ECU Announces Ambitious 2012-2013 Schedule

GREENVILLE, NC – The ECU Ice Hockey Club has finalized its 2012-2013 regular season schedule, which features 26 games against some of the top DII teams in the nation, highlighted by appearances in two showcase tournaments in Lynchburg, VA and Rockville, MD.

The club will get started early as it travels to Kennesaw, GA for a two-game series with the Kennesaw State University Owls, September 14-15. The Pirates will also travel to the metro-DC area as they take on some of the best teams in the nation at the DII level in the three-game ACHA DII Invitational Showcase, October 5-7. While the match-ups have not been officially set, the roster of teams includes the likes of Ohio State, Grand Valley State (MI), Siena College (NY), the University of Kentucky, the University of Miami (OH), and San Diego State, among many others.

ECU will also participate in the Liberty University Showcase which will see the Pirates take on the University of Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and the tournament host Liberty University.

General Manager Brent Falcon said this of the Pirates tough 2012-2013 schedule: “We really want to challenge ourselves this year by putting together a schedule that gives us the opportunity to play some of the best teams in the nation. We feel that in order to attract the best talent to ECU we need to be able to offer our players the chance to take their game to the next level by playing against top quality competition. By participating in the ACHA DII Invitational Showcase, the club will be able to gain exposure on the national level, while giving us the chance to play some teams from outside the South Region that we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to play.”

Check out the full 2012-2013 schedule here.

Pirates' Staff Staying Busy in Off-Season

GREENVILLE, NC – Two months since the ECU Ice Hockey Club wrapped up the 2011-2012 season at the MACHA Playoffs, the Pirates’ staff is well underway in preparing for the 2012-2013 campaign. With tryout dates already announced and the regular season schedule set to be released in the coming weeks, team leadership has switched its focus to recruiting – and that means a trip to Washington, DC.

For the second time in as many years, the ECU Ice Hockey Club sent representatives to the Washington Capitals College Hockey Fair, this past Saturday. The fair is an annual free event for local high school hockey players in the Washington, D.C. area. The event was created to provide amateur hockey players and their parents with an opportunity to meet and gain valuable insight from coaches in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

Head Coach Scott Bragdon and General Manager Brent Falcon represented ECU and were thrilled with the experience. Coach Bragdon stated, "I was very impressed with the Washington Capitals' dedication to local coaches, and their help trying to expand hockey in the southern region." 

Staff members will be on the road again as they travel to Naples, FL for the annual ACHA National Meeting, April 26-29. While attendance is optional, the ECU Ice Hockey Club is proud to have sent representatives each of the last five years. “The [ACHA] meeting is something we look forward to all year. It is a great opportunity to meet representatives from other schools that we would normally only speak with through email, or over the phone. There are some great events for coaches, opportunities to network, and attending the meeting really shows that you are committed to taking your program to the next level,” said Falcon.

2012 Tryout Schedule Released

GREENVILLE, NC – In anticipation of the upcoming season, the ECU Ice Hockey Club has released the 2012 tryout schedule. A pre-tryout meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 21st at 7:30pm to be held in the ECU Student Recreation Center classroom and is mandatory for all players interested in trying out. A pre-tryout skate will be held on Thursday, August 23rd from 8pm to 9:30pm. The skate is optional but attendance is highly recommended. Tryouts will commence Friday, August 24th and will conclude on Sunday, August 26th. Practice will begin Tuesday, August 28 from 6pm to 7pm. Prospective players are urged to fill out our recruiting form at the bottom of the "Recruits" page in order to be added to the team's e-mail list. A full schedule is listed below. More details will be released as tryouts approach.

Pre-Tryout Meeting: Tuesday, August 21, 7:30pm
Pre-Tryout Skate: Thursday, August 23, 8pm-9:30pm
Tryout Session 1 – Friday, August 24, 8pm-10pm
Tryout Session 2 – Saturday, August 25, 10am-12pm
Tryout Session 3 – Sunday, August 26, 10am-12pm
First Practice – Tuesday, August 28, 6pm-7pm
Team Meeting – Prior to First Practice, Tuesday, August 28, 5pm

ECU Teams up With the USMC, Raises $500!

GREENVILLE, NC – The ECU Ice Hockey Club participated in a friendly scrimmage with the United States Marine Corps hockey team Wednesday. All proceeds from the game were donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Pirates were thrilled to raise over $500! The USMC team was comprised of Marines based in Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and Marine Corps Air Station New River. The scrimmage also served as the Pirates' Senior Night. Seniors Matt Contipodero, Dave Orlando, Mike Rudolph, Hunter Montgomery, Mike Enwright, and Matt Dalgetty were all honored prior to puck drop. The ECU Ice Hockey Club was honored to have the opportunity to help support the brave men and women who help protect this nation's freedom.

