Elmira Over Potsdam

The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (2-5-1, 2-5-1 ECAC
West) grabbed an early lead against fourth-ranked Elmira College (7-1-1,
5-0), but couldn’t hold off the Soaring Eagles, falling 5-1. Elmira senior
captain Alex Bresler (Golden, Colo./Colorado Select) scored two goals.
The first few minutes of the period were wide open with neither team
controlling the play. Potsdam got on the board at the 3:00 mark as senior
captain Annmarie Lewis (Newmarket, Ontario/Aurora Panthers) poked home a
loose puck in the crease. Sophomore forward Jenn Crawford (Burlington,
Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres) and freshman forward Izzy Fayerman (Calgary,
Alberta/The Edge) both assisted on the goal. The Bears found themselves on
the penalty kill for a good portion of the remainder of the period.
However, Potsdam junior goalkeeper Jen Conophy (Glenmont, N.Y./Albany Ice
Cats) stood tall, stopping all 19 shots she faced in the first period.

The Soaring Eagles evened the score just 1:55 into the second period as
Bresler buried a rebound with an assist from freshman forward Ashley Ryan
(North Chili, N.Y./Rochester Edge). The Bears were forced to kill two more
penalties and Elmira gained momentum. With just 35 second remaining in the
period Eagle freshman forward Erin Weston (Ajax, Ontario/Etobicoke
Dolphins) took control of a loose puck in front and gave Elmira a 2-1
lead. Sophomore defenseman Ella Stewart (Mississauga, Ontario/Notre Dame
Hounds) and senior forward Lindsay Mitchell (Arnold, Md./North American
Hockey Academy) each recorded assists on the play.

Elmira took control of the game in the third period. Bresler and Mitchell
each scored in the first eight minutes. Again the Bears battled penalties
and the Soaring Eagles finally made them pay on the man-advantage. With
5:05 remaining, Stewart capped the scoring with a power-play marker.
Conopy finished with 36 saves, while Elmira sophomore goalie Lisa Marshall
(Powhatan, Va./Wayne State) stopped 17 shots for the victory. The Bears
were 0-2 on the power play and the Soaring Eagles finished 1-8.

“For two periods of hockey, we couldn’t have played any better than we
did,” Said Potsdam Head Coach Jay Green. “We had good execution and good
effort, but penalties were starting to tire us. In the third period we had
some people take some foolish penalties and with 12 players we can’t be in
the box all night.”