Elmira College (1-3, 0-2 Empire 8)
St. John Fisher College (0-4, 0-3 Empire 8) | Saturday, September 19, 2015 | 1:00 P.M.
Utica College (0-2, 0-1 Empire 8) | Sunday, September 20, 2015 | 1:00 P.M.
Murray Athletic Center Tennis Courts – Pine Valley, NY
 
Elmira, NY -- Although the Empire 8 Conference Tournament is nearly a month away, playoff implications are on the line this weekend for the Elmira College women's tennis team, as the Soaring Eagles welcome St. John Fisher College and Utica College to the Murray Athletic Center Tennis Courts for a pair of conference matches.  Elmira takes on the Cardinals of St. John Fisher on Saturday, September 19th, before facing the Pioneers of Utica on Sunday, September 20th.  Both matches are scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles suffered an 8-1 setback on the road against cross-divisional opponent Daemen College.  Elmira's second doubles tandem of Stephanie Tock '16 and Megan Fitzgerald '18 bested their NCAA Division II counterparts, 8-4, for their second win as a pairing on the young season and Elmira's lone victory in the match.  The loss to Daemen marked the first time Elmira was held to just one point in a match since the 2013-14 season finale, when the Soaring Eagles lost to Roberts Wesleyan College, 8-1. EC had won at least two points in every match since.
 
One Win Away from No. 1
Ayaka Yoshino '16 has enjoyed a great start to the 2015 campaign, going 3-1 in singles action and 2-2 in doubles play.  Yoshino enters the weekend with 31 career singles victories, which is tied for first in the Elmira College record books.  One more singles win for Yoshino will give the Yokohama, Japan, native sole possession of the top spot.
 
Home Is Where the Dome Is
Elmira's lone win on the season occurred at the friendly confines of the Murray Athletic Center Tennis Dome.  Since 2011, the Soaring Eagles have seen a good amount of success on their home courts, winning 17-of-29 matches.  Excluding the 2012 season, Elmira is 16-6 when playing at the MAC.  Additionally, since 2001, the Purple and Gold are 9-6 in Empire 8 Conference matches played at home.
 
Scouting Fisher
The Cardinals of St. John Fisher College are still searching for their first win of the season, as the Cardinals enter Saturday's matchup with an 0-4 record, including a 0-3 mark in home matches.  Fisher will surely be hoping that a change in scenery will make the difference, as their only road match of the year, a 5-4 loss to Houghton College, was the closest they have come to a win. Eileen Fleming leads Fisher with three total wins, two coming in singles at the sixth position.
 
Scouting Utica
The Pioneers of Utica College will be playing in their third consecutive match on Sunday.  Prior to those three matches, Utica is 0-2 with losses against Ithaca College and Oswego State.  Utica is not only searching for their first team-win, the Pioneers will also be looking to claim their first point of the year after being shutout in their previous two matches.
 
Looking Ahead
Following this weekend's conference matches against St. John Fisher and Utica, the Soaring Eagles will continue their Empire 8 schedule with a showdown against neighboring Ithaca College on Tuesday, September 22nd.  Tuesday's match is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Ithaca, NY.  Elmira returns to the Murray Athletic Center on Tuesday, September 29th, when the Purple and Gold host Oswego State in a non-conference match at 4:00 p.m.