Elmira College (10-9-2, 3-7-1 ECAC West) vs. Utica College (11-8-3, 5-5-2 ECAC West)
Friday, February 12, 2016 | 7:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena – Pine Valley, NY
Saturday, February 13, 2016 | 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 skate on home ice for the last time in the 2015-16 regular season when the Soaring Eagles host Utica College at the Murray Athletic Center for a two-game set, beginning on Friday, February 12th, at 7:00 p.m.

Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles split their weekend series against Nazareth College. EC had a two-goal lead slip away, surrendering three goals in the third period en route to a 4-2 loss to the Golden Flyers on Friday, February 5th. The Purple and Gold then bounced back with a 4-3 overtime win the following night. Michael Collins '16 tied the game at three-all late in the third period to force overtime. Jeremy Marginsky '19 then scored his first career game-winner only 48 seconds into the extra period. Sandro Aeschlimann '19 turned away 35 shots to earn the win in net for EC.

Senior Day
The Elmira College men's hockey team will celebrate Class of 2016 Recognition Day on Saturday. The Soaring Eagles will honor seniors Rob Simpson '16, Greg Whittle '16, Michael Collins '16, Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16, Carter Shinkaruk '16, Brian Depp '16, and Tommy Sumi '16, as well as team manager Kyle Tomkalski '16, for their contributions to the men's ice hockey program in a postgame ceremony.

Working Overtime
In the words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's 1970's classic rock hit, the Soaring Eagles have been working overtime, but have had trouble taking care of business. The win over Nazareth marked the first overtime win in six chances for the Purple and Gold in the 2015-16 season. In addition, it is only the eighth such win in 47 overtime games since the start of the 2006-07 season. EC's last overtime victory came against Utica nearly a year ago, when the Soaring Eagles beat the Pioneers 2-1 on February 14, 2015, to take the regular-season series two-games-to-one.

Aeschlimann Back on Track
First-year netminder Sandro Aeschlimann '19 was forced into action earlier than expected with an injury to Elmira's starting goalie, Sal Magliocco '17, in November. The Zäziwil, Switzerland, native looked more like a seasoned-veteran rather than an inexperienced frosh, posting four straight wins from November 21st to December 11th, with three of those victories coming against national-ranked teams. However, in the four games prior to Saturday's overtime victory against Naz, Aeschlimann was riding a rough 0-2-2 stretch. The 35 saves he made against the Golden Flyers were the most he registered in a single game since making 42 against Trinity College on December 12, 2015, while the win was his first since December 11, 2015, against Wesleyan University. Aeschlimann enters the weekend series against Utica with 406 saves, third-most in the ECAC West.

Streaking Sumi
Tommy Sumi '16, Elmira's second-leading point-getter, enters the weekend series against Utica riding a five-game point streak, his second-longest of the year. The senior forward has also scored a goal in his last three games. In last Saturday's victory over Nazareth, Sumi opened the scoring for EC with a power-play goal early in the second period. He then assisted on the shorthanded goal from Tyler Theodoulou '18, which gave the Soaring Eagles their first lead of the game at the 7:45 mark in the second period. Sumi is currently in a tie for seventh in the ECAC West in points (20) and a tie for sixth in goals (9). Keeping the streak alive should bode well for the Purple and Gold, as EC has a 6-3 record in games where Sumi scores a goal this season.

Shinkaruk's Schneid
Elmira's leading scorer, Carter Shinkaruk '16, has been held without a point in his last three games, and he didn't skate in EC's overtime victory against Nazareth on Saturday. Prior to his three-game skid, Shinkaruk had recorded at least one point in 13-of-16 games, including six multi-point games. The Soaring Eagles will look to get the Langley, British Columbia, product back in the scoring column this weekend against the Pioneers, as Elmira is 0-5-1 in games in which Shinkaruk has skated but did not register a point. On the other hand, when he does tally a point, EC is 8-4-1.

Regular-Season Home Finales
Since the 1999-2000 season, the Soaring Eagles have a 10-6 mark in regular-season home finales. EC won seven such games from 1999-2006, outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 57-16. In 2011-12, EC closed the home schedule with a 6-3 win over Utica. In the last four regular-season finales at the Domes, the Soaring Eagles are 2-2.

Last Matchup
The Pioneers skated away with a 4-3 victory over Elmira in the third game of the season back on November 13, 2015, at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Soaring Eagles trailed 3-2 heading into the third period, with goals from Theodoulou and Shinkaruk. A hooking penalty assessed to Jonathan Grassie '19 proved to be fatal, as with only four seconds left on the man-advantage, the Pioneers scored the game-winner. Although Brian Depp '16 cut the lead to one with a penalty shot at the 16:17, the Soaring Eagles came up empty on a nearly four-and-a-half minute power play in the third, which included a pair of 5-on-3 chances.

Series History
The Soaring Eagles hold a 24-14-5 advantage in the all-time series versus Utica. Despite the loss to open the 2015-16 edition of the ECAC West rivalry, EC has won four of the last six contests against the Pioneers. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, seven of the nine games have been decided by only one goal.

Scouting Utica
The Pioneers are currently tied for second in the ECAC West standings with Manhattanville College after sweeping the Valiants in a two-game set last weekend. In front of the one the largest home crowds in all of college hockey at The Utica Aud, the Pioneers boast a 9-2-2 record, but they are only 2-6-1 on the road. Freshman goaltender Michael Fredrick has been solid between the pipes in his rookie season. He is third in the ECAC West with a 2.09 goals-against average and second with a .933 save percentage. Fredrick is one of only seven goalies in the country to have logged over 1,200 minutes (1,263:04) and is one of only two freshmen in that group. Stellar goaltending and a strong defense have allowed the Pioneers to register the sixth-best penalty killing unit in the nation at 90.1-percent (73-of-81). Hayden Dawes is Utica's leading scorer with nine goals and 15 points, followed by Kevin Valenti with 14 points and a team-best 12 helpers.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will head to the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, NY, to play a rescheduled ECAC West contest against Manhattanville College on Tuesday, February 16th, at 8:00 p.m. Elmira will conclude the 2015-16 regular season with a visit to conference foe Hobart College on Saturday, February 20th, at 4:00 p.m.