Score: Elmira College 3, Houghton College 1
Records: Elmira (6-4-3, 2-0-3 Empire 8), Houghton (6-6-2, 2-2-1 Empire 8)
Location: Campus Field – Elmira, NY
 
Elmira, NY -- In a must-win Empire 8 Conference game at Campus Field, the Elmira College men's soccer team marched away with a 3-1 victory over visiting Houghton College. Elmira rode the efforts of Michael Bryant '17, who tallied twice this afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles extended its unbeaten streak to eight games. With the win, Elmira moves into fourth place in the Empire 8 standings, with just three points separating EC from conference-leader Ithaca College.
 
Bryant's two goals brings his season total to 16 and his point total to 35, putting the Portola Hills, CA native inside EC's all-time top-10 in both categories. His 16 goals are tied for fourth place in single-season history and are the most scored by an Elmira player since 1997. Additionally, his 35 points are the most scored by an EC player since 1997 as well, and put him in 10th place in the single-season record books.
 
Elmira survived an early flurry of pressure from the Highlanders this afternoon, as Houghton's Ben Lawrence created several scoring chances in the game's opening five minutes. EC netminder Austin Mansell '16 would make a pair of diving saves during that time, including one on a free kick from 25 yards out that looked destined for the back of the net. However, Elmira's back line weathered the Houghton attack and allowed for the Soaring Eagles to enjoy the majority of possession in the first half.
 
With the ball at their feet for most of the half, EC created a golden scoring opportunity early in the first when a cross from the right side of the field found John Broyles '19 all alone in the box with the Houghton keeper. Broyles chested the cross into the back of the net but the EC goal was called-back, as the Rochester, NY native was called offside.
 
EC had another goal disallowed at the 7:29 mark, when a corner kick by Victor Rosas-Granda '18 curled into the back of the net for the score but the Soaring Eagles were called for a foul inside the box, as the game remained deadlocked at 0-0.
 
With the half coming to a close, Elmira was awarded a corner kick with 4:45 remaining on the clock. Rosas-Granda would send the corner kick into the box but his service was headed back out his way, which at the time seemed to neutralize the scoring threat. However, Rosas-Granda would make a quick move with the ball at his feet and send another feed into the box, this one finding Bryant on the far post, where he would bulge the net with a header for the score. Bryant's goal would hold up through the end of the first half, EC took a 1-0 lead into the break.
 
Early in the second half, Elmira continued to keep the ball in Houghton's defensive third, which paid dividends when a feed into the box bounced-off a Houghton defenseman's hand, giving the Soaring Eagles a penalty kick in the 55th minute. With one goal to his name already, Bryant stepped to the 12-yard mark confidently and buried the chance past a diving Houghton keeper to give the Soaring Eagles a two-goal cushion.
 
Following the Bryant penalty kick, Houghton ramped-up the pressure offensively, as the Highlanders outshot Elmira 9-to-2 over the next 20 minutes. Houghton's ninth shot during that stretch would be an important one, as Steven Anderson scored to cut the Elmira lead to 2-1 in the 78th minute.
 
Anderson's goal seemed to shift the momentum in today's match, as the Highlanders were awarded four corner kicks in the five minutes following his goal. Thankfully, Elmira defended all four chances routinely to maintain its 2-1 lead.
 
With the game coming to a close, Elmira launched a counter attack in the 89th minute, one that would create another scoring chance for the Soaring Eagles. Aidan Gray '19 initiated the counter with a beautiful over-the-top through ball down the left sideline to a racing Zach Koller '17, who would send a cross towards the box. Koller's cross found Donte Donegal '18, who would beat one defender off the dribble and also beat the Houghton goalie before passing the ball into the back of the net for the score.
 
Donegal's goal all but sealed an all-important 3-1 conference win for the Soaring Eagles.  
 
In Their Own Words
Head Coach Keith Moore on today's win…
"Today was a massive game for us with big conference points on the line that could have gone either way. Houghton's always been a good team and they have been doing well this year. So, it was a huge relief to come out with a win and get the job done again today. The guys are on a bit of streak at the moment, so their confidence is high."
 
Coach Moore on the play of Bryant…
"A breakout season doesn't even do justice for what Michael has been doing for us all season. Every time he steps onto the field, he is banging-in goals in all sorts of ways; he's getting them out of the air, he's scoring with both feet, and his movement off the ball has been incredible. He is one of the best players to come through this program that I have seen."
 
Coach Moore discusses the play of his midfielders and defenders…
"The spine of our team, right up the middle from our center backs to our strikers, has been the real strong part of our formation. We played a little differently today with a different system and we saw the results of it. We controlled play in the flanks, which we wanted to do, and it was good day all around for our guys."
 
Coach Moore on EC starting goalie Mansell…
"When we chose captains last year, I knew right off the bat that Austin was my guy. He is a guy that our team respects on and off the field. He always does the right thing and is a tremendous leader. Our guys feel really good when we have him back there. The calmness Austin brings resonates in each block of the field, so he is huge for us."
 
Coach Moore on getting back into the top-four in the E8 standings…
"We are peaking at the right time. We feel like we let the Alfred game slip away from us, we had a result against Stevens, but we are keeping our eyes focused one game at a time. Back in August, our goal was to get inside the top four of the conference standings and we are there, we have achieved that, but we need to maintain it."
 
Turning Point
After seeing a pair of goals disallowed, Elmira finally broke through with a header by Michael Bryant in the 41st minute. However, the real deciding factor this afternoon was his second goal of the evening, a penalty kick he converted in the second half that turned out to be the game-winner.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Houghton held an 18-to-17 lead in shots.
• Elmira was more accurate with their shooting, putting nine attempts on frame to Houghton's eight.
• Houghton also led in corner kick chances, 7-to-6.
• Elmira had a 4-to-1 lead in corners in the first half while Houghton enjoyed a 6-to-0 lead in the second.
• EC's defense held Houghton without a shot in the final 8:35 of regulation.
• Elmira successfully defended a pair of corner kick chances by Houghton in the final 8:14 of the game.
• Bryant scored twice, one with his head and one on a penalty kick.
• Bryant's penalty kick was the eventual game-winner.
• Donegal scored his first of the season in the 89th minute.
• Rosas-Granda and Koller were both credited with assists.
• Mansell made seven saves to record his fourth win of the season.
• Five of Mansell's seven saves occurred in the first half.

 
News and Notes

• Bryant's 35 points is the 10th highest total in EC single-season history, making him the first player to crack the top-10 since 1997.
• Bryant's 16 goals this season is tied for fourth place in Elmira history and is the most scored by an EC player since Joe Sears, who scored 16 in 1997.
• Bryant has scored a goal in six consecutive games and has 10 goals during that stretch.
• Bryant has five multi-goal games this season and has scored at least twice in three straight contests.
• Donegal's goal in the 89th minute is his first of the 2015 season.
• Rosas-Granda's assist is his first of the season.
• Koller's assist is the first of his EC career.
• Today's win marks the first time this season EC has won despite being outshot.
• Elmira extends its unbeaten streak to eight games, which is the longest such streak since 2012 when EC opened the year with eight straight wins.
• With nine conference points, Elmira sits in fourth place in the E8 standings.
• EC is one of two E8 teams without a loss in conference play.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to the pitch this Tuesday, October 20th, when Elmira takes on SUNY New Paltz in a non-conference game at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday's game is the start of a three-game road tour for the Purple and Gold before returning to Campus Field for its regular season finale with E8 rival St. John Fisher College on Saturday, October 31st.