CCC BRACKET/RELEASE | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. – The fifth-seeded Endicott men's ice hockey team (16-8-2) will travel to first-seeded Salve Regina (17-6-2) on Saturday, February 23 for a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinal round matchup at 4:30 PM at Portsmouth Abbey Rink. Here's a preview of Saturday's matchup.

SERIES HISTORY: Salve Regina holds a 7-2-0 advantage in the all-time series against Endicott. The Seahawks also have won the last four meetings, which includes a series sweep over the Gulls this season (W, 6-3, 11/16/18 | W, 5-1, 11/17/18). Meanwhile, in the playoffs, Salve Regina is 1-0-0 against Endicott as the Seahawks secured a 4-0 victory over the Gulls in the 2016 ECAC Northeast Championship.

SCOUTING ENDICOTT: The Gulls are coming off of a dramatic 4-3 overtime win against Nichols in the CCC Quarterfinals (BOX SCORE | RECAP). Endicott enters Saturday's matchup with a 7-5-1 record on the road and a 2-3-0 record in its last five contests.

Among all NCAA Division III programs, the Gulls are ranked No. 1 in scoring offense (5.00 G/GM), No. 9 in scoring margin (5.00 GF/G, 3.13 GA/G, 1.81 margin), and No. 10 on the power play (35-145, 5 SHA, 24.1%).

SCOUTING SALVE REGINA: The Seahawks, who received a bye into the semifinals for earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament, enter Saturday's playoff matchup nationally ranked by both the USCHO (13) and D3hockey (14) polls.

Additionally, Salve Regina ranks No. 12 in the country in scoring offense (3.84), No. 29 in scoring defense (2.60 G/GM, two shutouts), No. 18 in scoring margin (1.24), No. 16 on the power play (29-125, 4 SHA, 23.2) and No. 16 on combined special teams (145-267, 54.3%).

Lastly, the Seahawks are 7-2-1 at home this season and are currently riding a 6-0-0 winning streak.

WHAT'S NEXT

The winner between Endicott and Salve Regina will play the winner of No. 3 UNE and No. 2 Curry in the CCC Championship game on Saturday, March 2 at a time to be determined later (hosted by the highest remaining seed). 

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(Photo credit - David Le '10)