Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Despite holding a 2-0 lead early in the game, the Elmira College field hockey team (1-12) fell to Wilkes University (5-8), 5-4 . Alli Gilbert '16 led the Soaring Eagles with two goals in today's action, while Julie Hockenberger '18 stopped 16 shots.
 
 
The score was deadlocked at 0-0 until the 15th minute of play when Sarah McCaffrey '18 capitalized on a penalty stroke opportunity which was awarded after Gilbert was taken down on a breakaway. About 10 minutes later, Alison Mariano '18 and Gilbert found themselves on a two-on-none breakaway chance. Marino carried the ball down the field and passed across to Gilbert who was near the back post. Gilbert buried the one-timer behind the Colonels netminder to take a 2-0 advantage. With less than five minutes left in the first half, however, Wilkes would cut the EC women's lead in half as a hard hit shot slipped into the Elmira cage to make it a 2-1 game heading into halftime.
 
The Colonels tied the game up at 2-2 just 6:56 into the second half with a hard hit ball from the top of the arc. Emma Miklinski '17 gave the Soaring Eagles the lead once again after netting her first goal of the season in the 50th minute. Wilkes fired back with three unanswered goals to take a 5-3 lead in only 10 minutes of play. Gilbert would net her second goal of the game after finding a pass from Milinski to cut the Colonels' to 5-4 with 8:46 left in regulation time. The Purple and Gold ran out time before netting a game-tying goal as the EC women fell, 5-4.
 
The Soaring Eagles will compete next on Saturday, October 18th when Elmira travels to Rochester, NY to take on St. John Fisher College. The game is set to begin at 5:00 p.m.