Elmira, NY -- The 2012-13 Men's Ice Hockey team looks to rebuild off another successful season a year ago and get back to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season, despite losing 10 players to graduation. The Soaring Eagles had another successful campaign last season finishing 15-9-3 overall with an ECAC West best 8-2-2 record. Last season culminated with a trip to the NCAA tournament before falling in the quarterfinals to Oswego State on their home ice.
Despite losing a wealth of talent in two All-Americans and five All-Conference selections, the Purple and Gold still return players with a multitude of experience who have had success under fourth year Head Coach Aaron Saul '98.

Jesper Strale '14 leads the returners in scoring as he tallied 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists a year ago. Classmates D'Arcy Oakes '13 and Colin Hoey '13 combined to produce 24 points on 12 goals and 12 assists.


EC's top returning defensemen is Eric David '15 who earned a spot on the conference's All-Rookie squad at the end of the 2011-12 season. David was an enforcer on the defensive side of the puck, while also looking to create offense in his first season with the Purple and Gold. He recorded nine points on six assists and three scores, with all of his goals coming in conference play.

The Soaring Eagles return all three of their goaltenders from a year ago, including All-American Darren MacDonald '13. MacDonald, a Third Team All-American honoree last season, appeared in 21 games logging over 1,200 minutes between the pipes for EC. The senior made 504 saves, while recording a .887 save percentage on the way to an 11-8-2 record.


Elmira welcomes 13 new additions to the team this season, all of which are first year collegiate hockey players but have great experience in junior hockey leagues. Joining the Soaring Eagles this year are nine forwards and four defensemen. The attackers include Greg Whittle '16, Michael Collins '16, Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16, Carter Shinaruk '16, Brian Depp '16, Tommy Sumi '16, Nick Angelo '16, Jordan Robertson '16 and Steve Carlette '16.

Whittle played for the Toronto Junior Canadians last season, posting 38 points in 44 games. His size and skating ability are his strongest assets and the team is looking for him to be a strong presence in the lineup. Collins, who has a strong combination of size, strength and speed, scored 43 points in 49 games for the Dauphin Kings. He came to Elmira in excellent shape and has the ability to be an impact player right away for the Soaring Eagles. ten Vaanholt is a strong offensive point producing forward who can be expected to contribute to the offense immediately for the Soaring Eagles. His ability to protect the puck and attack the net should help the team replace some of its offense from last season.

Shinaruk has excellent speed and a nose for the net. His competitive nature is very evident each time he takes the ice and the fans are going to love watching him play. Depp had a very strong junior hockey career with the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL and finished as the club's all-time leading scorer. EC will be looking for Depp to fill the net for the Soaring Eagles this season. Sumi is an explosive offensive player and a gifted skater. He had a great junior career with the St. Michael's Buzzers in the OPJHL where he had 74 points on 34 goals and 40 assists in 60 games. Elmira will be looking for Sumi to use his great shot and be a point producer for the Soaring Eagles.


Angelo is a great competitor and very aggressive at both ends of the rink. His intensity on the forecheck will be a great asset for the team up front. Robertson has great size and speed and he will make a difference at both ends of the ice down the middle for the Soaring Eagles. Carlette's work ethic and desire to win at all costs has influenced his teammates in a very positive manner. He had 27 points in 44 games last season.

The Soaring Eagle defense will look two four key new additions to bolster a strong unit in front of goal. Taylor Love '16, Rob Simpson '16, Erick Eriksson '16 and Liam Burtt '16 will all look to have an impact in their first season. Love is a big, physical and mobile defenseman whose desire to be the best drives him and has a big influence on his teammates. Simpson is a strong skating, physical defenseman who has an offensive side to his game. He possesses a hard heavy shot and works very hard on the ice. Eriksson is a smooth skater and very smart with the puck. His 6'6'' frame with help him with defending the Soaring Eagle net. Burtt is a shutdown defenseman who has an uncanny ability to block shots and be a very physical force when he is on the ice.

Returning experience along with bringing in a plethora of 13 young, talented freshmen has the Elmira College Men's Ice Hockey team primed to make its way back to the NCAA tournament for a sixth consecutive season. The Soaring Eagles open the regular season Saturday night when they take on Oswego State in a rematch of the NCAA Quarterfinal tilt from last March. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. at the Campus Center Ice Arena in Oswego, NY.