Box Score
The SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team had a first period it would have rather have done without, as a slow start cost the Bears in an 8-3 ECAC West conference loss to No. 4 Elmira College on Friday night at Maxcy Hall. 

The Soaring Eagles (3-1-1 overall, 3-0 ECAC West) came out firing and charged to a 4-0 lead on goals from Brooke Wilgosh, Erin Weston, Ashley Ryan and Johanna Eidensten to enter the first intermission.  It's a lead that it would not relinquish.

Elmira, the defending Division III women's hockey champions and a team that had received 94 points in the latest USCHO.com poll, controlled the pace from the outset.  The Soaring Eagles held a 47-19 shots on goal advantage. 
But the Bears (2-2-1 overall, 1-2-1 ECAC West) showed plenty of grit as coach Jay Green's squad scored three of the game's final five goals.

Senior forward Jessica Silveira (Brampton, Ontario / Brampton Thunder) struck for the first Potsdam goal at 14:21 in the second period on a slap shot just in front of the blue line. 

It was Silveira's first goal of the season and 25^th of her career.  Freshman Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y. / Rochester Edge) assisted.

After an Elmira goal by Ashton Hogan in the opening minute of the third period, Potsdam answered back with two goals by assistant captain Jenn Crawford (Burlington, Ontario / Stoney Creek Sabres) in the span of just one minute and 26 seconds. 

It marked the senior forward's first points of the season and 22^nd and 23^rd goals of her career. 

The first of Crawford's goals came on a power play and was assisted by Brittany Lucky (Kanata, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) and Silveira.  The Bears were 1-for-4 on power play opportunities.  Lucky has now registered at least one assist in four of five games and have a total of seven for the season. 

Sophomore goal tender Alexane Rodrigue (Monkland, Ontario / Bemidji State) played the full game and made 39 saves.  She dropped to 2-2-1 on the year. 

Potsdam will host Elmira on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a rematch.