NCAA Tournament Semifinals
No. 4/5 Elmira College (22-4-1) at No. 3/6 University of Wisconsin River-Falls (22-5-2)
Friday, March 18, 2016 | 7:00 P.M. | Stafford Ice Arena – Plattsburgh, NY
 
General Information
NCAA Tournament Bracket | Ticket Information
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles | Game Notes | Practice Photos
 
Elmira, NY -- The quest for a fourth national title continues for the Elmira College women's ice hockey team this Friday, March 18th, as the Soaring Eagles travel to take on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the NCAA Semifinals. Friday's clash with the Falcons is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Stafford Ice Arena in Plattsburgh, NY.

Last Time Out
Elmira punched its ticket to the NCAA Semifinals with a 3-1 road win over second-ranked Adrian College last Saturday night at the Arrington Ice Arena in the NCAA First Round. The Soaring Eagles utilized a pair of power-play goals to secure its third trip to the Final Four in the past four seasons. Maddie Evangelous '19 opened the scoring with a power-play goal 14:38 into the first period. The Falcons answered with a power-play score of their own 3:06 into the third period to even the game at 1-1. Special teams continued to be a theme in the third, as Katie Granato '19 punched-in EC's second power-play goal of the evening at the 4:19 mark of the final frame. Elmira clung to its one-goal lead for the majority of the third period until junior captain Johanna Eidensten '17 tallied an empty-netter to all but seal a Soaring Eagle victory. 

Freshmen Contributions
Elmira's freshman class has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as the group of first-year skaters have had an immediate impact since their arrival on campus last fall. Elmira's first-year players have totaled 100 points (42g-58a) as a collective unit, accounting for 39.2-percent of EC's scoring during the 2015-16 campaign. The Class of 2019 is the highest-scoring group of freshmen since the Class of 2014, who accounted for 43.3-percent of Elmira's points in their rookie season in 2010-11. 

Balanced Scoring
The 2015-16 season has been one of great success for Elmira, with much of that success coming from EC's balanced offensive approach. Elmira is the only team in this year's NCAA Division III Final Four without a player in the Top-25 in points per game; Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18 is EC's leader in points per game at 1.04. A total of 13 players have registered 10-or-more points this season, which is the highest total the program has had since the 2012-13 National Championship team that sported 14 skaters with 10-plus points.   

First Time in Program History
Head Coach Dean Jackson '03 has enjoyed a great deal of success since taking the reins of the program during the 2012-13 National Championship season. During his four years with the team, Jackson has amassed an impressive 93-18-4 (.826) record and has guided the Soaring Eagles to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. Jackson becomes the first coach in program history on the women's or men's side to accomplish that feat. 

Also a Program First
Not only has Coach Jackson become the first EC coach to make four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, he is also the first coach in program history to guide the Soaring Eagles to four straight 20-win seasons. Additionally, Coach Jackson has the second-most wins in program history (93) and is nine shy of taking over the top spot from former coach Paul Nemetz-Carlson, who totaled 102 in five seasons with the Purple and Gold from 2003-08. Nemetz-Carlson currently serves as the Director of Women's Ice Hockey Operations for NCAA Division I Quinnipiac University. 

Not In Five Years
Rookie talent Kristin Chivers '19 has been a force, not only on defense, but also in the attacking zone for Elmira throughout her freshman campaign. The Antioch, IL, native leads the Soaring Eagles with 25 points on seven goals and 18 assists. Chivers' 25-point total is the highest by an Elmira freshman since the 2010-11 season. 

Scouting the Falcons
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls enter Friday's semifinal matchup with a 22-5-2 overall record, after claiming a 4-1 win over the University of St. Thomas in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Haley Nielsen led the charge against the Tommies with a three-point performance on two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist. The Falcons are unbeaten in their last seven games ( 6-0-1) and have registered three one-goal wins during that stretch, two of which came on the road. UW-River Falls is paced on offense by a trio of players, who account for 46.7-percent of the Falcons' scoring. Chloe Kinsel leads the pack with 44 points on a team-high 25 points and 19 assists; Kinsel ranks 10th in the nation in points per game (1.52). Dani Sibley and Carly Moran are no slouches either, as duo has logged 38 and 33 points, respectively. Both Sibley and Moran have scored 20 goals apiece this season. Angie Hall has been a mainstay between the pipes, as the second-year netminder has played 95.6-percent of the minutes in goal. She has 22 wins on the year, as well as a .922 save percentage and a 1.61 goals against average. 

Soaring Eagles vs. Falcons
Friday's NCAA Semifinal bout will be the fourth all-time meeting between Elmira and UW-River Falls, with all three previous meetings taking place in the NCAA Tournament. Elmira owns a pair one-goal wins against the Falcons, as well as a 3-0 victory in 2009.