Stay informed of events such as this and much more with the ECU Ice Hockey Insider. The Insider is an e-newsletter that will be sent once per month, starting in May, with a variety of news and updates direct from team leadership. It will provide monthly recaps throughout the 2012-2013 season, with information on upcoming games and other events, player stats, and much more. Click here to sign up!

ECU Ends 2011-2012 Season With Tough Loss to KSU

LYNCHBURG, VA – The ECU Ice Hockey Club wrapped up the 2011-2012 season with an early exit from the MACHA South Division Tournament in Lynchburg, Virginia on Friday. Taking on a familiar foe in the Kennesaw State University Owls, the Pirates could not gain any offensive traction and fell to KSU, 7-3.

The ECU Ice Hockey Club would like to thank all of our fans for your support this season. With a very young team, and losing only a handful of seniors, the core of the Pirates hockey team will be back and ready to take on the best the ACHA has to offer in 2012-2013.

Stay up-to-date on all things ECU Ice Hockey during the off-season by subscribing to the ECU Ice Hockey Insider! The Insider is an e-newsletter that will be sent once per month, starting in May, with a variety of news and updates direct from team leadership. The Insider will provide monthly recaps throughout the 2012-2013 season, with information on upcoming games and other events, player stats, and much more. Click here to sign up now!

Mid-Atlantic South Playoff Schedule Released

GREENVILLE, NC – The Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association has released the schedule for the South Division Playoffs. Please click the bracket below for dates and times. The Playoffs will be hosted by Liberty University and be held in Lynchburg, VA.

ECU Goes 1-2 at Liberty Showcase, Sets Sights on Old Dominion

LYNCHBURG, VA – ECU was in action again at the Liberty University Showcase in Lynchburg, Virginia last weekend, taking on the University of Kentucky, University of Delaware, and Liberty University. The Pirates faced off against a familiar foe in the No. 13 University of Kentucky Wildcats to open the showcase. It was a tightly contested game offensively, with the Pirates managing 28 shots to the Wildcats' 29, but were only able to break through with two goals as ECU dropped their second game to Kentucky is as many tries. Scoring for the Pirates were Mike Lynn and Dave Orlando with a goal each.

Game two proved to be a much more efficient performance for the ECU offense as they exploded for 11 goals on 29 shots against the University of Delaware Blue Hens. Harris Griswold had a huge night as he led all Pirates with four goals and one assist, while seven different Pirates helped to round out the scoring. ECU would wrap up the weekend with a Sunday afternoon matchup with the showcase hosts, No. 5 Liberty University Flames. The Pirates would once again be stymied by the Flames' defense as they were only able to manage three goals in the contest, dropping to 0-2 against the Flames on the season.

The Pirates will wrap up the regular season this weekend as they travel to Virginia Beach to take on Old Dominion University to finish out a home and home series with the Monarchs. ECU beat ODU earlier in the year in Greenville in a 13-7 effort and look to complete a sweep of the season series. The Pirates will then travel back to Liberty the following weekend for the MACHA Playoffs in Lynchburg, VA.

Pirates Finish Midwest Road Trip 1-1 After Tough Loss to the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KY – The Pirates dropped the second leg of a two game road trip to the University of Kentucky Wildcats 8-3 Saturday night. ECU started the trip off on a high note, taking the first game of the semester against Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, before traveling to Lexington, Kentucky for a midnight matchup with the Wildcats. The Pirates were downed by Kentucky in a tough loss to finish the trip 1-1.

ECU is back in action this Friday, January 20, in Greenville as they take on the East Coast Eagles Jr B team (Raleigh), in an exhibition game. The Pirates maintain a partnership with Eagles designed to give the ECU coaching staff an opportunity to get a first-hand look at some of the best Jr talent in the Southeast and recruit potential future Pirates. Puck drop is set for 8PM.

Pirates Down the Raiders in an Overtime Thriller, Head to Kentucky

DAYTON, OH – ECU started off the second half of the season with a hard fought overtime victory over the Wright State University Raiders in Dayton, Ohio Friday night. The Pirates' Dave Orlando provided the lone ECU goal in regulation time, and Harris Griswold sealed the victory with the game winning tally in OT. Chris Stollings picked up the win in net for the Pirates.

ECU will make the short trip to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the University of Kentucky Wildcats in a midnight match-up at the Lexington Ice Center. Follow us on Twitter to receive updates during the game.