ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's soccer team to host Nazareth College to Campus Field in an Empire 8 Conference bout with major playoff implications on Saturday, October 22nd, at 3:00 p.m.

Last Time Out: The Purple and Gold lost a hard-fought matchup against Medaille College, 1-0. The Mavericks scored the lone goal of the contest in the 76th minute. EC's back line was especially impressive in the contest, finishing the first half with three blocks of the Mavericks' six shots. Elmira was also able to deny the Mavericks from taking another shot in the last 24 minutes of the half. Brendan Wise '18 had the best chance for the Purple and Gold in the half. The third-year forward put a shot on goal, but Medaille's Brian Arcara made his first save of the day to keep the match tied. Jordan Hodlofski '17 finished with an impressive performance in his second start of the season, making four saves.
 
Playoff Implications: Today's contest will have major implications on the Empire 8 Conference playoff standings. At 1-4-0, the Soaring Eagles sit in seventh in the conference, two games out of fourth place. For the Purple and Gold to make the conference playoffs they will have to win today's contest and their season finale against Alfred University. The Soaring Eagles will also need some help from St. John Fisher College. If the Cardinals lose their last two conference games and Elmira wins its last two, the Purple and Gold will make the playoffs.
 
Hodlofski Playing Well: In back to back games Hodlofski allowed only one goal, after facing a combined 29 shots. The fourth-year defender has impressed after switching to goalie with noteworthy performances that kept the Soaring Eagles in two 1-0 contests. The Troy, Pennsylvania, native has not played goalie since his time in high school.

Buffalo Wild Wings Games of the Year: Saturday's match will mark the start of the partnership between Buffalo Wild Wings and EC. The contest has been designated as Buffalo Wild Wings Games of the Year for men's soccer. Buffalo Wild Wings will be at Campus Field with a promotional table where fans can enter a drawing for the chance to win a variety of prizes ranging from gift cards to apparel.

Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers have struggled mightily of late, losing seven out of their last nine matchups, which included a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Nazareth has also struggled on the road, with a record of 1-3-1 away from Golden Flyer Stadium. Naz's most recent contest was a 1-0 loss at home at the hands of Stevens Institute of Technology. The Golden Flyers are led on the offensive end of the pitch by senior forward Lucas Bennett, who has 10 points on five goals. The Hilton, New York, native's five goals puts him into a five-way tie for second-place in the E8. In goal, freshman Brian Wilkin has posted strong numbers with 44 saves and a goals-against average of 1.24. 
 
Series History: Today's match will mark the 33rd time that the two programs have met, with the Golden Flyers owning an 18-12-3 lead in the series. Last season's contest resulted in the third tie of the series (2-2). The last win in the series for the Purple and Gold was a 3-2 victory at home in September of 2012.
 
Up Next: Following today's bout with Naz, the Soaring Eagles will stay home to host King's College (PA) in non-conference action on Wednesday, October 26th. The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.