Elmira College (1-4-1) vs. Alfred State (2-4-0)
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 | 4:00 P.M. | Campus Field – Elmira, NY
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's soccer team will be looking to earn their second win of the season tomorrow, September 22nd, when the Soaring Eagles welcome Alfred State to Campus Field for a non-conference matchup.  Tomorrow's kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles welcomed Empire 8 Conference perennial powerhouse, Stevens Institute of Technology, to the Campus Field for both teams' conference opening game.  Stevens jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, as Patrick Masur buried a header into the far post for the game's opening goal.  Both teams had several chances to score before the end of the half but it would be Elmira's Tony Barraco '18 who would answer the call, as his equalized in the 44th minute on a free kick from 30 yards out.  Barraco's goal would hold up through the rest of the game, including two overtime periods in which EC played with just 10 men, as the Soaring Eagles earned a tie against the eight-time defending conference champions. 
 
Series History
Tomorrow's contest against the Pioneers of Alfred State will be the third meeting between the two teams in the last 13 years.  Elmira holds a slight edge in the all-time series, as the Soaring Eagles are 1-0-1 against the Pioneers.  Last year, Elmira played Alfred State to a 1-1 double overtime tie thanks to a late goal by Ronaldo Charlton '18 in the 82nd minute that sealed the result.
 
Conference Point Earned
Although the match against Stevens did not result in a win, Elmira did receive a conference point for their tie.  The conference point earned is EC's first since a 2013 win against Ithaca College. The tie marked the first time Stevens has not won an Empire 8 Conference opening game since joining the league in 2007.
 
Defense Prevails
In Elmira's 1-1 double overtime tie against Stevens, EC's defense really held strong against the Ducks, who scored five goals in their last two games, which included a win against No. 15 nationally ranked Muhlenberg College.  Stevens launched 24 shots against EC, but the Soaring Eagles maintained enough pressure on the Ducks to keep the attempts on goal relatively low, limiting Stevens to just eight shots on frame despite playing with just 10 men for nearly 30 minutes of the contest.  EC netminder Austin Mansell '16 made seven saves in the contest, five of which came in the second half.
 
Scouting the Pioneers
Alfred State opened the year by winning two of their first three games.  Since then, the Pioneers have hit a rough patch, dropping three consecutive games in shutout fashion.  The Pioneers have struggled to find the back of the net, as Alfred State has been limited to just four goals in six games.  Scoring has been pretty even throughout the team, as four different players have tallied. The goalie situation, however, is a strong one for Alfred State.  Kenneth Allport '19 has been a mainstay between the posts, coming up with 29 saves on the year and a 1.50 goals against average.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira will return to the pitch this Saturday, September 26th, when the Soaring Eagles welcome Alfred University to Campus Field.  Saturday's Empire 8 contest is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.