Ladies outscored 11-0 in pair of losses

The Bengals' playoff hopes took a big blow last weekend as they failed to register a single goal and fell to the fourth-ranked Elmira Soaring Eagles, 4-0 and 7-0, in the back-to-back series on Friday and Saturday in Elmira.

"The games were tough", said head coach Rob Burke. "We knew we were in for a battle . . . they play a tough brand of hockey, very good."

The team has now lost its last eight games, and has been outscored 37-5 during that stretch.

"It was the most emotionally difficult weekend we've had," said Burke about the feelings of his players after the losses.

The defeats put the Bengals on the brink of elimination from playoff contention.  They need to win their remaining four games, and get some help from the teams above them to sneak in as a sixth seed.

"The only difference between us and Elmira was that we just could not put the puck in the net and they obviously could.  I know that each of my teammates wanted to win as badly as I did," said defenseman Lauren Mallo.

"Unfortunately, the score did not reflect our effort," she added, "But now we move on and do our best to win our final games for our seniors."

Before Friday's game, Burke was asked to sum up the magnitude of the weekend in one word.

"Huge," he said.

The Bengals fell behind just 45 seconds into the first game when Tanis Lamoureux put a shot past Bengal goaltender Jordan Lee, who made 39 saves, to give the Soaring Eagles the 1-0 lead.

It was all they would need.  

Elmira would score once more in the first period, and then once each in the second and third to give the Soaring Eagles the 4-0 win.

Elmira goaltender Lauren Sullivan made 26 saves for her third shutout of the season.

On Saturday, the Bengals faced a different goaltender, but wound up with the same result. This time, however, the game was a lot more one-sided.

The Soaring Eagles overpowered Buffalo State, outshooting them 46-18. Lamoureux and Tori Charron scored two goals apiece.

Lee started the game for the Bengals, but did not finish it.  

After stopping 30 of 35 shots through the first two periods, Lee was pulled in favor of Jessica Garland who stopped nine of the 11 shots she faced.

Assistant coach Jamie Overbeck has been in this situation before. A player for the Bengals during the early and mid 2000s, Overbeck knows what it is like to play through a losing streak.

"I do use direct stories on when we played this team, or how it was five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago against an Elmira or a Plattsburgh," she said. "The sense I get from them when I use those kinds of examples is that it's a confidence builder. To know that I've been through this before."

The Bengals learned before Friday's game that Neumann University and SUNY Potsdam were both deemed eligible for the playoffs following an investigation into player ineligibility issues, further complicating Buffalo State playoff chances.

"This year's rosters are clean," Burke said about the ruling by the NCAA. He continued to explain that no players on the two teams in question were receiving grant money that would've resulted in disqualification from the postseason.

With slim playoff hopes on the line, the Bengals are set to host Cortland on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. for their final two home games of the year before heading to Utica on Feb. 17 and 18 to close out the season.

Mike Straw can be reached by email at straw.record@live.com.