2015-16 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team has released their 2015-16 schedule which consists of 25 regular season games, including 12 at EC's Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena in Pine Valley, NY.
Elmira opens the season at home with a Friday, November 6th, showdown against 2015 ECAC West Tournament Runner-Up Neumann University. Friday's conference matchup marks the third consecutive season-opening game the two teams have played, with each team winning on their home ice in the previous two seasons.
One day later, Elmira welcomes ECAC West Conference foe Manhattanville College to the Murray Athletic Center for a 7:00 p.m. game.
The following weekend, Elmira hits the road for a pair of conference games beginning with a November 13th tilt with in-conference rival Utica College, a team EC bounced from the first round of the conference tournament in 2015. Elmira will then make the two hour trek the following night to Rochester, NY where the Purple and Gold will take on Nazareth College.
After EC's weekend getaway, the Soaring Eagles prepare for a five-game homestand, Elmira's longest stretch of home games since the 2009-10 season, beginning with a pair of games against 2015 ECAC West Conference Champion Hobart College on November 20th and 21st. The two games against the Statesmen are the last conferences games EC will play for two months.
The Soaring Eagles will have their hands full in their next weekend of games as Elmira welcomes Amherst College and Babson College to the domes for EC's first non-conference games of the season. Elmira will face Amherst, who claimed the NESCAC title and reached the NCAA Semifinals a year ago, on Saturday, November 28th. The next day, EC will face the Beavers of Babson who made an appearance in the ECAC East Championship game in 2015. Both games will be played at 3:00 p.m.
Elmira's first of two Tuesday night games this season will take place on December 8th, as the Soaring Eagles face SUNY Potsdam in a non-conference game at 7:00 p.m. The bout with the Bears marks the end of Elmira's five-game homestand.
The following weekend, the Soaring Eagles visit the state of Connecticut for a pair of non-conference games against NESCAC teams, beginning with a Friday, December 11th, matchup with Wesleyan College. The next day, Elmira will take on the reigning NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey National Champions in Trinity College at 4:30 p.m. Saturday's bout with Trinity marks the final games of December and 2015 for the Soaring Eagles.
Elmira begins the New Year with another road tilt, this time with nearby Brockport State on Friday, January 8th at 7:00 p.m. The Soaring Eagles return to the Murray Athletic Center the following night, January 9th, for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with SUNY Geneseo, EC's first home game in over a month.
Following the Geneseo matchup, Elmira will embark on a seven-game road trip, EC's longest stretch of games away from home since Elmira's run to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals during the 2006 season. The first matchup of Elmira's seven-game journey will be against Buffalo State on Tuesday, January 12th.
Three days later, Elmira hits the road to compete in the Martha's Vineyard Tournament, which will be played in Oak Bluffs, MA, with EC's opening round game against Salve Regina. Elmira concludes tournament play the following day on Saturday, January 16th with a showdown with Curry College, a team the Soaring Eagles have not faced in five years.
Elmira re-opens ECAC West Conference play six days later with back-to-back games against the Valiants of Manhattanville. One week later, Elmira concludes their regular season series with Neumann with a pair of conference games, marking the end of EC's seven-game road trip.
The Purple and Gold return to the Murray Athletic Center on Friday, February 5th to take on Nazareth College as part of Elmira College's Athletics Alumni Weekend. Elmira will play the Golden Flyers in back-to-back games, once on the 5th and again on the 6th.
One week later, Elmira wraps-up their season series with Utica as the Soaring Eagles welcome the Pioneers to the domes for back-to-back games on February 12th and 13th. The matchup on the 13th against Utica marks the final home game of the 2015-16 regular season for the Purple and Gold.
Friday, February 19th will be Elmira's regular season finale as the Soaring Eagles make the short trip to Geneva, NY, to face the Statesmen of Hobart. The matchup with Hobart will be the fourth straight year the two teams will end the regular season against one another.
