Elmira College (3-1-0, 2-0-0 ECAC West) vs. Utica College (5-0-1, 3-0-1 ECAC West)
Saturday, November 21, 2015 | 3:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, NY
Sunday, November 22, 2015 | 3:00 P.M. | Utica Memorial Auditorium – Utica, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's ice hockey team puts its No. 2 national ranking on the line in this weekend's home-and-home series with unbeaten Utica College. Elmira hosts the first of two games on Saturday, November 21st, at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena at 3:00 p.m. EC travels the following day for another 3:00 p.m. matchup against the Pioneers, this one taking place at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, NY.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira earned a 4-0 win in its most recent contest against SUNY Cortland, which completed the weekend sweep of the Red Dragons. The Soaring Eagles controlled the tempo of the game right from the jump, as EC outshot Cortland, 17-to-1 in the first period. Elmira would go on to outshoot Cortland 37-to-12 in the contest, en route to its second conference win of the year.
 
Swedish Scoring
In EC's four-goal win over the Red Dragons, Elmira's Swedish nationals, Olivia Nystrom '16, Johanna Eidensten '17, and Anna Tude '17, all played major roles. The trio had a hand in each of Elmira's four goals and combined for six of EC's 10 points. All three players finished with two points apiece.
 
PK Unit Stands Strong
One area Elmira has excelled at this season has been on the penalty kill. The Soaring Eagles are a perfect 21-for-21 on PK chances, making Elmira one of just three teams in the country with a 1.000 percent success rate. EC will face a tough test in Utica this weekend, as the Pioneers own the nation's best power-play percentage.
 
Good Call Coach
Comparing rosters from a season ago and looking at returning players, one will notice that Kyra McDonald '18 has made the switch from a forward to defenseman this season. The move by Coach Jackson has already paid dividends, as McDonald has three points on the young season, all coming on assists, as she ranks second on the team in defenseman scoring. Last year, McDonald produced six points in 18 games as a forward.
 
Scouting the Pioneers
With a 5-0-1 record, Utica College is off to its second-best start in program history. The Pioneers opened the year with five straight wins before skating to a 2-2 overtime tie with Oswego State in their most recent contest. One of the main reasons Utica has been so successful thus far has been their play on special teams, specifically on the power play. Utica boasts the nation's most lethal power-play unit, scoring on 42.1 percent of its chances. The Pioneers have been just as good on the penalty kill, denying opponents on 17-of-18 power-play opportunities. Individually, Utica has relied on the efforts of Morgan Reed, who leads the country in points per game (2.83) and shares the national-lead in goals per game (1.50). Also keep an eye on Gabrielle Schnepp and Lauren Patterson, who are first and second in the nation in assists per contest, respectively.