Elmira, NY -- We ring in the month of November with another exciting week in Elmira College Athletics. Four fall sports teams concluded their respective regular seasons on Saturday, while women's ice hockey got the winter season underway as well. The Soaring Eagles cross country programs also were back in action at the Empire 8 Conference Championships. Highlighting the action was an exciting day at Campus Field, as men's and women's soccer both posted sensational wins on Senior Recognition Day. Dig into another loaded issue of Soaring Eagles Weekly!
 
Headlines for the Week Ahead
 
Men's Ice Hockey Opens Season on Friday
The Elmira College men's ice hockey team is set to drop the puck on its 2015-16 season on Friday, November 6^th. The Soaring Eagles will jump headfirst into ECAC West play when it welcomes Neumann University to the Murray Athletic Center for a 7:00 p.m. start. Elmira will face Manhattanville College in the second game of the back-to-back at 7:00 p.m. the following evening.
 
Men's Soccer and Women's Volleyball Set for Empire 8 Conference Tournament
The Elmira College men's soccer and women's volleyball teams will kickoff postseason play on Friday, November 6^th, when both face opening round contests at their respective Empire 8 Conference Tournaments. The men's soccer team will make the quick trip up Route 13 for a rematch against the tournament's top-seed Ithaca College at 11:00 a.m. Women's volleyball also will face a recent foe when it travels to Hoboken, NJ, to take on top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology at 12:00 p.m. Both squads will hope to advance to their respective conference championship games, which will be held the following day.
 
Cross Country Teams Set to Compete at ECAC Championships
After solid performances across the board for the Elmira College men's and women's cross country teams at the Empire 8 Championships, the teams will head to their first-ever ECAC Championships this coming weekend. The championships are set to be hosted by Williams College at the Mt. Greylock High School course in Williamstown, MA, on Saturday, November 7^th.
 
A Look Back at the Week That Was…
 
Men's Soccer Clinches Tournament Berth on Season's Final Day
The Elmira College men's soccer team opened this past week with a 2-0 loss at Kings College on Tuesday; however, the primary focus of the Soaring Eagles was fixed on scoring a result in the final game of the regular-season on Saturday. Elmira recognized seven members of its graduating class when it welcomed St. John Fisher College for a huge Empire 8 showdown at Campus Field. EC needed a win and a little help, as it sat outside of the top four in the conference standings heading into the day's action. The start of the game was fairly uneventful between the two heated rivals, but things picked up in the 26^th minute when Donte Donegal '18 sent a header just wide of the post. The close call was a sign of things to come, as Elmira would capitalize in the 37^th minute. Colin Morrison '19 sent a searching ball into the box, which proved to be difficult for the Cardinal backline to handle. After several failed clears, the ball fell to the foot of Misi Glover '19. The first-year sent a lob pass over the top to Kyle Beekman '18 who was left unchecked on the right side of the box. He rifled the ball off of one bounce into the left corner of the net. Both teams would generate chances throughout the remainder of regulation, but the final score would remain 1-0. The Soaring Eagles would get the help they needed when Ithaca College downed Alfred University 1-0, sending Elmira to the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed.
 
For more information on EC Men's Soccer, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Soccer Explodes for Five Goals in Senior Day Victory
The Elmira College women's soccer team has struggled in its search for goals through the majority of the season; however, the offense broke out in a big way in the team's final week. The Soaring Eagles opened the week with a difficult 5-2 loss on the road at Fredonia State on Tuesday. The Purple and Gold took a silver lining from the loss, as Elmira outplayed the Blue Devils for the majority of the contest after a slow start which saw the home side jump out to a four-goal lead in the opening 12 minutes. Amy Sullivan '18 and Sara Kazerouni '18 sparked the offense with goals. The team carried that offensive momentum into the final game of the year against Alfred University. Elmira honored six members of its graduating class and sent them out on a high-note with a big 5-1 victory over the Saxons. The visitors struck first with a goal in the 13^th minute; however, Niki Lemper '17 equalized the game with a penalty kick in the 37^th minute. The goal would set the stage for a huge second half, as the Soaring Eagles would tally four more in the final 40 minutes of play. Lemper would put EC ahead with her second of the game in the 51^st minute. Jordyn Rousselle '18 knocked in a goal in the 53^rd minute, whileMaddie Miller '17 pumped in the third goal of the half in the 69^th minute. It was a senior who capped the scoring, as Courtney Burgazli '16 tallied with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
 
