Box Score Box Score

PINE VALLEY, N.Y.—The fourth seeded Hobart hockey team rallied to scored two goals in the final period, but fell 5-2 to top-seeded Elmira in an ECAC West Tournament semifinal game played in Elmira's Murray Athletics Center. The Statesmen are now 15-10-2.

The Soaring Eagles (16-6-4) advance to the championship game and will take on the winner of the Utica-Neumann semifinal. Elmira jumped out to a 1-0 lead just two minutes, two seconds into the first period. Jasper Strale deflected a shot past sophomore goaltender Nick Broadwater. Broadwater stopped 34 shots in 58 minutes, 6 seconds of action. Tyler Campbell and Colin Hoey earned the assists. Hobart then killed off three straight penalties to wrap up the opening period.

Elmira scored three more goals in the second period. The Soaring Eagles took a two-goal lead 3:15 into the second period. Rick Schrank came out of penalty box collected a pass from John Clewlow, and took advantage of a one-on-one with Broadwater. With 7:41 left, Rick Acorn capitalized on a power-play to make it 3-0 off assists from Strale and Karl Linden.

The Statesmen had a scoring chance late in the second period, when senior Christopher Bower fired a shot on goal that trickled through the Elmira goaltender Darren MacDonald's pads, but MacDonald was able to grab the puck before it crossed the goal line.

The Soaring Eagles made it 4-0 when Strale scored his second goal of the game with 3:34 left in the period. He lifted a shot into the top right corner of the goal. Linden set up the play. Darcy Vallancourt deflected a shot by Michael Kirby into the goal with 6:59 in the final period to make it 5-0.

The Statesmen rallied to score two goals in the third period. Hobart got on the scoreboard first with 9:56 left. Junior Gregory Ciciola capitalized on a power play. Sophomore Brad Richard and senior Matthew Wallace earned the assists. It was Ciciola's 11th goal this season.

With 7:47 remaining, sophomore Cam Miller made it 5-2. Miller took a pass from Bower and fired a shot just over MacDonald's shoulder and into the back of the goal. It was Miller's seventh goal this year. Hobart pulled Broadwater with 3:09 left for the extra-skater, but he returned with 1:15 on the clock after a Statesmen penalty.

Hobart held a slight 40-39 advantage in shots. The Statesmen were 1-for-4 on the power play while Elmira was 1-for-6. MacDonald finished with 38 saves for the Soaring Eagles.