MIDDLEBURY — In a Monday battle of top NCAA Division III women’s hockey teams, visiting No. 2 Elmira scored twice in final three minutes to tie No. 6 Middlebury, 2-2.
Elmira remained unbeaten at 7-0-2. The Panthers stand at 5-2-1 heading into two home games this weekend vs. NESCAC foe Amherst, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Panthers outshot the Soaring Eagles, 7-3, in the scoreless first period, and then took the lead with two second-period strikes.
The Panthers opened the scoring with 10:04 left in the period on Elizabeth Wulf’s shorthanded goal. Haley LaFontaine chipped the puck out of the zone to spring Wulf on a 2-on-1 break. She took the shot, putting the puck into the top corner of the net.
A few minutes later, Panther goalie Lin Han protected that lead with a right pad save on Elmira’s Maddy Jerolman, who tried to stuff in a pass from Louisa Lippiatt Durnell at the left post.
Middlebury made it 2-0 at 0:34, when Maddie Winslow tucked a shot under the crossbar from the slot after taking a feed from Jessica Young.
The Soaring Eagles made it 2-1 with 2:44 remaining in regulation. Maddie Evangelous put in a rebound just after Lin made a big save on Sarah Hughson. The visitors got the equalizer with 59.8 seconds remaining while Elmira goalie Kyle Nelson pulled for an extra attacker — Lippiatt Durnell jammed in a rebound at the right post.
Han made 27 saves for the Panthers, while Nelson stopped 22 shots.