Box Score Alfred, NY – A hat trick by Andre Germano '15 helped the Elmira College Men's Soccer team continue its undefeated start to the season downing Alfred 5-2 Saturday afternoon in the conference opener for both teams. The win improves the Soaring Eagles to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in conference competition, while the loss drops the Saxons to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in Empire 8 play.

Germano got the scoring started in the 26th minute on an unassisted score to take an early lead. That advantage didn't last long as 20 seconds later Alfred's Jeffrey Thomas fed Frankie Mannino to tie the game at one. Four minutes later Ernesto Valverde '14 scored off a pass from classmate Ryan Limero '14 to reclaim the EC lead. In the 39^th minute Germano got on the board for the second time off a feed from Christopher Hall '16. Elmira held a 6-3 shots on goal advantage as they took a 3-1 lead into intermission.

Out of the halftime break the Purple and Gold continued to extend its lead in the 55th minute when Valverde played a nice pass to Germano who found the back of the net to complete his hat trick. Ten minutes later Mannino assisted a Brendan Collins score to bring the deficit within two. However, in the 77th minute EC added an insurance marker on an unassisted goal by Tre Ming '16.

Kevin Huggins '16 stopped four shots in net for Elmira. Samuel Guy and Jacob Bird split time between the posts for the Saxons, with Bird making three saves.

The EC Men's Soccer team returns home tomorrow to take on the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford on Campus Field starting at 4:00 p.m.