
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.