Nov. 8, 2007

Erie, Pa - The club hockey team is preparing for a set of ECHL league games this coming weekend at the Mercyhurst Ice Center against divisional rivals from Niagara University and the University at Buffalo respectively.

On Friday November 9th, the club team (5-3-3 overall) will take on the Niagara University Purple Eagles (10-1-0 overall). Niagara is currently ranked 15th in the nation according to the latest ACHA rankings. This is the first meeting of the season for both teams who are currently undefeated in ECHL league play with identical 3-0 records. The battle for first place will begin at 7pm at the MIC.

On Saturday November 10th, Mercyhurst will play host to the University at Buffalo who come into this weekend with a 1-1 ECHL league record and a 3-8-0 overall record.

"There's no doubt that this weekend will have a playoff type atmosphere", quoted McKinnon who has spent the week preparing the men's club hockey team for the much anticipated set of ECHL league games.

Niagara comes into this weekend's contest with 5 players in the top 15 in ACHA league scoring while Mercyhurst's Matt Warren leads all players within the nation with 35 points in just 11 games played.

Fans will be treated with an intense hard hitting affair and a playoff type atmosphere when the puck drops this weekend at the MIC. Game times are set for Friday and Saturday at 7pm and 5:15pm respectively.

ECHL NEWS AND NOTES:

The other undefeated team within the ECHL is the Robert Morris Colonials who sit with a game in hand and a record of 2-0. The ECHL league consists of member schools from the University at Buffalo, Syracuse University, the University of Rochester, Niagara University, Robert Morris University and Mercyhurst College.