Elmira 4, Lebanon Valley 2
 
LVC Starters
Hepler (LW), Galvez (C), Hall (RW), Romel (D), Balodis (D), Richardson (G)
 
Elmira Starters
Ford (LW), Powell (C), Parrucci (RW), Lloyd (D), Carter (D), Bateman (G)
 
How It Happened
HERSHEY, Pa. – Lebanon Valley dropped a 4-2 decision to Elmira College on Friday evening in UCHC Men's Ice Hockey action. The Flying Dutchmen fell to 5-15-3, 3-10-3 UCHC, while the Soaring Eagles, who received votes in the latest USCHO DIII poll, jumped to 15-6-1, 11-5 UCHC. Tonight's game also served as Senior Night, as Tyler Perhac, Zach Yingst, Jared Karas, and Cole Hepler were honored pregame.
 
Elmira put LVC into a hole in the first period when Marty Kapoian scored from Jake Russo and Andrew Pucci at 12:02 for the game's first goal. Later in the opening stanza, Connor Powell made it 2-0 in favor of the visitors with a power-play goal, and the Soaring Eagles went into the first intermission up by two.
 
Just 1:09 into the second, Kale Kane found the back of the net for Elmira with an even-strength score to make it 3-0, but 3:19 later, Cole Hepler answered with a man-up goal from Danny Galvez, trimming Elmira's advantage to two at 2-1. Later in the second, with 2:52 remaining, Mark Kishko ripped a shot into the back of the cage from Kevin Van Bokkelen and Zach Balodis, and the Dutchmen found themselves down by just one at 3-2 heading into the third period.
 
LVC came out buzzing in the final period, but couldn't come up with the equalizer. Midway through the third, Graham Denomme made it 4-2 in favor of the Soaring Eagles with an unassisted goal. Then, with 1:35 left in the period, LVC drew a penalty and pulled Henry Burns to make it 6-on-4, but couldn't get any past Bateman, resulting in the 4-2 defeat.
 
Inside the Numbers
 - Cole Hepler potted his team-leading seventh goal of the season tonight and was 11-for-13 inside the faceoff circle.
 - Mark Kishko netted his second goal of the season for LVC this evening.
 - Justin Hall ended with a team-high four shots on goal, while Ziki Mroz added three.
 - Elmira had four different goal-scorers tonight.
 - Henry Burns made 17 saves in 33:28 of action in his relief effort.
 - The Dutchmen led in total faceoff wins at 42-27, led by Hepler and Danny Galvez, who won 11 apiece.
 
Senior Night
Before tonight's game, LVC honored its four seniors in Tyler Perhac, Zach Yingst, Jared Karas, and Cole Hepler. Below is what Coach Don Parsons had to say about his four seniors.
 
Perhac
"Tyler, you've been nothing short of a true professional and an absolute pleasure to coach throughout your four years here at LVC. You've been a mentor to your goalie partners and an example to your team on how to handle all situations, whether you're starting a huge game or backing up in another. I'll never forget your most incredible wins at Elmira in 2017 and against Utica in 2018. You've always had the ability to put your team on your shoulders and carry the load, which was a huge factor on earning your Second-Team All-MAC honor during your sophomore season. I wish you the best of luck in your future! As a teacher to young children, you'll have the ability to help mold and educate, and they couldn't ask for a better person to learn from!"
 
Yingst
"Zach you're one of the few to come to this program straight out of high school and the Hershey Jr. Bears program. You quickly became one of our most dependable and best-skating defensemen throughout your time here. You've been one of the most coachable young men here at LVC, always wanting to improve your skill-set and willing to listen to coaches and teammates. You came to LVC as a shy 18-year-old, and will graduate as a captain and well-respected leader. The thing most people don't know about you and has always impressed me is the huge amount of time you spend at the Fire House in Palmyra as a volunteer firefighter. You're driven to help those around you, whether you become a firefighter, police officer, or a member of the secret service, I know that all those you serve will be better because of you!"
 
Karas
"I remember watching you play junior hockey and knowing that I absolutely needed to get you to LVC. You came in and made an immediate impact, scoring big goals as a freshman and solidifying yourself as an offensive threat. Always one to listen and learn, you became one of our most dependable defensive forwards, becoming huge on our penalty-kill unit. It's easy to be a one-dimensional specialist, but it's very rare that a player can become as valuable on both ends of the ice the way that you have. It's unfortunate that your time has been cut short by injuries the last two years, but you always looked for a way to help your team. You've stepped up and helped our coaching staff with video, scouting, and day-to-day operations. I look forward to having you as a part of our coaching staff as long as that may be!"
 
Hepler
"From the first time I saw you play, I knew that you'd be a very special player, but boy did I underestimate how special! You started your collegiate hockey career by leading our team in scoring in your freshman season, but more importantly, you set the bar high as to the definition of what an LVC hockey player should look like. You were a unanimous decision by your teammates as the Team MVP that year, as well as your sophomore and junior seasons. I feel very confident that you'll earn the sweep when the team votes at the end of the season. Goal scoring is just the tip of the iceberg for you. You've been our best penalty killer, most dependable defensive player, and are always willing to block a shot or take a hit. You have always led by example on and off the ice and have become one of the best captains in LVC hockey history. It's nearly impossible to replace what you've brought to this team. I wish you the best in all that you do in life and am confident you'll do it whole heartedly and to the best of your ability!
 
Coach Parsons finished with: ""Guys, you're all members of our first NCAA recruiting class and have paved the way for the guys you stand in front of now. Thank you for your time, dedication, and willingness to compete every day. And remember, Once a Dutchman, Always a Dutchman!
 
Who's Next?
Two road contests await the Dutchmen as they finish up their 2019-20 season. LVC heads to Pittsburgh on Friday, Feb. 21 for a matchup with Chatham at 7:10 p.m. before finishing off its season at Stevenson on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.
 
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