The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team had a first period it would have
rather have done without, as a slow start cost the Bears in an 8-3 ECAC
West conference loss to No. 4 Elmira College on Friday night at Maxcy
Hall.
The Soaring Eagles (3-1-1 overall, 3-0 ECAC West) came out firing and
charged to a 4-0 lead on goals from Brooke Wilgosh, Erin Weston, Ashley
Ryan and Johanna Eidensten to enter the first intermission. It’s a lead
that it would not relinquish.
Elmira, the defending Division III women’s hockey champions and a team
that had received 94 points in the latest USCHO.com poll, controlled the
pace from the outset. The Soaring Eagles held a 47-19 shots on goal
advantage.
But the Bears (2-2-1 overall, 1-2-1 ECAC West) showed plenty of grit as
coach Jay Green’s squad scored three of the game’s final five goals.
Senior forward Jessica Silveira (Brampton, Ontario / Brampton Thunder)
struck for the first Potsdam goal at 14:21 in the second period on a slap
shot just in front of the blue line.
It was Silveira’s first goal of the season and 25th of her career.
Freshman Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y. / Rochester Edge) assisted.
After an Elmira goal by Ashton Hogan in the opening minute of the third
period, Potsdam answered back with two goals by assistant captain Jenn
Crawford (Burlington, Ontario / Stoney Creek Sabres) in the span of just
one minute and 26 seconds.
It marked the senior forward’s first points of the season and 22nd and
23rd goals of her career.
The first of Crawford’s goals came on a power play and was assisted by
Brittany Lucky (Kanata, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) and Silveira. The
Bears were 1-for-4 on power play opportunities. Lucky has now registered
at least one assist in four of five games and have a total of seven for
the season.
Sophomore goal tender Alexane Rodrigue (Monkland, Ontario / Bemidji State)
played the full game and made 39 saves. She dropped to 2-2-1 on the year.
