#2/2 Elmira at East-West Hockey Classic
Game One Details	vs. #4/4 Adrian | Sunday, Jan. 7 | Northfield, Vt. | 5:00 p.m.
Game Two Details	vs. #1/1 Norwich or #3/3 Plattsburgh State  Monday, Jan. 8 | Northfield, Vt. | 1:00 p.m./4:00 p.m.
Game Coverage	Live Video: Video Link  Live Stats: Stats Link
Adrian Links	Roster | Schedule | Stats
Norwich Links	Roster | Schedule | Stats
Plattsburgh Links	Roster | Schedule | Stats

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The No. 2/2 nationally-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team heads to Northfield, Vermont, this weekend to take part in the eighth-annual East-West Hockey Classic, hosted by Norwich. The Soaring Eagles begin the event on Sunday, January 7, with a 5:00 p.m. tilt against No. 4/4 Adrian at the Kreitzberg Arena. 

LAST TIME OUT
In EC's most recent series, the Purple and Gold split two games against Amherst. In the opener, the Mammoths netted three unanswered goals in the second and third periods to seal a 3-2 victory. In the bout, Meghan Fonfara '18 and Sarah Hughson '18 accounted for both of Elmira goals. In the second game of the series, the Soaring Eagles earned a 2-0 triumph after scoring two third-period goals. Freshman Emma Crocker '21 tallied the game-winner at the 7:39 mark of the third, while an unassisted Katie Granato '19 strike less than two minutes later gave EC the insurance it needed to secure the non-conference win. Senior goalie Kelcey Crawford '18 shined in the second bout, as she made 32 saves to earn her third shutout of the season.

ASCENDING THE RECORD BOOKS
In her four seasons donning the Purple and Gold, Crawford has solidified herself as one of the most prolific backstops in program history. In the victory over the Mammoths, she became just the fifth Soaring Eagle to surpass 1,000 saves, as she has 1,031 in her illustrious career. She stands a good chance this weekend to pass former teammate, Kyle Nelson '17 (1,040), to take sole possession of fourth place on EC's all-time saves leaderboard. Crawford also ranks fifth among Elmira's all-time shutouts leaders with 15. The Purcellville, Virginia, native has added eight wins to her tally this season, giving her 39 in her four seasons, the fourth-most in program history.

CHALLENGING THE BEST
For the second time this year, the Elmira women will head to an invitational that features four nationally-ranked opponents. This event will represent an even stiffer challenge, as it contains the four highest-ranked teams in all of Division III. Following Sunday's tilt, the Soaring Eagles will either face the No. 1/1 Cadets or No. 3/3 Plattsburgh State. Norwich comes into the tournament with a 10-0-1 overall record with all but one of those victories coming by at least two goals. Plattsburgh, on the other hand, is 9-2-0 on the year, with losses coming at the hands of both Elmira and Norwich. Despite these setbacks, the Cardinals remain one of the toughest teams in the country, as they have won the last four NCAA championships. No matter which team the Soaring Eagles face in the second round, an EC win will make a resounding statement to the rest of the country.

SCOUTING ADRIAN
The nationally-ranked Bulldogs have built off their NCAA runners-up performance from last season to put together a strong 2017-18 campaign. Adrian owns a 9-2-1 overall record and a 6-1-1 standing in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA). Both of the Bulldogs' losses have come by one goal, including a hard-fought 1-0 setback at the hands of Plattsburgh on November 25 at the UNO Classic. Since that loss, however, Adrian has won three consecutive games, besting its opponents by a combined score of 23-3. In addition to their high-scoring offense, the Bulldogs also own the nation's stingiest defenses, as their opponents are averaging just 0.83 goals per game. Leading this defensive unit has been sophomore Kelly O'Sullivan. The Inverness, Illinois, native paces the team and ranks second in the county in points per game (1.42) by a blueliner. Despite the graduation of former NCHA All-Conference Goalie Brooke Gibson, Adrian has received fantastic play from its first-year backstop, Kate Turner. The freshman from Houston, Texas, has started all but one game and is tied for second in the country in goals-against average (0.72).

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's tournament, the Soaring Eagles will return to action on Friday, January 12, when they begin a home-and-home series against United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) foe Utica College. The opening bout is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. at the Murray Athletic Center.