Elmira College (4-6; 1-2 Empire 8) at Ithaca College (7-3; 3-1 Empire 8)
Saturday, October 10, 2015 | 1:00 P.M. | Higgins Stadium – Ithaca, NY
Live Coverage
 
Elmira College (4-6; 1-2 Empire 8) vs. Washington & Jefferson College (4-6; 1-2 Empire 8)
Sunday, October 11, 2015 | 1:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, NY
Live Stats | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College field hockey team is set for its biggest weekend of the season when it takes on Ithaca College and Washington & Jefferson College in a back-to-back, which will have major Empire 8 Conference Tournament implications. First, the Soaring Eagles will make the short trip up Route 13 to face the Bombers on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Purple and Gold will return to the Murray Athletic Center for their first home game in nearly three weeks, when EC welcomes the Presidents on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles blanked Oswego State 3-0 in its most recent contest last Saturday. Alli Gilbert '16 opened the scoring, firing a howitzer shot from the top of the arc off of a penalty corner insert from Sarah McCaffrey '18. Derco would stretch the lead to 2-0 in the 16^th minute of play, ripping home a penalty stroke opportunity. She would add a second penalty stroke goal in the 44^th minute, becoming the first Elmira player to ever tally two penalty stroke opportunities in the same game.
 
All-Time Series (Ithaca)
Elmira has struggled against the Bombers, holding a 2-13 record in the overall series. Ithaca has won 10 straight in the series, although two of the last three contests have been decided by a single goal. Elmira last secured a victory over the Bombers in 2004, while their other win came in 2002.
 
All-Time Series (Washington & Jefferson)
Elmira has experienced similar struggles against the Presidents, possessing a 1-8 record in the all-time series. The Soaring Eagles' lone win came in a 2-1 victory during the 2013 campaign. Alli Gilbert '16 scored a big equalizing goal in the 51^st minute to set the stage for McKenna Light '16 who tallied a sudden-victory game-winner 2:20 into the first overtime.
 
Winning Streak
Elmira enters the weekend riding a three-game winning streak. The Soaring Eagles collected a huge 3-1 victory over Hartwick College in a must-win Empire 8 contest two weeks ago. The Purple and Gold added non-conference wins in a 2-1 decision over Keystone College and a 3-0 blanking of Oswego State this past week. It is the first time Elmira has put together three consecutive victories since winning five games in a row during the 2002 season.
 
Firing on All Cylinders
The Soaring Eagles offense was dormant to begin the 2015 campaign; however, Elmira has woken up with a vengeance in recent weeks. After being held to a single goal in the team's first three games this season, Elmira's offense has scored 16 times over the last seven games. The Purple and Gold registered three goals in three of those contests in victories over Keuka College, Hartwick College, and most recently, Oswego State. Its seven-game streak without being shutout is the longest since an eight game stretch during the 2013 season.
 
Goals for Gilbert
Powering Elmira's offensive renaissance has been standout forward Alli Gilbert '16. She has been hot as wildfire over the recent stretch, tallying three goals and six assists. She enters the weekend with a three-game goal scoring streak, while she has collected at least one point in seven straight games, which is the longest streak of her career. Her name is amongst the conference leaders in several categories, including eighth in points (14), tied for third in game-winning goals (2), tied for second in assists (6), and first in assists per game (.600).
 
Derco on the Attack
Third-year defender Julia Derco '17 has been a revelation on the offensive end over the recent win streak. She has been particularly dangerous off of penalty corner opportunities, as the Purple and Gold have become lethal with the set pieces as of late. She tallied her first career goal, which ended up being the game-winner in the huge victory over Hartwick College. Her work on penalty corners continued to help generate offense, as she earned two penalty stroke opportunities, which she cashed in during the Soaring Eagles 3-0 win over Oswego State.
 
Scouting Ithaca
The Bombers have enjoyed a strong season to-date, entering the weekend with a 7-3 overall record and a 3-1 mark in Empire 8 play. Ithaca currently sits in second place in the conference standings with their lone loss in league play coming against St. John Fisher College. The Bombers have won three of their last four contests, with the one blemish coming against seventh-ranked William Smith College. Most recently, Ithaca blitzed Wells College in a 7-0 drubbing at Higgins Stadium. Colleen Keegan-Twombly led the way for Ithaca with a hat-trick against the Express, while she is the team's leader in goals (8) and points (17). Defense has been the Bombers calling card, with keeper Katie Lass guiding the squad at the back. She leads the conference in goals against average (.605), save percentage (.897), and shutouts (4).
 
Scouting Washington & Jefferson
After jumping out to a fast start, the Presidents have struggled over their recent stretch. Washington & Jefferson enters the weekend on a four-game skid, which includes a 2-0 loss to Empire 8 foe Stevens Institute of Technology. Scoring has been a trouble spot for the squad, as they have been shut out three times in its last four games and five times overall this season. Since posting eight goals in a blowout of Bethany College on September 9^th, Washington & Jefferson has tallied just four goals over its last seven contests. It has been a balanced attack for the Presidents, as Amanda Steffey, Lauren Brown and Rachel Buyan all are tied for the team lead with three goals and two assists apiece. Morgan Brozena patrols the cage for the squad, entering the weekend with a 1.79 goals against average and a respectable .736 save percentage.
 
Looking Ahead
The Soaring Eagles will be back in action on Saturday, October 17^th, when EC welcomes conference- leading St. John Fisher College for a 1:00 p.m. start at the Murray Athletic Center. Elmira will celebrate Senior Day with a pregame ceremony to honor Alli Gilbert '16 and Emily Castelli '16.