For more information on EC Women's Soccer, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Ice Hockey Opens Season With Weekend Split at East-West Hockey Classic
The Elmira College women's ice hockey team dropped the puck on the 2015-16 season with an extremely difficult weekend set at the East-West Hockey Classic. It was a bit of a slow start for the Soaring Eagles in the season opener on Saturday evening against No. 6 Adrian College. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-0 lead through 40 minutes of play. Louisa Lippiatt Darnell '18 would tally Elmira's first goal at 13:29 of the third period, but the Adrian lead would prove too much to bridge in the final 20 minutes, as Elmira fell in a season opener for the first time since 2011-12. The Soaring Eagles did not have much time to regroup, as nationally ranked tournament host No. 4 Norwich University awaited Elmira in the third-place game on Sunday. EC rebounded in a big way, stomping the tournament hosts 7-2. Elmira's special teams were just that on Sunday, as the team tallied a power-play goal and two shorthanded goals in the lopsided victory. First-year defender Kristin Chivers '19 led the way with the first four points of her collegiate career on a goal and three helpers, while Olivia Nystrom '16 and Meghan Fonfara '18 added two goals and an assist apiece.
 
For more information on EC Women's Ice Hockey, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Volleyball Closes-Out Regular Season at Dig Pink Invitational
The Elmira College women's volleyball team got its final tune-up ahead of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament when it traveled to Oneonta State for the Dig Pink Invitational this past weekend. The Soaring Eagles took two wins out of the three matches on the weekend. EC opened the event with a straight-sets victory over Bard College on Friday evening. It was a total team effort for the Purple and Gold, as eight players chipped in kills. Kierstin Derr '16 led the way with six kills. The team would split the remaining two matches on Saturday, defeating Plattsburgh State 3-1, before falling to the tournament hosts in straight-sets. Ashley Heiman '16 led Elmira on the second day with 20 combined kills in the two matches, while Natalie Schieder '19 played an excellent two-way game with 19 kills and 25 digs.
 
For more information on EC Women's Volleyball, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Field Hockey Splits in Final Week of Regular Season
The Elmira College field hockey team had a solid end to an excellent rebound season in 2015, splitting its final two games this past week. Although the Soaring Eagles were outpaced by the Stevens Institute of Technology 5-1 in the season finale on Saturday, EC scored a thrilling victory in the team's home finale against Wells College on Wednesday. Alli Gilbert '16 posted a huge game in the final home contest of her career. She opened the scoring for EC, while she assisted on a clutch goal by Atu Machika '18 with just 4:18 left in regulation to push Elmira to a 2-1 lead. Elmira's five victories on the year were the most for the program since the 2012 season.
 
For more information on EC Field Hockey, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Men's Cross Country Sets Two Personal Records at First-Ever Empire 8 Championships
The Elmira College men's cross country team continued its inaugural season on Saturday when it competed in its first-ever Empire 8 Championships. Although the team came in ninth of the nine teams at the event, a pair of Elmira runners set personal records in the meet. Cody Stinson '16 (28:22.50) and James Fritsche '18 (28:22.90) worked extremely well as a duo, finishing four-tenths of a second apart to finish 61^st and 62^nd, respectively. In doing so, the pair became the first two Soaring Eagles runners to break 29 minutes in an 8K race this season.
 
For more information on EC Men's Cross Country, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
Women's Cross Country Posts Seven Personal Records at Empire 8 Championships
The Elmira College women's cross country team showed some great personal gains in the program's second-ever Empire 8 Championships on Saturday. Elmira had seven runners post personal bests, led by Shannon Dole '17, Lori Pritchard '17 and Tessa White '19 who finished with scoring times for the Soaring Eagles. The squad was led by Hannah Lundgren '18 who finished just shy of her own personal best, clocking in at 20:44.70 to finish in 43^rd place.
 
For more information on EC Women's Cross Country, please visit the following link: CLICK HERE.
 
The Week Ahead…
 
Friday, November 6, 2015
^Men's Soccer at Ithaca College (Empire 8 Semifinal), 11:00 a.m.
^Women's Volleyball at Stevens Institute of Technology (Empire 8 Semifinal), 12:00 p.m.
*Men's Ice Hockey vs. Neumann University, 7:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Women's Cross Country at ECAC Championships
Men's Cross Country at ECAC Championships
*Men's Ice Hockey vs. Manhattanville College, 7:00 p.m.
^Men's Soccer (Empire 8 Final), TBD
^Women's Volleyball (Empire 8 Final), TBD
 
Bold Indicates Home Event
*Indicated Conference Matchup
^Indicates Empire 8 Conference Tournament Contest