Score: Elmira College 2 – Keystone College 1
Records: Elmira (3-6), Keytone (2-5)
Location: Keystone College Turf Field – La Plume, PA
 
La Plume, PA – The Elmira College field hockey team returned to non-conference play on Tuesday evening, grinding out a hard fought 2-1 victory at Keystone College. The triumph was the Soaring Eagles third victory of the season, already surpassing the total from last season.
 
The conditions were not hospitable on the evening, as drenching rains persisted throughout the contest. The Purple and Gold would not be phased by the harsh weather, jumping out on the front foot against the non-conference foe. Elmira peppered the cage with eight shots on target in the opening period, but struggled to solve Giants' keeper Amy Denmon and a swarming defense, which combined for seven saves in the opening half.
 
Finally, Elmira found the breakthrough just 1:45 before the halftime horn, as Alli Gilbert '16 found a crack in the Keystone defense and made them pay dearly for it with her third goal of the season. She did excellently to protect possession of the ball as she crossed into the left-hand side of the arc. Closing within eight yard, she rifled a low shot, which nestled into the far right corner of the cage. The goal was a just reward for a Purple and Gold side that dominated proceedings in the opening 35-minutes.
 
The second half highlights would be dominated by Elmira keeper Mikayla Rebusmen '17, who came on in relief of starter Julie Hockenberger '18 at halftime. After regrouping during the intermission, Keystone would punch back with a purpose in the second stanza, chasing an equalizing goal. The Giants would fire 11 of their 13 shots in the period, including 10 of their 11 total shots on goal. The third-year keeper was dazzling in protecting Elmira's precarious lead, as she denied seven Giants shots in the final 35-minutes.
 
The Soaring Eagles would tally a big insurance goal with just under 20-minutes remaining when Megan Brain '18 would send home her third goal of the year. Enjoying rare possession in the Keystone side of the field, Gilbert would wrap a beautiful feed across the face of goal to Brain who was wide open at the backdoor for the easy tap-in.
 
The goal turned out to be the decisive tally for Elmira, as Shelby Croasdale would send home a wicked shot from the top of the arc off of a penalty corner opportunity to pull the home side within a goal with 7:03 remaining. It would not be enough, as the Purple and Gold would hold strong over the waning moments of the contest to preserve the victory.
 
In Her Own Words…
Head Coach Lauren Silva on her team's effort…
"We came to play tonight. We continued to showcase a strong passing game, despite the really difficult rainy conditions, which really helped us move the ball up the field. It was extremely crucial to our success."
 
Silva on senior forward Alli Gilbert '16…
"Alli's tenacity tonight impacted the result significantly. Not only did she support her teammates well, but she commanded the ball in the attacking third. Each time she got into the arc, she did so with the intention that nobody was going to stop her from scoring, which in the end helped her to capitalize."
 
Turning Point
Holding a precarious one goal advantage, Rebusmen was otherworldly in the opening minutes of the second half. Keystone mounted a serious comeback push, firing six shots on goal in the opening 12 minutes of the half. The Elmira keeper had an answer to every one of them, setting the stage for Brain's insurance goal in the 51^st minute of play.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Keystone edged Elmira 13-to-12 in shot attempts in the contest. Although Elmira held a 9-to-2 advantage in the opening 35 minutes, Keystone outshot the Soaring Eagles 11-to-3 in the second half.
• Both team's finished tie with 11 shots on target.
• Elmira finished with a 10-to-9 advantage in total saves.
• Elmira held a 9-to-6 advantage in penalty corner opportunities, including a 6-to-1 edge in the opening half.
• Genesis Pacheco of Keystone led all players with five shot attempts , all of which being on target. Gilbert and Katie Carroll '18 would both fire four shots on goal apiece to lead Elmira.
• Julia Derco '17 registered a huge defensive save to momentarily keep the Giants off the board with under 8-minutes to play. It was her second defensive save of the season.
• Rebusmen of Elmira finished with seven saves in the contest.

 
News and Notes

• With the victory, Elmira has now already surpassed its win total from last season. It also marked the first time Elmira field hockey has registered consecutive wins since besting Wells College and Washington and Jefferson College back-to-back from October 9-12^th during the 2013 season.
• Elmira is now 3-1 on turf playing surfaces this season.
• With the goal, Gilbert has now found the back of the cage in consecutive games. She now is just four goals away from tying Kayla Blank '09 for second on the program's all-time goal scoring list.
• With her second half assist, Gilbert extended her career-best season total with her sixth helper of the year. It was her 11^th career assist, which places her in a three-way tie for fourth on the program's all-time list with Kayla Blank '09 and Callie Black '05. She now is just two helpers away from equaling Beth Beaulieu '03 who holds the school record for most assists in a season with eight.
• Brain's tap-in goal was her third on the year, which marks a new career-high.
• Elmira's nine penalty corners snapped a string of three straight contests in which the Soaring Eagles have earned double-digit opportunities.
• Elmira has now tallied at least one goal in six straight contests, equaling its longest streak from 2014, when the team tallied at least once in its final six contests of the year.

 
Up Next
Elmira will continue its season-long four-game road swing this weekend when it faces off against Oswego State on Saturday, October 3^rd. Start time is slated for 1:00 p.m.