Elmira College (2-4) vs. No. 6 Amherst College (1-0)
Saturday, November 28, 2015 | 3:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles

Elmira College (2-4) vs. No. 3 Babson College (6-0)
Sunday, November 29, 2015 | 3:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles

Game Notes

Elmira, NY -- Following its victory over then-11th ranked Hobart College this past Saturday, the Elmira College men's ice hockey team will look to get on a roll when it welcomes a pair of nationally ranked foes to the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena over Thanksgiving Weekend. The Soaring Eagles open the weekend when it tussles with No. 6 Amherst College at 3:00 p.m.on Saturday. The tests won't get any easier on Sunday, as EC will face No. 3 Babson College, with the opening faceoff again slated for 3:00 p.m.

Last Time Out
The Elmira men secured their biggest result of the season on Saturday night when it downed then-11th ranked Hobart College 4-3 at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. One night after getting off to a slow start in a 5-3 loss to the Statesmen, the Soaring Eagles came flying out of the gates on Saturday. Elmira scored twice in the opening 5:06 of the game and would hold that lead for the duration. Brian Depp '16 tallied what would be the eventual game-winning goal with an empty-netter with under one-minute remaining. It was Elmira's first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since defeating then-No. 13 Utica College in the 2014 ECAC West Championship game.

Quick Start, Good Finish
In Elmira's win over Hobart, the Soaring Eagles scored three times in the opening period. EC's three first-period tallies are the most scored in the opening stanza this season and the most since Elmira scored four in a 5-2 win over Utica in the 2015 ECAC West Quarterfinals. 

Depp Bringing Consistency
Senior forward Brian Depp '16 has gotten off to a fantastic start to his final season in Purple and Gold. He currently is tied for the team lead with seven points with three goals and four assists. His consistency has been most impressive early on this season, as he has recorded at least one point in every game, which is the longest such streak of his career. 

Streaking Shinkaruk
While offense has been a struggle at times for the Soaring Eagles this season, senior forward Carter Shinkaruk '16 has been a bright light over recent games. He has been red-hot over the last four contests, tallying five goals, with three coming over this past weekend against Hobart. He enters the weekend on a four-game scoring streak, while he has tallied a goal in five-of-six contests this season. He leads the team with six goals and owns a 1.00 goals per game average, which is tied for sixth in NCAA Division III men's ice hockey.  Shinkaruk is also tied with Brian Depp '16 for the team lead with seven points. 

Poise in the Net
Rookie netminder Sandro Aeschlimann '19 has shown remarkable poise during his debut season despite some extenuating circumstances. With Elmira's junior goaltender Sal Magliocco '17 a little banged up, Aeschlimann has seen significant playing time early on this season. He has started in three of the last five contests for the Soaring Eagles, which included back-to-back games this past weekend. While his goals against average is a little elevated, his save percentage is a solid .912, as the rookie goaltender has frequently been tested with a heavy workload. He stopped a season-best 41 shots in the Soaring Eagles' victory over Hobart on Saturday.

Scouting Amherst
The traditional Northeast power is coming off another fantastic season, which witnessed the team go 22-5-2 en route to a NESCAC Championship and semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Although the team graduated seven seniors, including its starting netminder from last season, expectations remain high as 15 contributors, headlined by last year's leading scorer David White, return in 2015-16. The Purple and White got their season underway this past Friday when it defeated Hamilton College 3-1 in the team's home opener. Sophomore forwards White and Thomas Lindstrom each tallied a goal and an assist in the win, while senior goaltender Dave Cunningham had a strong debut with 26 saves.

Scouting Babson
The Beavers have gotten off to another flying start, entering the week with a perfect 6-0-0 mark on the year. Babson checked in as the third-ranked team in both the D3hockey.com and the USCHO polls, marking the 47th straight week the program has appeared on both polls dating back to the 2012-13 season. The Beavers enter the week coming off a 5-1 victory over the University of New England. Bill Seligman finished with a goal and an assist, while sophomore Josh Casper recorded a career-best two assists. Seligman and junior Tim Searles are tied for the team lead with six assists, while Charlie Ackerman has scored four goals over the last four games. Senior goaltender Jamie Murray is tied for the Division III lead in with three shutouts and ranks second nationally in goals against average (0.66) and third in save percentage (.974).

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will end their five-game homestand with a 7:00 p.m. non-conference contest against SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday, December 8th at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena.