No. 2 Elmira College (9-1-0) vs. Williams College (5-2-0)
Saturday, January 2, 2016 | 3:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The second-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team is set to drop the puck for the first time in the New Year when it welcomes red-hot Williams College to the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena on Saturday, January 2nd. Opening faceoff between the Soaring Eagles and the Ephs is set for 3:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles have not seen action for the better part of a month, but are coming off a hard-fought road sweep of a two-game set against North Country foe SUNY Potsdam. Elmira opened the series with a 5-0 whitewash of the Bears on Saturday, December 5th. EC pulled away thanks to a three-goal second period, as the team continued to showcase its depth of offensive option. Three of the five goals came from its third and fourth lines. Kelcey Crawford '18 posted a strong outing with 15 saves to mark her second shutout of the season. Things were not so easy the following afternoon, as Elmira narrowly repelled a furious SUNY Potsdam comeback charge for a 3-2 victory. Again it was Elmira's depth scoring that shined brightest, as Sarah Hughson '18 scored the game-winner, her second goal in as many games. Kyle Nelson '17 was strong between the pipes, making three big saves with the Bears working with a six-on-four advantage for the final 1:40 of the third period.
 
Winning Streak
With the two victories over Potsdam, Elmira closed out the 2015 calendar year with nine straight wins, following its loss to Adrian College in the season opener. The Soaring Eagles have outscored its opponents by nearly a four-to-one margin over that stretch, finding the back of the net 35 times, while conceding just nine goals. EC boasts three wins over nationally-ranked foes over the stretch, dispatching Norwich University, Middlebury College, and Gustavus Adolphus College. The nine-game streak is tied with Lake Forest College for the second-longest active streak in the nation, behind Plattsburgh State's current 23-game streak, which dates back to last season.
 
Getting Defensive
The Elmira defense has not missed a beat this season despite losing a couple of talented players from last season's blue line. The Soaring Eagles have only conceded 13 goals over the first 10 games this season, while they are posting a 1.00 goals against average over their current nine-game winning streak. This is the program's best defensive start since allowing 10 goals through the first 10 games of the 2012-13 season, which resulted in Elmira's third national championship.  
 
Scoring Depth Delivers
It is not just defense and strong goaltending that are the only parallels between this year's installment of the Soaring Eagles and the 2012-13 national championship squad. Unlike in past seasons where Elmira has relied on a handful of players to power the offensive charge, the scoring this season has been much more of a team effort. No Elmira player ranks within the Top-35 scorers in the nation, while the top Elmira scorer is a blue-liner in freshman Kristin Chivers '19. In total, 19 EC players have registered a point this season, while 18 have tallied at least two points. The Soaring Eagles have received goals from 15 different players through their first 10 contests. The depth scoring paved the way for both of Elmira's latest victories, as four of Elmira's eight goals on the weekend came from its third and fourth lines, while four different Elmira players marked their first goals of the season in the two wins.
 
Rookie Class Continues to Impress
A big part of Elmira's fast start to this season has been the immediate contributions it has received from the Class of 2019. EC freshman have made a huge impact out of the gates this season. An Elmira rookie has tallied at least one point in all nine of the team's victories this season. The Soaring Eagles are led in scoring by freshman defender Kristin Chivers '19, who ranks third in the nation among blue liners with 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Overall, the first-year class has accounted for a quarter of the team's goals and 26.9-percent of the team's points, entering the New Year with nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points.
 
Strong Between the Pipes
Elmira boasts one of the strongest goalie tandems in the country in second-year netminder Kelcey Crawford '18 and third-year Kyle Nelson '17. Crawford sits 11th in the country in goals against average at 1.28, while Nelson is not far behind, ranking 14th at 1.33. The Soaring Eagles are the only team with two players ranked within the Top-15 in the nation. Crawford has been a brick wall since a tough outing in the opening game of the season against Adrian. She has conceded just three goals over her last five starts.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira has dominated the series with Williams, posting an 11-0-1 all-time record against the Ephs. The Soaring Eagles first contest with Williams came during their inaugural season in 2001-02, with Elmira taking a 4-2 decision on Williams' home ice. After a 1-1 tie the following season, EC has taken the last 10 meetings in the overall series. This will be the fourth time Elmira and Williams have squared off at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. Elmira is 3-0-0 and has outscored the Ephs 13-to-2 in those contests.
 
Scouting Williams
Williams enters the New Year on a bit of a roll after closing out the 2015 portion of its schedule with three straight victories. The Ephs are 5-2-0 on the year, which includes a 3-1-0 mark on road ice. In their last outing, Williams posted an impressive road victory over ECAC West foe, Utica College, by a 2-1 final at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on December 12th. Defense has been the key for the Ephs through the early portion of the season, as the team has only conceded six goals in seven games. Sophomore goaltender Christina Cleroux has led the stingy defense from her position between the pipes. She has posted a stellar 0.87 goals against average and .958 save percentage, ranking sixth and seventh in the nation, respectively. Offensively, the heavy lifting has been done by senior forward Michaela Levine, who enters the contest with eight points on four goals and four assists. Classmate Natalie Bernstein has been a nice secondary option for the Ephs, posting two goals and three helpers on the year.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira returns to action on Saturday, January 9th, when they welcome nationally-ranked Norwich University to the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena for a 3:00 p.m. faceoff. The Soaring Eagles have already bested the Cadets once this season, scoring a 7-2 victory on opening weekend on the Cadets' home ice at the East-West Hockey Classic.