AMHERST, Mass.– For the second consecutive season the Amherst College women's ice hockey team saw its quest for a national championship denied on its home sheet in an overtime period. 

Saturday afternoon, Elmira College senior Emily Lenzen scored mid-way through the first extra session to give the Soaring Eagles a 2-1 victory in an NCAA Tournament Div. III quarterfinal played at Orr Rink. 

Much like the 2023 national championship game, in which the Mammoths scored late in the third period to send the game into overtime, Amherst netted the tying tally in the final 20 minutes off the stick of Alyssa Xu. 

But much like that 223 title game, it would be the visitors who wound up on the winning side. 

Elmira (22-7-1) is set to play Middebury, Friday, March 15th in the NCAA semifinals at the University of River Falls.

The Mammoths completed their 2023-24 season with an overall record of 21-4-2. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

• In the opening period, right after coming out of the box from a penalty, Maggie Groszek received the puck off a pass from Maeve Reynolds and skated straight into a breakaway down the ice to a one-on-one with the goaltender. Groszek shot the puck from the slot, but Elmira goaltender Chloe Beaubien was able to make the save. 
• With 6:43 remaining in the second period, the Soaring Eagles applied pressure in the offensive zone. Lenzen passed the puck to Anna Lugge in the slot, who then took a shot on goal. Mammoth goaltender Natalie Stott made the initial save, but the loose puck was collected by Emma Bradbury, who tapped it into the net.
• Latrine the frame, Amherst defenseman Kelsey Stewart passed to Emily Hohmann, who redirected the puck up the ice to Xu. Xu skated through traffic into the low slot but narrowly missed, hitting the right post, almost equalizing the score.
• The Mammoths evened the score at 13:09 in the final period, initiated by a pass to Rylee Glennon, who relayed it to Anna Baxter for a centering pass across the crease, leading to Alyssa Xu's rebound goal.
• The winning overtime goal was scored with 10:09 left, as Elmira's Bradbury dished the puck off to Lugge off her right. Lugge sent the pass to Lenzen, who took the shot just outside of the right face-off circle, where she found the back of the net to advance Elmira to the NCAA Semifinals. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Amherst outshot Elmira 44-31.
• Amherst held a 36-24 advantage with face-offs won, with Baxter impressively winning 25 of the 28 she took. 
• Elmira accumulated 6 penalties, resulting in 12 minutes spent in the penalty box, whereas Amherst only faced 2 penalties. Elmira was 0-2 on  power plays. Amherst was 1 for 6.
• In goal, Stott saved 29 of the 31 shots she faced on net. 
• Beaubien stopped 43 of the 44 shots on goal she faced.