Elmira, NY -- It is hard to believe, but we are already heading down the home stretch of the fall sports season. Women's Golf and Women's Tennis wrapped up their seasons this past week, while Men's Golf played its penultimate tournament of the fall campaign over the weekend. Men's and Women's Soccer, as well as Field Hockey moved into the final third of their regular season. Women's Volleyball also took a huge step towards qualifying for postseason play with a big crossover sweep at St. John Fisher College.
 
Headlines for the Week Ahead
 
Busy Home Week on Tap for Women's Volleyball
To-date the Elmira College women's volleyball team hasn't been able to enjoy the comforts of Speidel Gymnasium much this season. The Soaring Eagles have only played seven of their 20 matches so far this season in their home digs, which includes only three matches over the past four weeks. The schedule will flip on its head this week, as the Soaring Eagles will play five home matches over a three-day span. First, the Purple and Gold will welcome Cazenovia College for a 6:00 p.m. clash on Thursday, October 15^th. The Soaring Eagles will then host the annual Elmira College Invitational with a pair of home matches on both Friday, October 16^th, and Saturday, October 17^th. Elmira is slated to face SUNY Canton and SUNY Geneseo on Day One, while it is scheduled to face SUNY Cortland and The City College of New York on Day Two.
 
Field Hockey Celebrates Senior Recognition Day This Saturday
The Elmira College field hockey team will conclude its brief two-game home stand this Saturday, October 17^th, when it welcomes Empire 8-leading St. John Fisher College to the Murray Athletic Center. The Soaring Eagles will honor seniors Alli Gilbert '16 and Emily Castelli '16 in a pregame ceremony.
 
Cross Country Heads to CCOC Championships
The Elmira College men's and women's cross country teams will head into the championship portion of their respective schedules this weekend when the Soaring Eagles compete at the Cross Country Only Conference Championships. The meet will be hosted by William Smith College at the Seneca Lake Park Course on Saturday, October 17^th. It will be the first year that Elmira will participate at the CCOC Championships, which pits the top programs that sponsor cross country teams exclusive of track and field.
 
A Look Back on the Week That Was…
 
Yoshino Sets Program Record, Women's Tennis Sweeps Final Weekend
Although Elmira women's tennis was officially eliminated from postseason contention, the Soaring Eagles had plenty to play for in the season's final weekend. The Purple and Gold showed grit and determination in taking its final two home matches of the season with a 6-3 victory over Houghton College on Saturday, October 10^th, and a 5-4 win over Alfred University on Sunday, October 11^th. With the pair of victories, the Elmira women capped the year with a perfect 6-0 record at the Murray Athletic Center, while the program secured winning record for the third consecutive year and for the fourth time over the last five seasons. Ayaka Yoshino '16 capped her illustrious Elmira career with four overall wins. She moved into first place all-time in program history on Saturday afternoon, tallying a straight sets victory in first singles play and an 8-0 sweep in first doubles to pass Olivia Garcia '05 with 71 career victories. She added two wins to her total with another straight-sets victory and doubles win on Sunday to close out her career with 73 total victories. Ellen Plowman '16 also wrapped up her excellent career with a 4-0 weekend, which included a thrilling comeback three-set victory on Sunday to secure the match deciding point. She concludes her four years ranking fourth all-time with 50 total victories.
 
For more information on EC Women's Tennis, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Volleyball Bounces Back With 3-1 Week
The Elmira College women's volleyball team had a bounce back week, posting a 3-1 record, which included a pair of huge victories on Saturday in the team's second Empire 8 Conference crossover of the season. The Soaring Eagles kicked off the week with the domination of SUNY Delhi in straight-sets on Tuesday evening. The Purple and Gold hit .265 as a team, while they also racked up 19 services aces, its most since September 26, 2010. The team followed that victory with a tough straight sets loss to Pitt-Bradford on Thursday; however, Elmira did not let that loss hang with them when they went to St. John Fisher College for a big E8 crossover over the weekend. Riding the hot-hitting of Ashley Heiman '16 and Natalie Schieder '19, Elmira tallied a straight-sets victory over Utica College, before outlasting the crossover hosts in four sets. The pair of victories elevates Elmira to a 4-2 record in conference play, as the team currently is holding down the fourth and final spot in qualifying for the Empire 8 Tournament.
 
