Elmira College (4-4-0) vs. SUNY Potsdam (6-3-2)
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 | 7:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team will look to continue its recent roll when it concludes its season-long five-game home stand on Tuesday evening against SUNY Potsdam. Opening faceoff at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
It has been nine days since Elmira's last contest, one that resulted in a 5-3 win over third-ranked Babson College at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. With the score tied 3-3 entering the third period, Elmira turned to AHCA Second Team All-American Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16, who scored the game-winner 4:18 into the final stanza. ten Vaanholt finished with two points in the win, both on goals. Rookie netminder Sandro Aeschlimann '19 made 38 stops, including a 13-save third period, which kept Babson off the scoreboard and preserved Elmira's two-goal victory.
 
Three-Game Win Streak
The Soaring Eagles enter tonight's contest on a three-game win streak, with all three wins coming against nationally ranked opponents. Two key areas for Elmira during its three-game run have been its ability to deny teams on power-play chances and EC's lack of penalty minutes. Opposing teams went 0-for-13 on power-play chances during that time; Elmira has not conceded a power-play goal in four games. Additionally, Elmira is averaging 17.5 penalty minutes per contest this year but just 10.0 penalty minutes during its three-game win streak.
 
Depp Continues Prolific Run
Brian Depp '16 continued his prolific run to begin the season during Elmira's weekend set against Amherst and Babson. The senior captain tallied the game-winning goal, as part of a two-goal effort in the 6-3 victory over the Lord Jeffs, while adding a goal in the 5-3 win over the Beavers. For his immense efforts in the two victories over nationally-ranked foes, he was named to the D3hockey.com National Team of the Week. Depp has tallied at least one point in each of Elmira's eight games to begin the season, which marks the second-longest consecutive point streak of his career. Overall, he ranks second on the team with 10 points on six goals and four assists.
 
ten Vaanholt Breaks Out
After earning AHCA Second Team All-American and ECAC West Player of the Year honors a season ago, expectations were sky-high for Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 entering the season. Coming off a career-high 35 points, on 12 goals and 23 assists, the senior forward seemed poised to blow past the 100-point mark for his Elmira career. However, ten Vaanholt entered last weekend still yet to record his first point on the year, as the Soaring Eagles limped out to a 2-4-0 start to the campaign. The senior forward reminded everyone why he is one of the most lethal scorers in NCAA Division III, making a statement on the national stage with a four-point weekend in the victories over Amherst and Babson. He tallied a pair of assists on Saturday against the Lord Jeffs, while he pumped home two goals, including the game-winner in the 5-3 win over the Beavers on Sunday.
 
Calm in the Crease
Sandro Aeschlimann '19 has been a revelation for Elmira in net this season. The rookie was immediately thrust into a prominent role as the team's primary backstop early this season, with veteran returner Sal Magliocco '17 spending time on the shelf due to injury. Aeschlimann has shown poise beyond his years over the recent stretch, starting in Elmira's last four games. He has posted a 3-1-0 record in those contests, which includes three straight victories over nationally ranked foes. Although his goals against average has hovered in the low three's for the majority of this season, he has not buckled despite seeing a heavy workload most nights. The Zaziwil, Switzerland, native has topped the 30-save mark in five of his six appearances on the year and posted back-to-back 41 save performances in outings against nationally-ranked Hobart and Amherst.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira and SUNY Potsdam have faced each other 50 times since their first meeting during the 1976-77 season. The Soaring Eagles hold a decisive 41-8-1 record against the Bears, entering tonight's contest on a five-game win streak.
 
Scouting SUNY Potsdam
After opening the season with six straight wins and peaking at 12th in the USCHO National Rankings, Potsdam has hit a rough patch, going 0-3-2 in its last five games. Defense will be key tonight for the Bears. In its first six wins, Potsdam limited its opponents to 1.7 goals per game, but over the last five games, the Bears have conceded on average 5.2 goals per contest. Offensively, Potsdam has relied on the efforts of Dylan Vander Esch, Todd Thomas, and Billy Pascalli, who account for 41 percent of the team's point total. Vander Esch leads the Bears with 14 points on a team-leading nine goals and five assists. Pascalli is the team's top assist-man with seven helpers. Defensively, second-year netminder Brendan McMenimen has been Potsdam's first choice between the pipes. He owns a 2.83 goals against average and is 6-2-1 on the year.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira continues its three-game week on Friday, when the Soaring Eagles travel to take on Wesleyan University in a 7:00 p.m. non-conference tilt. The Soaring Eagles conclude the week the following day with a 4:30 p.m. puck drop against nationally ranked Trinity College. Elmira returns to the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena on Saturday, January 9^th, when it welcomes SUNY Geneseo for a 7:00 p.m. faceoff.