2008-09 Season In Review

 The Elmira College Men’s Hockey team had another strong season in 2008-09 that culminated with an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. When it was all said and done, the Soaring Eagles finished the year with a 16-3-3 record including a 9-3-3 mark in the ECAC-West division under Coach Tim Ceglarski.

The path to Elmira College’s fourth-straight winning season was paved with winning streaks of four and five games a long with a nine-game stretch without a loss. In those nine games EC secured seven wins and two ties.

For the majority of the year the Soaring Eagles managed to do the most important thing in any sport; score more than their opponent. EC was second in the ECAC-West with 4.15 goals a game while holding its opponents to only 2.33 goals a contest, third best in the conference.

Elmira College’s offensive attack posted at least five goals in seven games with its high coming on Jan. 17 in a 10-0 defeat of Morrisville State College. On the other end of the ice, EC held its opponents to just one goal or less nine times with 7-0 and 8-0 shutouts on Nov. 15 and Jan. 20 over Lebanon Valley College and Hamilton College.

After the season finished with a 2-1 loss to Neumann College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the individual accolades rolled in for the Soaring Eagles. Karl Linden ’11 (Stockholm, - Bradford Rattlers, GMJHL) was named Second Team RBK Division III All-American and First Team All-ECAC West. Forward Rusty Masters ’10 (Grafton, ONT -- Port Hope Predators, OPJHL), defenseman Kyle Branson ’09 (Whitby, ONT -- Bowmanville Eagles, OPJHL) and goalie Casey Tuttle ’10 (Chelsea, ME -- Portland Jr. Pirates, AJHL) were Second Team All-ECAC West selections. Forward Brendan Sanders ’12 (Mississauga, ONT -- Vaughan Vipers, OPJHL) was also selected to the ECAC-West Rookie Team.

Linden, who led EC and was second in the conference with 22 assists, led all defensemen in the ECAC West with 29 points while scoring seven goals; two being game winners. Masters provided timely scoring for Elmira College in 08-09 by making the most of EC’s power plays. 10 of Masters’ team-high 14 goals came when at least one opponent was forced to the penalty box. The 14 scores placed Masters third in the ECAC West in goals.

Branson, one of 12 EC players from Ontario, helped enforce the Soaring Eagles’ stingy defense while also totaling one goal and a career-high eight assists in his final season at Elmira College. The team captain’s nine points placed him ninth in defensemen scoring in the conference.

Acting as the Soaring Eagles’ last line of defense, Tuttle was dominant at times and always dependable. Tuttle stopped 91.3 percent of shots he faced while making 644 saves in 25 games played. His 2.44 goals against average were the third best in ECAC West as he went on to finish the season with a 14-8-3 record.

In his first year wearing the Purple and Gold, Sanders came in and delivered 13 goals and nine assists to lead all ECAC West first years in scoring. Sanders’ 13 goals were ninth best in the conference.

Six Soaring Eagles finished up their collegiate careers this year at Elmira College. Aside from Branson, EC said goodbye to quality players like David McKenna ’09 (Toronto, ONT -- North York Rangers, OPJHL), and Stefan Schoen ’09 (Arth, Switzerland -- Toronto Rattlers, GMJHL). McKenna, a forward, appeared in all 27 games for Elmira College and finished third on the team with 18 assists while lighting the lamp six times to finish with 24 points. Schoen produced seven goals and nine assists in 20 games.

Forward’s Albert Mitchell ’09 (Davison, MI -- Green Mountain Glades, EJHL) and Matt Blake ’09 (Idaho Falls, ID -- Bradford Rattlers, GMJHL) also donned the Purple and Gold for the last time this year combining for 11 goals and 10 assists.

Jan Velic ’09 (Pardubice, Czech Republic -- Toronto Raiders, WJHL), scored a team-high 30 points, 11 goals and 19 assists. Velic rounded out his career ranking twelfth in goals and eighth in assists in the ECAC West.

Defenseman Greg Moore ’10 (Chateauguay, QC -- Vaudreuil Mustangs, LHJAAAQ ) also helped out EC’s tough defensive unit while giving out nine assists, scoring one goal and being one of the five players to appear in all 27 games.

Rick Schrank ’11 (Newmarket, ONT -- Newmarket Hurricanes, OPJHL) improved from his first year and finished the season with six assists and a career-best 13 goals. Larry Willard ’11 (Ottawa Lake, MI -- Baystate Breakers, EJHL) also came on to produce four goals and five assists.

In limited action, Kevin Bolin ’11 (Islip Terrace, NY -- Green Mountain Glades, EJHL) achieved 2-0 record that included a shutout vs. Lebanon Valley College.

Sanders was not the only first-year player to produce instantly for Elmira College. Forward Rick Acorn ’12 (Barrie ONT -- Couchiching Terriers, OPJHL) netted six goals and 10 assists finishing seventh in the ECAC-West in first year player scoring. Andrew Wilcox ’12 (Rochester, MN -- Walpole Express) and Darcy Vaillancourt ’12 (Bonfield, ONT -- Innisfil Lakers, GMJHL) also wasted no time announcing their presence. Wilcox had 10 assists and four goals. Vaillancourt had six goals.

Kevin Willer ’12 (Toronto, ONT -- North York Rangers, OPJHL), Martin Lee ’12, (Toronto, ONT -- Vaughan Vipers, OPJHL) and Brock Sawyer ’12 (Toronto, ONT -- Powell River Kings, BCHL) all played in at least 17 games in their first season. Willer scored three goals; Sawyer had eight assists while Lee also passed for four assists.

EC will lose Branson, McKenna, Schoen, Mitchell, Blake and Velic to graduation.