POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (2-5-1, 2-5-1 ECAC West) grabbed an early lead against fourth-ranked Elmira College (7-1-1, 5-0), but couldn’t hold off the Soaring Eagles, falling 5-1. Elmira senior captain Alex Bresler scored two goals.

The first few minutes of the period were wide open with neither team controlling the play. Potsdam got on the board at the 3:00 mark as senior captain Annmarie Lewis poked home a loose puck in the crease. Sophomore forward Jenn Crawford and freshman forward Izzy Fayerman both assisted on the goal. The Bears found themselves on the penalty kill for a good portion of the remainder of the period. However, Potsdam junior goalkeeper Jen Conophy stood tall, stopping all 19 shots she faced in the first period.

The Soaring Eagles evened the score just 1:55 into the second period as Bresler buried a rebound with an assist from freshman forward Ashley Ryan. The Bears were forced to kill two more penalties and Elmira gained momentum. With just 35 second remaining in the period Eagle freshman forward Erin Weston took control of a loose puck in front and gave Elmira a 2-1 lead. Sophomore defenseman Ella Stewart and senior forward Lindsay Mitchell each recorded assists on the play.

Elmira took control of the game in the third period. Bresler and Mitchell each scored in the first eight minutes. Again the Bears battled penalties and the Soaring Eagles finally made them pay on the man-advantage. With 5:05 remaining, Stewart capped the scoring with a power-play marker.

Conopy finished with 36 saves, while Elmira sophomore goalie Lisa Marshall stopped 17 shots for the victory. The Bears were 0-2 on the power play and the Soaring Eagles finished 1-8.

“For two periods of hockey, we couldn’t have played any better than we did,” Said Potsdam Head Coach Jay Green. “We had good execution and good effort, but penalties were starting to tire us. In the third period we had some people take some foolish penalties and with 12 players we can’t be in the box all night.”

The Bears get another shot Elmira in Maxcy Ice Arena tomorrow at 2 p.m.