AMHERST, MASS. – Emily Lenzen ’24 scored at the 9:51 mark of overtime to send the Elmira College women’s ice hockey program back to the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Semifinals as the Soaring Eagles defeated the Amherst College Mammoths 2-1 on Saturday from Orr Rink.
The Purple & Gold return to the semifinals for the second time in three seasons as EC will face a familiar foe in Middlebury College on Friday, March 15th in the first of two semifinal contests with the puck drop scheduled for 4:00 P.M. Eastern.
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: No. 14 Elmira 2, No. 5 Amherst 1 (OT)
LOCATION: Amherst, Massachusetts | Orr Rink
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (22-7-1), Amherst (21-4-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Soaring Eagles would be unable to get things going offensively in the first period as Amherst would have the benefit of four power-play opportunities that would generate a total of eight shots on goal.
- Elmira did have one power-play opportunity in the first period at the 15:27 mark of the frame as the Soaring Eagles would record a pair of shots on goal. The opening 20 minutes of action would end with a scoreless draw on the scoreboard.
- Skating 5-on-5 in the second period of action, the Purple & Gold would net the first goal of the contest as Emma Bradbury ’26 found the back of the net after gathering a loose puck at the 13:17 mark. Anna Lugge ’27 and Emily Lenzen ’24 would be credited with the assists as the initial pressure was applied by Lugge.
- Amherst finally cashed in with the extra skater in the third period as Alyssa Xu beat Elmira goalkeeper Chloe Beaubien ’23 at the 13:09 mark to knot the score 1-1 and eventually send the contest to overtime.
- After some rushes would come up empty at both ends of the ice, Lugge would find Lenzen open at the top of the slot as Lenzen let a shot loose that would elude the goalkeeper to give the Purple & Gold a 2-1 victory.
- Beaubien stopped 43-of-44 shots in the contest for Elmira, including 15 in the first period and seven in the overtime session. Natalie Stott recorded 29 saves on 31 shots faced between the pipes for Amherst. The Mammoths finished the contest 1-for-6 on the power play, while Elmira went 0-for-2 with the extra skater.
UP NEXT: The Soaring Eagles head to River Falls, Wisconsin next Friday for the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Semifinals as UW-River Falls earned the right to host after winning its quarterfinal contest against Gustavus Adolphus. Adrian and Middlebury complete the semifinalists that will head to River Falls.
