from inside the left faceoff circle turned aside by Nelson’s blocker.
After allowing the second goal of the period, Salmon settled down between the pipes. Late in the period, she made a couple of point blank saves to keep it a two-goal game. In the closing seconds, she made a sprawling save, moving from right to left across the crease and flashing leather to stop a Soaring Eagle shot.
At 3:34 of the second period, McKenna Farole collected a rebound off the post and beat Salmon with a snap shot from the point. Forty-three seconds later Olivia Nystrom fired a shot from a tough angle that deflected off of a skate in front and into the goal behind Salmon.
The Herons got on the board at 7:13 of the second period when sophomoreKrista Federow pocketed her 11th goal of the season. She redirected a shot in front of the net past Nelson. Mulligan and Hampton were credited with assists. The goal extended her scoring streak to six games.
Kristin Chivers tacked on a goal midway through the second to make it 5-1 Elmira. Her shot picked the top corner of the net, beating Salmon glove side. Farole and Sarah Hughson were credited with assists on the goal.
Late in the period, sophomore Hedi Drost fired a slap shot from the point that rang off the post and bounced harmlessly to the boards.
The Herons struck again in the third period for a power-play goal when Federow scored he career-best 12th goal of the season from inside the hash marks. Mulligan and Hampton were credited with assists on the goal. Mulligan went hard into the corner and dug the puck away from a defender. She fed a pass to Hampton who one-touched the puck to Federow. Federow now has a career-high 21 points this season.
Salmon started in goal for William Smith and made 27 saves in 38:50 of action. Sophomore Laurel Brown came in for the final 21:10 of the game and stopped all 14 shots she faced. At the other end of the rink, Nelson made 13 saves in 60 minutes of action for Elmira.
The Herons converted on their lone power play opportunity of the contest, while Elmira came away empty on its lone opportunity.
William Smith and Elmira will square off again tomorrow afternoon at the Cooler. Faceoff in Geneva, N.Y. is scheduled for 4 p.m.
