PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – The Elmira College men’s ice hockey team would battle to overtime with the Thoroughbreds from Skidmore College on Saturday evening, but three unanswered goals for the Soaring Eagles would not be enough as the visitors went on to win the contest, 4-3.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first, Elmira would answer with three straight goals before the Thoroughbreds tied the contest with 3.2 seconds remaining in regulation off a faceoff score, sending the game to overtime.
From there, it would take 6:08 into overtime for the Thoroughbreds to score, finding the back of the net after a scrum in front of the net off the stick of Kaeden Patrick.
Kyle Curtin ’26 would finish the game with 45 saves for the Soaring Eagles.
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 3, Skidmore 4 (OT)
LOCATION: Pine Valley, New York | Murray Athletic Center
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (13-12-1, 10-7-1 NEHC), Skidmore (16-8-2, 9-7-2 NEHC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Soaring Eagles and the Thoroughbreds played to a physical first period, but it didn’t take long for the visitors to crack into the scoring column as Will Dow-Kenny scored just 30 seconds into regulation on an assist from Everett Wardle, putting Skidmore ahead 1-0.
Skidmore would control the faceoff circle in the first period, as the Soaring Eagles were 9-of-22 in the period, led by Chance Gorman ’24 with five circle wins. In a back-and-forth period, there were a combined five penalties assigned, with each team going 0-for-2 with a combined 16 shots. With seven minutes remaining in the period, Skidmore would score again, short-handed, off the stick of Thomas Finck to increase the visitor lead to 2-0.
Headed into the second down a pair, it would take Elmira just 59 seconds to score its first goal of the contest as NEHC goals leader, Gorman, notched his 13th goal in his last eight games on an assist from Janis Vizbelis ’24, short-handed.
From there, the Soaring Eagles would play a man down for a large portion of the second period after being sent to the box a total of four times in the frame.
After Christian Abrams ’25 was sent to the box on a boarding call with three minutes remaining, the Soaring Eagles held off the Thoroughbred offensive attack and straight from the box, Abrams was able to find himself on a breakaway, going bar-down to tie the contest at 2-2, unassisted.
Heading into the third tied up, the first 17 minutes of the period would go scoreless with back-and-forth play before Nicholas Domitrovic ’24 used some crafty stick-work to work the puck past Skidmore goaltender Tate Brandon, putting the Soaring Eagles ahead 3-2 with just over three minutes remaining. With the Thoroughbreds forced to pull the goaltender, the visitors would call a timeout with 6 seconds left before a faceoff in its offensive zone. After winning the faceoff, the Thoroughbred would bury the game-tying goal with 3.2 seconds remaining in regulation off the stick of Matthew Monk, sending the game to overtime.
From there, it would take 6:08 into overtime for the Thoroughbreds to score, finding the back of the net after a scrum in front of the net off the stick of Kaeden Patrick.
