The Elmira College Soaring Eagles took on their first Division I opponent in two years last weekend, hosting the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks for a pair of games. Friday night, Elmira surprised the Nanooks, skating with them the entire game and earning a 5-5 tie. The next night, however, Alaska-Fairbanks bounced back in a big way, pasting their Division III foe by an 11-2 count. Boxes and some notes on the two games below: Alaska-Fairbanks 5, Elmira 5 (OT) Alaska-Fairbanks 2 3 0 0 -- 5 Elmira 2 3 0 0 -- 5 First period -- Scoring: E Russ Bitely (Pete Romeo, Randy Murphy), 3:51 0-1 AF Dean Fedorchuk (Travis MacMillan, Dallas Ferguson), 8:17 (PP) 1-1 AF Fred Scott (Warren Carter, Kyle Armstrong), 8:42 2-1 E Vic Fidler (Jeremy Baker, Kyle Kirkpatrick), 12:48 (PP) 2-2 Penalties: E Dave Perrotta (interference), 0:31; E Kayne Beaudry (hooking), 7:12; AF MacMillan (interference), 12:05; AF Armstrong (high-sticking), 12:05; AF Don Lester (hooking), 14:22 Second period -- Scoring: E Baker (Perrotta, Bitely), 0:26 2-3 AF Greg Milles (Cody Bowtell, Chris Hodges), 7:31 3-3 AF Jason Eckel (Mark Cotter), 11:59 4-3 E Bitely (Murphy), 14:13 4-4 AF Ferguson (Pat Williams), 16:37 (PP) 5-4 E Murphy (Kirkpatrick), 18:25 (PP) 5-5 Penalties: E Tim Johnson (holding), 3:22; AF Brian Fish (interference, served by Eckel), 8:39; AF Williams (roughing), 12:47; E Johnson (roughing), 12:47; E Rich Rerrie (interference), 15:50; AF Eckel (slashing major), 17:18 Third period -- Penalties: E Rerrie (high-sticking), 5:09; AF MacMillan (interference), 7:06; AF Scott Keyes (checking from behind), 13:10; AF Lorne Kanigan (holding), 14:22; AF Fedorchuk (slashing), 18:44; E Brad Shaver (slashing), 18:44; E Kirkpatrick (interference), 19:05 Overtime -- Penalties: AF Carter (roughing), 2:16; E Laudato (roughing, served by Bitely), 2:16 Shots on goal: Alaska-Fairbanks 13-18-8-7 -- 46, Elmira 12-8-5-1 -- 26 Power plays: Alaska-Fairbanks 2 of 6, Elmira 2 of 9 Goaltending: AF Brian Fish (26 shots, 21 saves) E Dave Laudato (46 shots, 41 saves) Notes: This was one of the few Elmira games I was able to see live, and while the Soaring Eagles did a creditable job of staying with Alaska- Fairbanks and not letting the Nanooks get untracked, I'd have to say that this was not a particularly good game. Both teams had numerous opportunities to win this one, and while Alaska-Fairbanks generally had the better of the play, the Soaring Eagles definitely missed some chances to put the game away. For whatever reason, Elmira seemed to play considerably better when they were behind, overcoming one-goal deficits three times, than when they were tied or had the lead. The star of the game was easy to pick -- without goaltender Dave Laudato's outstanding performance (he was an absolute wall during the third period and overtime), Elmira would have been picked apart. The Soaring Eagles' aggressiveness caught the Nanooks by surprise early on, and they grabbed the lead just 3:51 into the contest, when Pete Romeo's centering pass from behind the net rolled through a clump of Fairbanks players onto the stick of Russ Bitely, who snapped a shot past goalie Brian Fish. UAF's ubiquitous Dean Fedorchuk made his presence felt soon after that, as he took a long pass and steamed up the ice on a breakaway, with an Elmira defender in hot pursuit. Only a brilliant leg save by Laudato kept Fedorchuk from tying the game up. Alaska-Fairbanks looked a little lost for part of the first period, but they quickly recovered thanks in part to a questionable call on Elmira's Kayne Beaudry for hooking at the 7:12 mark. It looked more to me like UAF's Travis MacMillan had tripped over the Elmira net, but at any rate, the Nanooks lost little time in converting this opportunity. Dallas Ferguson rifled a pass to MacMillan at the right post, and as Laudato slid to block the expected shot, MacMillan spotted an onrushing Fedorchuk and centered the puck for him. Fedorchuk merely had to flip a shot into the open net to tie the game at 8:17 of the first. Just 25 seconds later, Alaska-Fairbanks had the lead, thanks to Mark Cotter and Fred Scott working a 2-on-1. Scott's blast from the slot eluded Laudato to the glove side. Alaska-Fairbanks was beginning to move a bit faster, but the momentum generated by the two quick scores died at the 12:05 mark on a monu- mentally stupid penalty by MacMillan, who, after teammate Kyle Arm- strong was called for high-sticking, took it upon himself to shove an Elmira player. The ensuing call for