BUFFALO, N.Y.—Elmira scored three goals in the final ten minutes including the game-winner with just 30 seconds remaining to erase a two-goal deficit and steal a 4-3 victory from host Buffalo State tonight in non-conference action.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Elmira – 4, Buffalo State – 3
LOCATION: Ice Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Elmira (8-6-0), Buffalo State (7-6-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Ben Butcher (Bellingham, WA/Langley) led the Bengals with a goal and an assist, and Colin O'Connor (Kankakee, IL/Providence Catholic) and Mac Wood (Simcoe, ON/SCS) also scored.
- Butcher opened the scoring midway through the second period poking the puck past the Soaring Eagles' goalie off a feed from Andrew Husted (Niagara Falls, NY/Grand Island) who drove down the right wall.
- Elmira evened the score later in the period with a power-play point shot that found its way through traffic into the top of the net.
- Buffalo State would reclaim the lead with a pair of quick goals in the closing minutes of the middle period.
- O'Connor tallied his third of the year on the power play when his shot from the point ricocheted off a defender's foot and in, and Wood scored his eighth of the year just over a minute later on the rush off a pass from Butcher.
- Elmira cut the deficit to one with its second power-play goal of the game just past the midway point of the third period and then tied the score with 4:32 left in regulation.
- The Soaring Eagles finished the comeback when a partially-blocked shot from the point bounced to a wide open man just the right of the Bengals' goal who shoveled it home.
- Buffalo State outshot Elmira 33-28. The Soaring Eagles were 2 for 4 on the power play, while Buffalo State was 1 for 5.
- Trevor Micucci (Hamburg, NY/Connections Acad.) finished with 24 saves in the loss.
FOR THE FOES
- Andrew Pucci scored the game-winning goal for Elmira.
- Blake O'Neill had a goal and an assist, and Connor Powell and Matthew Cousino also scored.
UP NEXT
Buffalo State will host nationally-ranked University of New England for another non-conference game on Friday at 7 p.m.