Box Score PINE VALLEY N.Y. -- The second-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team continued to roll through its brutal non-conference schedule when it downed No. 9 Norwich University 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena.
For the second consecutive game, the Soaring Eagles had to grind to manufacture offense against one of the nation's stingiest defenses. The first period was fairly disjointed between the two sides, with neither team able to hold much possession through the neutral zone. Elmira would generate just four shots in the opening 20 minutes, while Norwich only did one better with five in the frame.
The Soaring Eagles turned to their special teams to break the scoreless deadlock on the scoreboard and light the lamp for the first time in the contest. With Norwich's Maddie Tasha in the box for interference just 2:04 into the period, Elmira sent the nation's 10th-ranked power-play unit to work. It would take just 23 seconds to capitalize. Cycling the puck from left-to-right along the perimeter, Shannon Strawinski '19 moved the puck to Kristin Chivers '19 at the center point. The freshman blue-liner labeled the puck for Lippiatt Durnell who skated into acres of space in the right circle. She took two strides and sent a perfect wrist shot up over the shoulder of Cadets' goaltender Celeste Robert, going bar down into the cage.
With the lead, Elmira began to tilt the ice in the frame, doing an excellent job of keeping Norwich in its own zone. It was the second line that again would torment the Cadets, this time doubling the Soaring Eagles lead. Breaking out of her own zone, Lippiatt Durnell picked up the puck at her own blue-line and weaved down the left wing through the neutral zone. She swooped behind the net and wrapped a backhander that trickled across the crease. Maddy Jerolman '19 was there on the backdoor to tap it home.
Despite the two-goal lead, Norwich did not back down and would get a huge goal late in the period to get back into the game. Adelle Murphy would strip the puck in the right wing corner and carry it towards the net. The puck would slide off her blade, but right to the stick of Bryn Labbe who was unchecked in the high slot. Her shot went high over the glove of Elmira goaltender Kelcey Crawford.
The Cadets responded to the new life, posting their best period in the third. Crawford was fabulous in the final frame, making 10 of her 21 stops in the final 20 minutes to preserve the victory. Norwich would get a final chance on the power play for the final 1:13 of regulation, pulling Robert to gain a six-on-four advantage. Elmira fired several pucks toward the empty cage during the ensuing penalty kill, never allowing the Cadets to get a clear look at goal during the advantage.