interference gave the Soaring Eagles a two-minute 5 on 3, which took them only 43 seconds to convert. Vic Fidler flipped home a pass from Jeremy Baker to tie the game at two apiece. Elmira took their second lead of the night 26 seconds into the middle period. Baker and Dave Perrotta attempted to convert a 2-on-1 break, but Perrotta flubbed the shot, sending a soft roller toward the net. Fish easily blocked it, but made the mistake of not covering up the puck, and Baker wrapped around the net and stuffed it home. Most of the next three or four minutes was played in the Elmira zone, as Alaska-Fairbanks kept up some incredible pressure on offense. Laudato remained unfazed, however, turning aside several flurries. Finally, though, the Nanooks broke through at the 7:31 mark, when Cody Bowtell found Greg Milles alone in the slot, and Milles slapped the puck home. Elmira nearly took the lead again a few minutes later on an outstanding individual effort by one of their forwards (didn't catch the number), who somehow skated through a clump of three UAF players in the Nanook zone. Before he could get a shot off, however, he either lost an edge (I thought) or was knocked down by one of the Nanooks (the opinion of the vast majority of Elmira fans). Just seconds later, at the 11:59 mark, UAF took the lead, thanks to Jason Eckel's blistering shot from the right circle. Bitely's second of the game, a hard wrister from near the crease, tied the game at 4-4 with 5:47 left in the second, but Alaska-Fairbanks regained the lead at the 16:37 mark, when Ferguson fired a wrister that bounced in off the pad of a screened Laudato. Eckel turned goon at the 17:18 mark, when he appeared to spear Elmira's Pete Feola, who crumpled to the ice in a heap and stayed there for several minutes. He was able to get up and was OK afterward, and while Eckel was not tossed from the game, he did get hit with a slashing major. Randy Murphy tied the game for the Soaring Eagles with a tough angle shot from the left side with 1:35 left in the second. The stage was set for a dramatic and exciting third period -- which un- fortunately never materialized, as the two teams played some desultory hockey during the last 20 minutes of regulation. Fedorchuk came close to yet another breakaway (and a short-handed one at that) with a minute gone in the third, but Laudato raced out of the net and beat him to the puck. Other than that, the third period was mainly taken up by the two teams exchanging horrible power play opportunities, and the two goal- tenders making the necessary saves on those relatively rare occasions when somebody actually got off a half-decent shot. There was also an exchange of pleasantries between Elmira's Rich Rerrie and UAF's Trent Schachle, who had jawed with each other after Eckel's spear/slash earlier. The overtime was dominated by Alaska-Fairbanks, as they outshot the Soaring Eagles by a 7-1 count, but Laudato kept the game even with some great saves. Even so, he may have cost Elmira a chance to win the game. With 2:44 left in OT, Laudato moved away from the crease to play the puck, and Warren Carter belted him one while he was in the pro- tected area. The ref was right there and immediately raised his hand, meaning that the Soaring Eagles would have wound up with the power play, but that wasn't enough for Laudato. He retaliated, and coinci- dental roughing minors were called. Anyway, it was a solid effort by the Soaring Eagles to at least stay with a bigger and faster Nanook team, who didn't play all that badly themselves. Fish didn't have a particularly good game for Alaska- Fairbanks, but he did make 21 saves. Laudato finished with 41. Alaska-Fairbanks 11, Elmira 2 Alaska-Fairbanks 1 3 7 -- 11 Elmira 2 0 0 -- 2 First period -- Scoring: AF Dean Fedorchuk (Don Lester, Travis MacMillan), 6:03 (PP) 1-0 E Brad Shaver (Kyle Kirkpatrick), 9:09 1-1 E Vic Fidler (Paul Matheson, Pete Feola), 13:16 (PP) 1-2 Penalties: E Robb Wilson (high-sticking), 4:45; AF Kirk Patton (high-sticking), 12:39; AF Lorne Kanigan (cross-checking), 13:16; E Russ Bitely (roughing), 17:13 Second period -- Scoring: AF Warren Carter (Jason Eckel), 6:55 2-2 AF Eckel (Lester), 11:55 (PP) 3-2 AF Pat Williams (Dallas Ferguson), 15:23 (PP) 4-2 Penalties: E Kirkpatrick (roughing), 9:22; E Fidler (slashing), 11:44; AF MacMillan (cross-checking), 14:54; AF Fedorchuk (roughing), 14:54; E Shaver (roughing, high-sticking served by Tim Johnson), 14:54; E Matheson (roughing), 14:54; AF Kanigan (hooking), 17:14; E Randy Murphy (holding), 17:14; AF Williams (elbowing), 17:37; E Dave Laudato (interference, served by Fidler), 18:36; AF Fedorchuk (roughing), 19:25; E Laudato (slashing, served by Mike Maxwell), 19:50; AF Trent Schachle (roughing), 20:00; E Murphy (roughing), 20:00 Third period -- Scoring: AF Fedorchuk (Ferguson, MacMillan), 3:52 (SH) 5-2 AF Fedorchuk (Lester, Bob Schwark), 4:49 6-2 AF Mark Cotter (Greg Milles), 9:31 7-2 AF Williams (Cotter), 9:41 8-2 AF Eckel (Fedorchuk), 12:43 (PP) 9-2 AF Eckel (Schachle, Lester), 16:19 (PP) 10-2 AF Corey Spring (Ferguson), 17:00 (PP) 11-2 Penalties: AF Lester (tripping), 2:13; AF Kirk Patton (hooking), 5:04; E Rich Rerrie (cross-checking), 10:44; AF Patton (cross-checking, roughing), 11:49; E Pete Feola (charging, roughing), 11:49; AF Bench (too many men on ice, served by Carter), 12:43; E Jeremy Baker (slashing), 15:16; E Kayne Beaudry (hooking), 16:00 Shots on goal: Alaska-Fairbanks 14-14-21 -- 49, Elmira 9-2-9 -- 20 Power plays: Alaska-Fairbanks 6 of 10, Elmira 1 of 6 Goaltending: AF Larry Moberg (20 shots, 18 saves) E Dave Laudato (40 shots, 32 saves), Jamie Cuff (in at 9:41 of third period, 9 shots, 6 saves) Notes: Well, what a difference a day makes. The Soaring Eagles somehow kept an angry Alaska-Fairbanks team under control in the first period and came out with a 2-1 lead, prompting head coach Glenn Thomaris to remark afterwards, "...after 90 minutes, we were one goal better than them." Which was true enough, but Elmira's advantage vanished in the face of a relentless Nanook attack (UAF outshot Elmira 35-11 over the last two periods Saturday night) and a hail of Soaring Eagle penalties (six Nanook goals came on the power play. Naturally, Dean Fedorchuk had a hat trick -- in fact, he hit for the cycle with an even-strength goal, one on the power play, and one short-handed. Jason Eckel also had three goals. Fedorchuk opened the scoring at 6:03 of the first, converting Alaska- Fairbanks' first power play of the game by rifling a shot from the left circle past Elmira goaltender Dave Laudato. The Soaring Eagles' Brad Shaver responded just over three minutes later, stuffing the puck behind Nanook goalie Larry Moberg, and Vic Fidler gave Elmira the lead at the 13:16 mark. That would be all for the Soaring Eagles, however, as Alaska-Fairbanks came out and dominated play in the second period, holding Elmira without a shot on goal for the first 14 minutes. In fact, Elmira wound up with only one faceoff in the Nanook zone for the entire middle period. Warren Carter poked home an Eckel rebound at the 6:55 mark to tie the game, and by the time Eckel had gotten his first goal of the night, at 11:55 on a point-blank shot that Laudato couldn't stop, things had started to get a little ugly. It all came to a head at 14:54 of the second, when a nice little rumble broke out in the Elmira zone. Two players from each team were sent to the penalty box, but the Nanooks wound up with the power play, courtesy of a double minor on Tim Johnson who had instigated the whole thing. Pat Williams lost little time in converting, as he slapped one past a screened Laudato 29 seconds later. Laudato had gotten a little rattled by this point, and he totally lost his cool later in the second, getting called for two penalties just over a minute apart. By the time the third period rolled around, Lau- dato was ineffective, and the Nanooks picked him apart for four goals in the first 9:41 of the period, including a pair ten seconds apart that finally prompted Thomaris to lift him. Into the game came backup goaltender Jamie Cuff, who didn't fare much better. Alaska-Fairbanks ended the game with three straight power-play goals, including a 5-on-3. A big win for the Nanooks, especially after the previous night's some- what embarrassing performance. As for Elmira, this is almost assuredly the best team they will play this season, and hopefully the Soaring Eagles learned some things -- like perhaps how stupid it is to keep handing a good team power-play opportunities, especially one with a conversion rate of about 33% going into the weekend. Dave Laudato wound up stopping 32 of 40 shots Saturday night, while Cuff had 6 saves; Moberg had a good night for Alaska-Fairbanks with 18. -- Bill Fenwick | Send your HOCKEY-L poll responses to: Cornell '86 and probably '94 | [log in to unmask] LET'S GO RED!! "This is a really sexy thing to do, according to the French, although you should keep in mind that these people also like to eat snails." -- Dave Barry, on French kissing