PINE VALLEY, N.Y. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's hockey team took fifth-ranked Elmira College to the wire Saturday evening, but the Soaring Eagles dashed the Spartans' upset bid and defended home ice with a 4-3 triumph.
Cam Reid and Andrew Stefura each scored once with an assist while Bryce Irwin tallied a pair of assists to give VTSU Castleton (7-18-0, 4-14-0 NEHC) three two-point performances. Anthony Persi nabbed his fourth career goal coming via a helper from Balint Mesterhazy.
Dominic Rodrigue got the nod after a strong outing on Friday at Hobart, making 29 saves to combine for 66 stops and an .880 save percentage for the weekend against two top-five foes. As a team, the Spartans denied 11 attempts taken by Elmira (18-6-1, 11-6-1 NEHC) as eight different skaters recorded a shot block.
The Soaring Eagles got out to a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Jared Smith tossed in a deflected shot from Carter Wisely. Another put-back 75 seconds later from Cole Tucker extended the deficit to two for the Spartans, but an Elmira penalty shifted momentum toward the visitors. Despite failing to convert on the power play, Castleton swarmed the hosts' defensive zone as Mesterhazy picked off a clear attempt and found Persi to get the Spartans on the scoreboard.
Less than four minutes into the second stanza, Irwin charged toward Jeffrey Zero and launched a shot that bounced off the Elmira netminder. Stefura corralled the loose puck and toe-dragged around the crease to deliver the game-tying goal. Castleton continued to penetrate on offense until a slashing foul presented the Soaring Eagles with a man advantage. Shawn Kennedy jumped on the opportunity by tossing in the go-ahead dart, making it a 3-2 Elmira lead. The score became knotted once again when Stefura wrapped around the net and delivered a pass to Reid, allowing the rookie to slip the puck inside the left pipe.
Possession was controlled by Elmira to begin the third frame but Rodrigue held sturdy, starting the period by saving all nine shots faced. The persistent attack paid off when Chance Gorman etched his name onto the scoresheet to give the hosts a 4-3 edge. The Spartans would not allow another on-target shot for the rest of the game, but Elmira's robust defense kept the visitors at bay to win the regular season finale.
Castleton has qualified for the New England Hockey Conference Championship tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Spartans are set to battle top-seeded Hobart at The Cooler on Saturday, February 17 at 7 p.m.