For more information on EC Women's Volleyball, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Golf Concludes Season with Team Title at Elmira College Fall Invite
The Elmira College women's golf team concluded the fall portion of its season on Tuesday when it hosted the Elmira College Fall Invitational at Elmira Country Club. Despite soft playing conditions and cool temperatures, the Soaring Eagles showed great fortitude and resiliency to best Keuka College 422-to-469 to take home the team title. Audrey Clarke '18 led the way for the Purple and Gold, carding the low round of 84 (+12) to win the individual medalist honors by an impressive 18 strokes.
 
For more information on EC Women's Golf, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Men's Golf Shows Well at Two Tournaments
The Elmira College men's golf team had a busy week as it continued down the final stretch of its fall schedule. The Soaring Eagles began the week with strong third place showing at the Elmira College Fall Invitational, as the team finished third in the 10-team field. Jarryd ten Vaanholt '16 carded an excellent round of 75 (+3) to finish as medalist runner-up, falling just one stroke short of defending his EC Fall Invite title from 2014. The senior kept up his strong play this past weekend at the Nazareth College Invitational, posting rounds of 77 (+5) and 76 (+4) to finish in a tie for seventh place at the tournament. Elmira finished in seventh place as a team.
 
For more information on EC Men's Golf, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Men's Soccer Extends Unbeaten Streak to Six in Draw Against Nazareth College
The Elmira College men's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to six consecutive fixtures in the Soaring Eagles' 2-2 tie against Nazareth College on Saturday. Michael Bryant '17 continued to fill the net for the Purple and Gold, sending home both goals to give Elmira leads of 1-0 and 2-1. His first goal was a simple tap-in, as Tony Barraco '18 fired an initial shot that was punched away right to the foot of Bryant. He added his second of the game to break a 1-1 deadlock in the 49^th minute; however, Nazareth would again equalize in the 76^th minute. The draw pushes the Soaring Eagles to a 1-0-3 record in conference play. Despite joining Stevens as the only unbeaten teams in Empire 8 play, the Purple and Gold are still on the outside looking in for a berth to the Empire 8 Tournament with two conference games remaining, trailing Alfred University and Houghton College by one point in the E8 standings.
 
For more information on EC Men's Soccer, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Slow Start Dooms Women's Soccer at Nazareth College
The Elmira College women's soccer team hit the road for a big Empire 8 contest at Nazareth College this past weekend. Despite tallying the team's first goal on the road during the 2015 season, it was a slow start that doomed the Soaring Eagles. The Golden Flyers tallied twice in the opening 3:42 of the contest to take a decisive 2-0 lead out of the gates. It proved too much for Elmira to overcome, as Mikayla Gowett's goal was too little too late for the Soaring Eagles in a 3-1 defeat. With the loss, Elmira falls into the fifth place in the E8 standings with a 2-2 record on the year. The Purple and Gold trail Hartwick College by two points for the fourth and final berth to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament.
 
For more information on EC Women's Soccer, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Field Hockey Shutout in a Pair of Conference Contests
The Elmira College field hockey team entered the weekend hot as wildfire, riding a three-game winning streak which was the program's longest since the 2002 campaign. Unfortunately, Ithaca College and Washington & Jefferson College extinguished the Soaring Eagles hot offense, as the Purple and Gold dropped a pair of Empire 8 contests by identical 4-0 margins on Saturday and Sunday. The two losses dropped Elmira to seventh place with a 1-4 record in conference games. The Soaring Eagles will likely need to win out to have a chance of securing a berth to the Empire 8 Tournament.
 
For more information on EC Field Hockey, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
The Week Ahead…
 
Monday, October 12, 2015
*Women's Soccer at Houghton College, 7:00 p.m.
 
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Men's Soccer vs. SUNY Canton, 3:00 p.m.
 
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Women's Volleyball vs. Cazenovia College, 6:00 p.m.
 
Friday, October 16, 2015
Women's Volleyball vs. SUNY Canton, 2:00 p.m.
Women's Volleyball vs. SUNY Geneseo, TBA
 
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Women's Volleyball vs. SUNY Cortland, 10:00 a.m.
Women's Cross Country at Cross Country Only Championships, 11:00 a.m.
Men's Cross Country at Cross Country Only Championships, 12:00 p.m.
*Field Hockey vs. St. John Fisher College, 1:00 p.m.
*Men's Soccer vs. Houghton College, 1:00 p.m.
Women's Soccer at Alfred State, 4:00 p.m.
Women's Volleyball vs. The City College of New York, TBA
 
Bold Indicates Home Event
* Indicates Empire 8 Conference Game