Elmira College (1-5, 0-1 Empire 8) vs. Utica College (1-5, 0-0 Empire 8)
Saturday, September 19, 2015 | 1:00 P.M. | Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles
 
Elmira, NY -- Coming off a challenging 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wilkes University on Wednesday afternoon, the Elmira College field hockey team will look to get back in the win column when it welcomes Utica College to the Murray Athletic Center on Saturday. The contest will conclude a season-long three-game home stand for the Soaring Eagles.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles seemed poised to pick up their first home victory of 2015 on Wednesday afternoon. Elmira tallied a goal just 5:59 into the contest and held 1-0 and 2-1 first half leads on goals from Katie Carroll '18; however, Wilkes was able to equalize just 27-seconds before halftime to snatch away momentum. EC generated a plethora of chances in the second session, including a string of five consecutive penalty corners midway through the half, but were unable to capitalize. The Soaring Eagles conceded a goal with just under 10-minutes to play, which proved to be the final goal in a 3-2 defeat.
 
All-Time Series
Utica holds a slim 6-9-1 edge in the all-time series. The series has been quite even between the two sides over the last five seasons, with the Pioneers holding a slight 3-2 edge. The Soaring Eagles dropped an 8-0 decision to the eventual Empire 8 Conference champions a season ago; however, Elmira scored victories over the Pioneers in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012. EC has played Utica tough at the Murray Athletic Center, posting a 3-3 record against the Pioneers at the venue dating back to 2002.
 
Scoring With Regularity
If there is one area where the Soaring Eagles have shown the most growth this season under first-year head coach Lauren Silva, it has been in the attacking end. After beginning the season with just a lone goal against SUNY Geneseo through the team's first three contests, Elmira has now tallied multiple goals in three consecutive games entering the matchup with Utica this weekend. The three-game run is the longest such streak the program has witnessed, since finding the back of the cage in four consecutive games during the 2012 season.
 
Carroll Doubles Up
A different player has shouldered the scoring responsibilities for the Soaring Eagles over the last three games, as the trend continued on Wednesday with Katie Carroll '18 tallying both of Elmira's goals. The sophomore has been a threatening presence in the attacking third all season, finally reaping her just desserts against Wilkes. Her first goal came on an excellent display of hand-eye coordination, as she deflected a hard pass from Atu Machika '18 inside the right post. Her second goal was all about positioning, as she found space at the far post to steer home a pass from Alli Gilbert '16. The two goal effort was the first multi-goal game of her career.
 
Halftime Concessions
For the second consecutive game, the minutes around halftime proved to be a troublesome spot for the Soaring Eagles. Against Nazareth College this past Saturday, the Golden Flyers tallied two goals in the opening 3:21 of the second half to gain a commanding 3-1 advantage. On Wednesday, Wilkes was able to strike for a big momentum swinging goal, as Elmira conceded with just 27-seconds remaining before the halftime horn.
 
Hockenberger Shines in Return to the Cage
Elmira keeper Julie Hockenberger '18 was excellent in her return to starting duties for the first time since the season opener against No. 19 SUNY Cortland. She made a sparkling save in the first half, kicking away a breakaway opportunity to help preserve Elmira's 1-0 early lead. In the second half she made a string of excellent stops, as Wilkes pushed to break the tie during the early portions of the second half. Her best save came in the 45^th-minute, as she denied the Colonels' Taylor Ryan with a telescopic kick save to keep the game tied. She finished with a season-high 13 saves, the second highest total of her career.
 
Scouting Utica
Coming off an 18-3 record and an Empire 8 Championship season in 2014, the Pioneers have gotten off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2015 campaign. Utica enters the weekend with a 1-5 mark on the season and will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Most recently, the Pioneers dropped a 2-1 decision at SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday evening. Utica snagged an early 1-0 lead just 3:55 into the contest; however, the Knights rolled back with a pair of goals from Cara Stafford to come out on top. Scoring has been the issue for the Pioneers, as they have only mustered five goals through six contests this season. Colleen Dowling leads the team with a 1g-2a-4pts line this season. Kells Casey has seen the majority of the team's minutes in goal this year, entering the weekend with a 2.56 goals against average and a .786 save percentage.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira will hit the road for the first time in Empire 8 play, as the Soaring Eagles head to Hartwick College on Saturday, September 26^th. Start time with the Hawks is slated for 1:00 p.m.