#3/3 Elmira vs. Manhattanville
Game One Details	Friday, Feb. 9 | Pine Valley, N.Y. | 7:00 p.m.
Game Two Details	Saturday, Feb. 10 | Pine Valley, N.Y. | 3:00 p.m.
Game Notes	Game Notes Link
Game Coverage	Live Video: Video Link Live Stats: Stats Link Live Audio: Audio Link
Manhattanville Links	Roster | Schedule | Stats

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The No. 3/3-ranked Elmira College women's ice hockey team welcomes United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) foe Manhattanville College to the Murray Athletic Center for a two-game set on Friday and Saturday, February 9-10. The series opener on Friday is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will mark the first of four consecutive home games for the Soaring Eagles.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Elmira earned a 2-1 overtime victory over William Smith on Sunday, February 4, in Geneva, New York.  For the second-straight day, the Soaring Eagles and Herons needed an overtime period, however, this game would be different than Saturday's 2-2 draw, as Shannon Strawinski '19 netted the game-winner just 31 seconds into OT. Katie Granato '19 scored Elmira's first goal, while Maddie Evangelous '19, Sarah Hughson '18 and Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18 all earned assists in the contest.

MILESTONE WATCH
With an assist in EC's thrilling 2-1 overtime triumph over William Smith on Saturday, February 4, Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18 now has 91 points in her illustrious career. The East Sussex, England, native is nine points shy of achieving 100 career points and tying both Stefanie McLean '07 and Brooke Wilgosh '15 for the 10th place on Elmira's all-time leaderboard. With 65 career assists, Durnell is also just four shy of tying Jamie Kivi '10 (69) for the ninth-most in program history.
 
SCOUTING MANHATTANVILLE
The Valiants enter this weekend with a 9-10-2 overall record after going winless in their last four games. Although Manhattanville has 10 losses on the season, many of those setbacks came in close contests. On the year, the Valiants are 1-5-0 in one-goal games and 2-4-0 in two-goal tilts, which includes their most recent bout, a 3-1 loss to Utica on February 3. The setback against the Pioneers dropped the Valiants' UCHC record to 6-5-1, which places them fifth in the league standings. Manhattanville has been one of the best defensive teams in the UCHC, as it ranks third in the conference in scoring defense (2.05 gpg). Leading this defensive unit is junior goaltender Rose Pijaca, who is third in the league in goals-against average (2.00) and fourth in save percentage (.924). On the other end of the ice, junior forward Nicole Mensi has been the Valiants' best offensive threat. The Mamaroneck, New York, native paces the team in points (23), goals (12) and assists (11). Mensi also ranks sixth in the conference in goals (0.57) and eight in points per game (1.10). Senior forward Sarah Sinning has been another offensive threat, as she leads the team with three power-play goals.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend's tilts will mark the 27th and 28th all-time meetings between Elmira and Manhattanville. In the previous encounters, the Soaring Eagles own an 18-5-3 advantage over the Valiants. The Purple and Gold have not been defeated by Manhattanville in their last six bouts (5-0-1), a streak that began in the 2011-12 campaign. The most recent contest between these two teams took place on November 2, 2014, when Elmira handed the Valiants a 6-0 loss at the East-West Hockey Classic in Northfield, Vermont.
 
CONFERENCE STANDINGS UPDATE
With the season winding to a close, now is a good time to see what the UCHC standings look like. Atop the leaderboard is Elmira with 23 league points. In second is William Smith, which owns 21 conference points with two games left its the schedule. By owning the top-two spots, the Soaring Eagles and Herons are in line to secure a first-round bye in the UCHC Tournament. Neumann (19), Stevenson (16), Manhattanville (13) and Utica (12) round out the top-six and have all clinched a spot in the tournament. Unfortunately for Chatham (4), Lebanon Valley (3) and King's (Pa.) (1), they will not be making an appearance in the postseason, as they have already been mathematically eliminated.
 
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles continue their season-long four-game homestand against UCHC foe Neumann University on Friday, February 16. Opening puck drop for the league contest is slated for 7:00 p.m. at the Murray Athletic Center.