Elmira College (4-11) vs. Wells College (4-10)
Wednesday, October 28, 2015 | 3:30 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College field hockey team will look to snap a five-game skid when it welcomes Wells College to the Murray Athletic Center for a 3:30 p.m. contest on Wednesday, October 28^th. The contest will be the home finale for the Soaring Eagles this season.
 
Last Time Out: Although the Soaring Eagles did not get the ultimate result they were looking for, there were still several positives to take from their last contest against Houghton College over the weekend. Alison Mariano '18 snapped a four-game goalless drought for the team with a 23rd minute equalizer. Houghton would break the deadlock 1:30 before halftime on a penalty stroke goal from Ashley Hughes. The Highlanders would add a third in the 59th minute on a goal from Kristin McKane to put the game out of reach. Elmira's nine shot attempts and five shots on target were the team's highest totals since defeating Oswego State on October 3rd.
 
All-Time Series: Elmira has dominated the overall series against its Northern counterpart. The Soaring Eagles are 9-1-1 all-time against Wells, which includes a 6-1-1 mark since 2005. Elmira has a 3-0-1 mark against the Express all-time at the Murray Athletic Center, which includes a 6-0 shutout victory in their last meeting at the venue in 2013. The Purple and Gold outlasted Wells 1-0 in overtime last season in Aurora, NY, as Alli Gilbert '16 sent home the game-winner with 1:31 remaining in the first overtime session.
 
Last Chance at Home: The Soaring Eagles have struggled at home this season, posting a 0-7 mark at the Murray Athletic Center heading into the season's final home contest. Scoring has been the primary problem, as Elmira has tallied just five of its 18 goals on the year at home. EC has not gone winless at home for an entire year since going 0-7 during the 2010 season.
 
Saying Goodbye: Wednesday's contest will be the final home game for Alli Gilbert '16 and Emily Castelli '16. Elmira's senior captains have been instrumental in the program's rebound this fall. The duo helped the Soaring Eagles to their longest winning streak in 13 years earlier this season. Castelli has been a leader for the much improved Elmira defense, while Gilbert has continued to power the Soaring Eagle offense.
 
Get Gilbert a Goal
Although the Elmira offense has been stymied over the current losing streak, the scoring chances are still flowing through the stick of the Soaring Eagles' star forward Alli Gilbert '16. While she has been held off the scoreboard, she has registered 16 shot attempts over the last five games. No other Elmira player has fired more than four shots over that stretch. The key will be getting Gilbert that elusive goal. The Soaring Eagles have a 3-1 record when she has scored a goal this season, while the squad is 1-10 when she has not found the back of the cage.
 
Scouting Wells: The Express has had a fairly strong season in 2015, as its four wins are the most the program has recorded since 2012. Wells got off to a fast start to the year by going 2-1 through its first three games, securing a 3-0 shutout of New England College and a 4-1 victory over Morrisville State. The Express is just 2-9 since that point; however, those two victories have come over the team's last four games. The Express have also come up just short several other times over the stretch, as they have lost by one goal five times in their last nine defeats. Thanks to their victory over Morrisville State, Wells has qualified for the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Championships Game and a rematch with Wilson College on Saturday. Offensively, the Express is interestingly enough paced by defender Shianne Stokes, who has five goals and 11 points overall. Kendrick Wilson and Sydney Line have split the time in the Wells cage this season. Wilson has the better goals against average (1.41) and save percentage (.686).
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira will wrap-up its 2015 season on Saturday, October 31^st, when the team travels to Hoboken, NJ, to take on Stevens Institute of Technology. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.