Box Score Box Score

GENEVA, N.Y.—The No. 11 Elmira men's hockey team scored six straight goals to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the second period, and hung on for a 6-4 victory over Hobart College in an ECAC West game played tonight at The Cooler. The Soaring Eagles improve to 14-6-2 overall and 7-1-1 in league play, while the Statesmen slip to 11-10-1 overall and 2-6-1 in the ECAC West.

Darcy Vaillancourt and Jesper Strale each notched a goal and an assist for Elmira. Colin Hoey tallied two goals, and Christian Morissette chipped in two assists. Junior Frank Salituro led Hobart's effort with a goal and two assists.

Elmira started their scoring spree 9:46 into the first period. Morissette dropped a pass back to Strale who sent a slap shot just under the crossbar for his eighth goal of the season. At 12:30 Eric David made it 2-0 when his shot beat junior goalie Marty Ausserhofer low glove side off a bounce. Michael Kirby earned the assist. With 3:59 left in the opening period, Vaillancourt got the puck to Brendan Sanders in the corner, who fed it to Rick Acorn in the slot who was able to score on a one-timer.

The Soaring Eagles continued to control the game to start the second period. Morissette earned his second assist of the game, when he sent the puck to Hoey who found the back of the net to make it 4-0 just 1:11 in the second. At 3:45 Elmira broke out for an odd man rush after passes from John Clewlow and Kevin Willer Vaillancourt put Elmira up 5-0, picking up his second point of the game. Just 2:40 later, Hoey gave the Soaring Eagles a 6-0 lead with his second goal of the game. Strale set up the play.

At 10:46 in the second, the Statesmen finally broke through. While on the power play, first-year Terrence O'Neill sent a pass along the blue line to junior Harry Radovich. Radovich took a shot that was tipped by classmate Bobby Hannah to make it 6-1. It was Hannah's fourth goal this season. Just 47seconds later, on the Statesmen's second straight power play, there was a lot of pushing and shoving in front of the net. Short passes from juniors Brad Richard and Salituro got the puck to senior Greg Ciciola who was able to push it past Elmira's goalie, Darren McDonald to make it 6-2. Ciciola now leads the team with 11 goals this year.

Hobart added two more goals in the final minutes of the third period. With 1:38 left in the contest, Elmira committed an offensive zone penalty. The Statesmen capitalized on the power play with an off angle shot by Salituro. First-year Ryan Michel and junior Mike White earned the assists. It was Salituro's ninth goal this season. With just 17 seconds left in regulation, first-year Peter Ryan blasted a shot in the back of the net for the final margin. Salituro and junior David Stevens were credited with the assists. It was Ryan's second goal as a Statesman.

Ausserhofer finished with six saves in the first 23:35. Junior Nick Broadwater came in for the final 36:25 and stopped 21 shots. McDonald finished with 34 saves in all 60 minutes in net for Elmira.

The Statesmen held a 38-33 advantage in shots. Hobart killed all four of the Soaring Eagles' power-play chances, and went 3-for-6 on the power play.

The Statesmen will travel to Elmira, N.Y., to take on the Soaring Eagles again tomorrow. The ECAC West game will begin at 7 p.m.