Third-ranked Middlebury dropped a 3-1 contest to second-ranked Elmira (6-1) on day one of the Panther/Cardinal Classic in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers (2-1) return to action on Sunday when they host Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 4:00 p.m.

Elmira had a good look 14 minutes into the game on a power play, but Anna Tude's shot went just wide. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at the 16:38 mark. Julia Wardwell passed the puck from the left point to Kelly Sherman in the face-off circle, before her centering pass was one-timed into the back of the net from the slot by Elizabeth Wulf.

Leading 1-0 after one, Sherman had an opportunity midway through the second period, but was denied by a nice glove save from Kelcey Crawford (18 saves). The Soaring Eagles tied the game with an extra attacker 12:48 into the second stanza. Tude's first shot was blocked, while her rebound attempt was saved before Maddie Evangelous scored on the third attempt.

Elmira's Megan Fonfara had a nice chance to put her team on top 6:30 into the third, but Panther goaltender Marisa Dreher (17 saves) made a big glove save. Middlebury nearly took the lead on the other a minute later, but Wulf was denied on a one-timer after a feed from Jessica Young.

The Panthers went on the power play at the 7:36 mark, with their best chance coming when Katie Mandigo's tip of a shot from Carly Watson hit the pipe.

Elmira took a 2-1 lead at 11:27 when Maddy Jerolman took a feed from Louisa Lippiatt Durnell, before sniping a shot into the top-right corner of the net from the left side. The Panthers had a power play opportunity less than a minute later, but were unable to tie the game.

The Soaring Eagles gained some breathing room as the power play expired when the puck bounced off the stick of a Middlebury defender, leaving a race down the ice. Watson knocked the puck away, but Phoebe Piku extended and poked it to the front of the net where Olivia Nystrom was there to give her team a two-goal lead with 5:22 remaining.

Following an Elmira timeout with 3:22 left, the Panthers pulled Dreher, but were unable to close the gap as the Soaring Eagles held on for the win.

Shots were hard to come by in the game as Elmira finished with a 20-19 edge. The Panthers were 1-6 on the power play, while the Soaring Eagles converted 1-3 opportunities.