ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira College field hockey will conclude its season-long homestand at the Murray Athletic Center with a pair of Empire 8 Conference bouts against Hartwick College on Saturday, October 8th, and Stevens Institute of Technology on Sunday, October 9th. Both games are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: EC raced out of the gates early, but could not keep up the intensity down the stretch, as the Soaring Eagles dropped a non-conference contest to SUNY Geneseo at the Murray Athletic Center on Saturday, October 1st. Atu Machika '18 provided the only offense for EC in the ninth minute. After Sarah McCaffrey '18 inserted a penalty corner to Alison Mariano '18, Mariano ripped a shot towards the cage, and Machika was there to deflect the ball past SUNY Genenseo netminder Nicole Gregg. Although the two teams were tied 1-1 at the break, the Knights broke away in the second half with consecutive goals less than two minutes apart, beginning with Gabriella Clare's second score of the afternoon.

McCAFFREY CONTINUES TO PRODUCE: Third-year midfielder Sarah McCaffrey '18 has been a steady performer for the Soaring Eagles throughout the 2016 season. She holds the team-lead in points (11) and assists (5), while holding a share of the team-lead in goals (3). Of McCaffrey's 11 points, seven have been registered on EC's home field at the Murray Athletic Center. 

MACHIKA BACK ON TRACK: After scoring her first goal of the season against SUNY Cortland on September 4th, Atu Machika was held without a tally in five consecutive games. However, the third-year talent broke through with a goal against Keuka College on September 1st and followed it up with another tally in EC's most recent game against SUNY Geneseo. Machika's goals in back-to-back games mark the first such streak in her collegiate career.

OFFENSIVE RESURGENCE: The Soaring Eagles have seen a resurgence in their offense in recent weeks. The Purple and Gold scored a combined nine goals in their last four contests and won two of those matches. This is a drastic change from the start of the season for Elmira; in its first five contests, EC only netted a combined two goals. Julia Derco '17, Machika, and McCaffrey are responsible for the uptick in offensive production. The trio has combined for seven goals in Elmira's last four games.

SCOUTING HARTWICK: What a difference a year makes - after going 5-10 during the 2015 season, the Hawks have bounced back quite nicely in 2016, as the Hartwick women enter this weekend's matchup with an 8-3 overall record (2-2 Empire 8). Hartwick opened the year with six consecutive wins, before dropping three straight, two of which were against Empire 8 opponents. However, the Hawks look to be back in good form after picking up back-to-back wins over Houghton and Union. Although Hartwick has an impressive record, the majority of its wins have taken place at home, as the Hawks sport a 3-2 road record. Sarah Ryan leads the Hartwick offense with 15 points on six goals and three assists. However, Ryan has been held to just one goal in Hartwick's last six contests. Defensively, Shannon Carter has been a mainstay in cage for the Hawks. Carter leads the E8 with a .893 save percentage and boasts a solid 0.99 goals-against average.

SERIES HISTORY: Elmira and Hartwick have met 17 times in their respective histories. The Hawks own a decisive 15-2 edge in the all-time series, however, the Soaring Eagles won the most recent meeting by a 3-1 final score on Hartwick's home turf a season ago. 

UP NEXT: The EC women will leave the friendly confines of Campus Field to begin a season-long four-game road trip, when the Soaring Eagles travel to Rochester, New York, to face Nazareth College. The Empire 8 Conference contest on Saturday, October 15th, is slated for a 12:00 p.m. start.