No. 2 Elmira College (5-1) at No. 3 Middlebury College (2-0)
Friday, November 27, 2015 | 4:00 P.M. | Chip Kenyon '85 Arena – Middlebury, VT
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
No. 2 Elmira College (5-1) vs. No. 9 Gustavus Adolphus College (3-1-2)
Saturday, November 28, 2015 | 5:00 P.M. | Chip Kenyon '85 Arena – Middlebury, VT
Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The second-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team will be in for a difficult test over Thanksgiving Weekend when it travels to Middlebury, VT, for the Cardinal-Panther Classic on Friday, November 27th, and Saturday, November 28th. The Soaring Eagles will face a pair of nationally ranked foes on the weekend. They open the event against tournament host and third-ranked Middlebury College at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. EC will face ninth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus at 5:00 p.m. the following evening.
 
Last Time Out
The Elmira College women's ice hockey team faced a stern test this past weekend when it faced a red-hot Utica College team that was off to a flying 5-0-1 start to the season. The Soaring Eagles Class of 2019 dominated the headlines in the opener of the two-game set at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena on Saturday. Three Elmira rookies tallied goals, with Katie Granato '19 and Shannon Strawinski '19 scoring 1:18 apart to break open a 1-1 game. Second-year forward Meghan Fonfara '18 stole the show in Sunday's return trip to Utica. Trailing for the majority of the game, Fonfara keyed a late Elmira rally, scoring twice in the final 5:02 to stun the Pioneers 2-1. The Elma, NY, native tapped in the go-ahead goal with 1:04 remaining to send the second-ranked Soaring Eagles to a 4-0-0 start to ECAC West play.
 
All-Time Series: Middlebury
The Soaring Eagles slightly trail the Panthers in the overall series, going 7-10-2 all-time against the traditional Northeast power. The series has been dead even over recent seasons, as the teams have posted identical 4-4-2 records over the last six seasons. Six of those 10 meetings have come in the Cardinal-Panther Classic with Elmira going 3-2-1 in those matchups. The most memorable of these matchups came in the Division III National Championship Game to conclude the 2012-13 season. The Soaring Eagles took home a 1-0 victory over the Panthers to secure their third national championship as a program.
 
All-Time Series: Gustavus Adolphus
Elmira has met the Gusties three times prior to this weekend, with the Soaring Eagles notching victories in all three meetings. Saturday will mark the first time the two programs will face each other during the regular season, as each of the previous meetings has taken place in the NCAA Tournament, with two of the meetings coming during Elmira's National Championship runs in 2012-13 and 2001-02. The other meeting came in the third-place game during the 2009-10 campaign.
 
Free Hockey in the Offing
If past matchups are any indication, there is a strong possibility that we might see some overtime hockey this weekend. Of Elmira and Middlebury's last six matchups at the Cardinal-Panther Classic, four of those contests have gone to overtime. The Soaring Eagles went 2-1-1 in those contests. Although Elmira has less of a history against Gustavus Adolphus, the last meeting between the two programs was a 4-3 overtime victory.
 
Scouting Middlebury
The Panthers once again boast one of the most talented lineups in the country, entering the weekend ranked third in the latest USCHO poll. Middlebury traditionally gets off to a later start compared to its counterparts, as the Panthers opened their season this past weekend. The team got off to a quick start to conference play, sweeping Trinity College in a two-game set at Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. The Panthers roared past the Bantams 5-1 on Friday, riding a potent power play that converted on three of seven chances. Saturday's contest was played much tighter, as Middlebury rallied from a 1-0 deficit at the first intermission to win 2-1. Maddie Winslow leads the team with three points on a goal and two assists through two games. Marisa Dreher and Julia Neuburger split the weekend set in the cage, each allowing only one goal in 60 minutes of action.
 
Scouting Gustavus Adolphus
The Gusties have gotten off to solid start to the 2015-16 campaign, entering the weekend with a 3-1-2 mark on the year. Gustavus Adolphus fell one spot to ninth in the latest USCHO poll, after going 1-0-1 over this past weekend against Augsburg College. The Gusties gutted out a 2-2 tie on the road in the first game of the weekend set, but rallied for a 4-2 home win in the second game on Saturday. Star forward Allison Eder-Zdechlik leads the team with seven goals and nine points on the year. Three goaltenders have seen time in the Gusties' net this season. Amanda DiNella has seen the most time, entering the weekend with a 2-1-1 record and 2.20 goals against average.
 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will return to ECAC West play following this weekend, traveling to the North Country for a two-game set against SUNY Potsdam on Saturday, December 5th, and Sunday, December 6th. Saturday's contest is slated for 7:00 p.m., while the teams will drop the puck at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The series with the Bears will conclude the 2015 portion of Elmira's schedule.