Complete Game Notes

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team will play its second and third games of the week, as the Soaring Eagles welcome the Bison of Nichols College to the Murray Athletic Center for a pair of non-league games. The first of two contests is scheduled for Saturday, November 26th, at 7:00 p.m.
 
WEEKEND OVERVIEW              

• After going on the road and securing a 6-4 win over SUNY Potsdam, Elmira returns to the Murray Athletic Center for a pair of non-league games this weekend against CCC affiliate, Nichols College.
• The Saturday-night bout with the Bison marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams in program history.
• Saturday's series opener with Nichols marks the beginning of a four-game homestand for the Soaring Eagles. The stretch of home contests will take Elmira through the New Year.
• This weekend's series is part of a nine-game stretch of non-conference games for the Soaring Eagles. Of the nine non-league bouts, six will take place at the MAC Ice Arena.

 
TOP FROSH

• Elmira's rookie class has had to carry the load on offense through the early stages of the 2016-17 season.
• Matthew Cuce has emerged as a consistent point producer for the Soaring Eagles, as he leads the team in points (8) and owns a share of the lead in assists (6).
• Cuce's eight points not only lead Elmira, they also rank tied for first in the ECAC West Conference in freshman scoring.
• The Fort Myers, Fla., native is the owner of a 0.89 points per game average, a mark that ranks 26th in the country in rookie scoring.
• Fellow classmate Eric Bolden is not far behind Cuce on the national leaderboard, as his 0.88 points per game average ranks 27th in the nation in rookie scoring.

 
NICHOLS AT A GLANCE

• The Bison are off to another hot start to the 2016-17 season at 5-1-1 (4-1-1 CCC).
• Nichols is unbeaten on its home ice (3-0-1) and is 2-1-0 in road contests this season. The blemish on Nichols' record is a 6-4 road loss to the University of New England in the team's first away contest of the year.
• The Bison have one non-league win under their belt this season, which came in the form of a 4-2 home win over Skidmore.
• Nichols struggled outside of league play last season, producing a 6-5 record. Dating back to the 2010-11 season, the Bison are 42-31-4 (.571).
• Freshman J.B. Baker is the team's leading point scorer with 14 on five tallies and a team-leading nine helpers. His five goals are also tied for the team lead with junior Scott Cuthrell.
• Baker is averaging 2.00 points per game, a mark that is tied for third in the nation and tied for the lead among rookie scorers.
• Colin Brennan has been a mainstay between the pipes this season. He is 4-1-1 in six starts with one shutout win. Brennan also sports a .938 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average.
• Nichols is one of the most disciplined teams in the country in terms of penalties. The Bison average 10.9 penalty minutes per game, which is the 13th lowest per-game average in the country.
• Nichols' weakest link is its penalty kill unit, which ranks 62nd in the nation with a 75.0-percent success rate (24-for-32).