Elmira College (0-0) at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (0-0)
Friday, November 13, 2015 | 6:00 P.M. | KOA Arena – Bradford, PA
Live Coverage
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's basketball team will tip-off its 40^th season as a varsity program on Friday evening when it hits the road to take on the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Opening tip is slated for 6:00 p.m. at the KOA Arena in Bradford, PA.
 
Series History
The series between the Soaring Eagles and the Panthers has been sporadic, as the two programs have met just five previous times dating back to 1986-87 season. Elmira scored a 61-57 victory in that matchup, while it also took home a 70-38 victory over the Panthers in the Salem State Tournament in 2002-03. Pitt-Bradford has won the three other matchups, which includes a 71-47 victory at Speidel Gymnasium last year.
 
Seeking Revenge
Elmira will be looking for some revenge on Friday evening. The two programs opened the year last season in a matchup at Speidel Gymnasium with Pitt-Bradford taking home a lopsided 71-47 victory. Three Panthers scored in double-digits, led by Alicia Kimmel, who poured in 20 points and added four rebounds. Danielle Cleary '18 was a bright spot for the Soaring Eagles, leading the team with 14 points, three blocks and two steals in 27 minutes of action during her collegiate debut. The Purple and Gold will look to return the favor and deal the Panthers a defeat on their home floor to begin this season.
 
No Longer a Rookie
Danielle Cleary '18 took the Empire 8 by storm during her debut campaign last season. She averaged 14.2 points per game to lead the Soaring Eagles en route to earning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and Honorable Mention team honors. It was only the second time an Elmira player had been tabbed as the conference's top rookie, joining Jennifer Parker '06 who took home the honor in 2002-03. As the Soaring Eagles lone returning starter in the backcourt this season, she will be looked upon to pick where she left off a season ago. Her production will be critical to Elmira's success this year.
 
Stocked in the Front Court
One of the strengths of Elmira's 2015-16 team will be the frontcourt. The Soaring Eagles return three significant contributors in Karli Pochkar '16, Meghan Loya '16, and Ashley Heiman '16. The trio combined to average 16.5 points per game and 15.8 rebounds per game during the 2014-15 season. Loya is the heart and soul of the group and will look to take the next step in her final season, after averaging 7.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last year. The Soaring Eagles also added a pair of newcomers who bring some serious height and physicality to the group. Olivia Evancho '19 and Sally Hogan '19 both stand over 6' tall and will be tough for opponents to contend with this year.
 
Transfer Impact
Although Elmira lost some significant contributions due to graduation in the backcourt, second-year transfer Emily Green '18 has opened some eyes this preseason and figures to play a significant role in offsetting that lost production. Green joins the squad after making her collegiate debut at Francis Marion University two seasons ago. She appeared in 24 contests during the 2013-14 year, ranking second on the team with 23 made three-pointers despite averaging a little under 13 minutes per game. She has displayed excellent agility and a smooth release during the preseason and looks primed to log significant minutes for the Soaring Eagles this season.
 
Scouting Pitt-Bradford
The Panthers are coming off an excellent year in 2014-15, which saw the squad tally a 17-8 record en route to a semifinal appearance in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament. A new coach will be patrolling the sidelines this season, as Sean Brown takes the reins of the program after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach of the men's basketball team at Frostburg State. He inherits a talented squad that should once again compete in the upper echelon of the AMCC this season. Although the squad loses its top scorer in Alicia Kimmel and a pair of steady contributors in Brooke and Allison Osborne, the majority of the team returns in 2015-16. The strength of the squad resides in the backcourt, as the trio of Ali Rinfrette, Kaserra Owens and Abby Brate look primed for big years. Rinfrette headlines the group, as she posted 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game during her debut campaign last season. The frontcourt will be a little greener, but has added some significant height in 5' 11' rookies Desiree Hull and Jennifer Isenberg.
 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will return to action the following weekend when they travel to take part in their lone non-conference tournament of the year at the Purple Raider Shootout in Alliance, OH. Elmira will open the two-day event with a 7:00 p.m. tip against tournament-hosts University of Mount Union on Friday, November 20^th. The Purple and Gold will face either Waynesburg University or Case Western University the following day.