PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Endicott men's ice hockey team fell to Elmira College, 6-5, in overtime on Friday evening in game one of the W.B. Mason Winter Classic at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, hosted by Plattsburgh State.
Tied 5-5 late in overtime, Elmira senior forward Nick Ford (New Lenox, Ill.) beat Endicott netminder Conor O'Brien (Pinellas Park, Fla.) with a wrist shot high glove side to win the contest for the Soaring Eagles with 18-seconds remaining on the clock.
Ford gained entrance into the offensive zone untouched after teammate Connor Powell (Merrimack, N.H.) chopped away a loose puck from an Endicott skater at center ice to create a 2-on-1 rush against a helpless O'Brien for his second tally of the matchup.
Meanwhile, as for the Gulls, James Winkler (York, Maine), Svet Kuchynski (Minsk, Belarus), Luke Rodgers (Clarkston, Mich.), Bump Lisk (Lawrenceville, N.J.), and Jake Simons (Coral Springs, Fla.) all scored in the loss.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Today's contest was the first-ever meeting between Endicott and Elmira.
- The W.B. Mason Winter Classic, formerly named the Cardinal Classic, began in 1982.
- The tournament has featured many high-profile teams over the course of its 35-plus-year history including some of the following programs in RIT, Army, Merrimack, Hobart, Neumann, and Amherst, to name a few.
- Endicott came into this year's tournament with a 1-0-1 record in the W.B. Mason Winter Classic after making its first-ever appearance in the two-day tournament in 2017-18. The Gulls tied Babson, 1-1, in overtime, on January 5, 2018, and defeated Tufts, 8-1, the following day on January 6.
- Endicott gave up three power play goals in the loss (tied for season-high).
- The Gulls led by scores of 1-0 (11:08, first), 2-1 (18:12, first), 3-1 (6:33, second), 4-2 (12:22, second), and 5-3 (3:27, third).
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (7-5-0) will play the loser of Plattsburgh State and conference foe Wentworth in the W.B. Mason Winter Classic Consolation Game on Saturday, January 4 at 4 PM. Elmira (6-3-1) will play the winner between Plattsburgh State and Wentworth in the championship matchup at 7 PM.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)