Elmira College (11-10-3, 4-8-2 ECACW) at #6 Hobart College (18-4-2, 11-3-0 ECACW)
Saturday, February 20, 2016 | 4:00 P.M. | The Cooler – Geneva, NY

Live Coverage | Game Notes
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's ice hockey team wraps up the regular season on Saturday afternoon when it heads to The Cooler to take on nationally-ranked Hobart College at 4:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira had its dreams of hosting an ECAC West Tournament quarterfinal game at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena snapped on Tuesday night, as Manhattanville College bested the Soaring Eagles 5-2 in a rescheduled contest from earlier this season. EC held a 1-0 lead over halfway through the contest; however, the Valiants struck the Soaring Eagles with a three-goal barrage over a 2:41 span of the second period to take control. Carter Shinkaruk '16 pulled a goal back 31 seconds into the final period, but Manhattanville stymied the comeback with two goals down the stretch to seal the conference's second seed.
 
Aeschlimann Grabs Weekly Honors
First-year netminder Sandro Aeschlimann '19 continued to be a force for the Soaring Eagles between the pipes over the weekend, as the Switzerland native produced a total of 78 saves and a 1-0-1 record. He made a career-high 54 saves in Saturday's 2-2 overtime tie, which included a 21-save third period. The following night saw Aeschlimann turn away 24 shots in a one-goal overtime victory. For his efforts, he was named ECAC West Goaltender of the Week, while he also appeared on the D3hockey.com National Team of the Week.
 
Depp Delivers
Senior captain Brian Depp '16 played the hero in Elmira's home finale, netting two goals including the game-winner in overtime on a penalty shot, to lift the Soaring Eagles to a thrilling 3-2 victory on Senior Night. It was the first game-winning goal scored by way of an overtime penalty shot by a Soaring Eagles player in over 16 years. Additionally, his four game-winners this season are the most in the ECAC West and place him in a tie for fourth-most in the country. Depp continued to stay hot on Tuesday night, posting a multi-point effort with a goal and assist in the loss to the Valiants. It was his sixth multi-point outing of the season, while it marked the second time this season he netted two-plus points in consecutive games.
 
Shinkaruk Streaks Ahead
Carter Shinkaruk '16 had been the hottest goal scorer in the nation, before suffering from mini four-game drought. However, things seem to be coming back around for the Langley, BC, product. He has found the back of the net in two straight games, scoring the tying goal in Elmira's 3-2 overtime victory over Utica and posting a goal and assist against Manhattanville on Tuesday. Shinkaruk owns the nation's third-highest goals per game average at 0.86, while his 19 goals are tied for fourth. Elmira will hope that the senior forward continues the hot streak, as the Soaring Eagles are 9-5-1 when he tallies at least one point; EC is 0-5-2 in games in which Shinkaruk has skated but did not register a point.
 
Last Matchup
Elmira split a two-game set against Hobart earlier this season at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. The Soaring Eagles dropped the opening game of the series by a 5-3 final; however, they rallied for a 4-3 victory over the then-11th-ranked Statesmen. Brian Depp '16 netted the eventual game-winner, an empty-net tally which proved to be crucial, as Hobart scored a late goal of their own.
 
Scouting Hobart
The Statesmen are in the midst of an excellent season, entering Saturday's contest with an 18-4-2 overall record and an 11-3-0 mark in ECAC West play. Hobart's November loss to Elmira seem to galvinize the squad, as the team posted 12-0-1 record over its next 13 games. The Purple and Gold do seem to be catching the Statesmen at the right time, as they are just 2-2-0 over their last four games entering the weekend. Hobart boasts one of the strongest offensive units in the country, ranking sixth in the nation with a 4.08 goals per game average. Five skaters have racked up 20-plus points this season, led by senior forward Brad Robbins, who has 15 goals and 11 assists on the year. Classmate Ben Gamache is right on his heels with 25 points, ranking first in the ECAC West with 18 assists and 13th in the country with a 0.86 assists per game average. As good as Hobart has been in scoring goals, it has been equally adept at preventing them. The team ranks ninth in the nation in scoring defense at an even 2.00 goals allowed per game. Senior Lino Chimienti and sophomore Frank Oplinger has been a strong tandem in net for the Statesmen. Chimienti finds his name among the nation's elite in several categories, ranking seventh in save percentage (.942) and 11th in goals-against average (1.79).
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira will return to action on Wednesday, February 24^th, when it hits the road for the quarterfinal round of the ECAC West Tournament. The Soaring Eagles' seeding and opponent will be based on the results from this weekend.