The weekend of top-notch Division III ice hockey competition continues inside Kreitzberg Arena. Soon after the conclusion of the Holiday Tournament, four of the top women's ice hockey programs will descend upon Northfield on Jan. 4-5 for the 15^th Annual East-West Classic.

Leading things off at 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 4 is the first-ever meeting between the Norwich Women's Ice Hockey team and Oswego State. The Cadets enter the second half of the season on a tear, winning five straight contests, punctuated by a 5-1 win over Cortland, earning Norwich a spot in the United States College Hockey Organization (USCHO) rankings at number fourteen. The Cadets have also exhibited a stellar 200-foot game, averaging 3.7 goals scored per game, while allowing 0.9 goals against. The high-octane attack is led by two-time All-American Livia Brooks (Walpole, Mass.), who sits first, or tied for first, in the Little East Conference (LEC) in every significant offensive category with seven goals and seven assists. Also playing an essential role in Norwich's stellar start are blueliners Alex Leslie (Irishtown, N.B.), Jordan Brady (Green Bay, Wis.), Dani Ammons (Centennial, Colo.), and Lauren Tuzik (Frankfort, Ill.), who are the leading scorers amongst defenders in the LEC, with Brady's four goals tying her for seventh in the nation in goals by a defenseman. Between the pipes, Madison Brunet (Timmins, Ont.) plays the lion's share of minutes, posting a .933 save percentage and a 0.88 goals against average to go with three shutouts.  

The Cadets will face a Laker squad that started tumultuously, sporting losses to Vermont State, Castleton, and William Smith, but found their footing late in the first half, which concluded with a 1-0 shutout of fourteenth-ranked Hamilton. Oswego finished with a 37-19 shot advantage in that contest. Jenna Majewski and Georgia Cunliffe lead the way offensively. Mia DeVivo carries the load in goal, starting all nine games of the first half, racking up a 1.12 goals against average, a .948 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Rounding out the Sunday slate is the 65^th all-time meeting between twelfth-ranked Plattsburgh State and Elmira. This will also be the first contest between the Cardinals and Soaring Eagles since last season's NCAA Tournament First-Round, where Elmira upset Plattsburgh 1-0 behind a first-period Erika Goleniak goal and a 40-save shutout for Sara Sevcikova.

Former New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) foe and current United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) member Elmira concluded the first half without a loss in UCHC play before falling to Cortland in their last contest before the break, with their other defeat on the season coming at the hands of SUNY Potsdam. Offensively, the Soaring Eagles are led by a duo of MK Boyle and Anna Lugge, who are tied for the team lead with nine points each. Sevcikova continues her steady performance in goal during her sophomore campaign, posting a 0.87 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.

Despite an undefeated record in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play in the first half, the Cardinals entered the break on a three-game skid with losses in the Cardinal-Panther Classic to two-time reigning National Champion and top-ranked Wisconsin-River Falls, a 6-1 defeat at the hands of third-ranked Middlebury and being stonewalled by Williams in a 2-1 setback, dropping Plattsburgh to twelfth in the USCHO.com poll. Tessa Morris, Kayson Ruegge, and Zoe Puc lead the way offensively for the Cardinals, while Chloe Lewis carries the load between the pipes.

This top-flight tournament, featuring some of the best women's hockey in the country, will commence on Sunday, January 4, with the consolation and championship contests scheduled for Monday afternoon, January 5.