RUTLAND, Vt. – Aiden Robson's first career strike gave the Vermont State University Castleton men's hockey team an advantage over No. 3 Elmira in the game's opening minute, but the Soaring Eagles tallied four unanswered goals to slip past the Spartans, 4-1, Friday night at Spartan Arena.

The rookie from Kelowna, British Columbia found paydirt on the night's first shot with help from sophomores Jackson Edwards and Balint Mesterhazy. Robson also shined on defense, accounting for five of the Spartans' (5-9-0, 2-5-0 NEHC) 11 blocked shots. Dominic Rodrigue spent all 60 minutes between the pipes, making 26 stops in his seventh start of the year.

Elmira (12-2-0, 5-2-0 NEHC) saw nine different players collect a point, the most pivotal coming in the second period when Shawn Kennedy put the Soaring Eagles in front with a breakaway goal. Cole Tucker, Joel Pavey, and Daniel Dimon also supplied goals for the visitors.

The Spartans return to the ice tomorrow (Jan. 5) for a meeting with top-ranked Hobart at 4 p.m. With a Winter Storm Watch taking effect on Saturday evening, follow @CastletonSports on social media for updates regarding inclement weather.