ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Three of Elmira College's winter athletic teams were in action and posted a combined record of 2-1-1, with both wins coming in women's basketball. Elmira's efforts highlighted what turned out to be somber week for the EC community, as the college mourned the loss of former President Dr. Thomas Keith Meier, who passed away unexpectedly last Wednesday. The final two ice hockey games of the year are shaping up to be good ones, as the Elmira men and women host NESCAC foe Trinity College (Conn.) for a pair of non-league games this Saturday, December 10th. The EC women will battle the Bantams first at 2:00 p.m., while the men's game will follow shortly after at 5:00 p.m. Both contests will take place at EC's Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena. Shuttle buses will be available for both games and will depart the campus bus loop 45 minutes prior to the start of Saturday's contests (1:15 & 4:15 departures).
 
  The Elmira College community was shocked and saddened to learn of Dr. Thomas Keith Meier's passing Wednesday. A twenty-five year legacy as President (from 1987 to 2012) that enhanced the student experience, nurtured pride in College tradition and the Purple and Gold, while advancing the expansion of athletics during his tenure.
 
Maximizing opportunities for student-athlete participation was a key focus with the sponsorship of six new varsity sport offerings implemented under Dr. Meier's leadership: men's lacrosse (1989), women's lacrosse (2000), field hockey (2001), women's golf (2001), women's ice hockey (2001) and men's volleyball (2011).  Junior varsity expansion included cheerleading, women's basketball, softball, men's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's and women's ice hockey.  The Soaring Eagles' conference affiliation in the Empire 8 and United Volleyball Conference were also realized with his support.
  Elmira faced its toughest test of the young 2016-17 season last Saturday, as the Soaring Eagles welcomed the Cadets of Norwich University to the Murray Athletic Center for a top-6 showdown. The second-ranked Soaring Eagles took a 2-0 lead on goals by Rachel Grampp '18 and Johanna Eidensten '17 in the first and third periods, respectively. Unfortunately, the two-goal lead was not enough, as the sixth-ranked Cadets scored twice in the final 6:33 of regulation to force overtime. Neither side was able to find the back of the cage in the extra five-minute session, as the contest ended in a 2-2 overtime draw. Senior goaltender Kyle Nelson '17 made a season-high 23 saves in the contest, as Elmira's record moved to 6-0-1 on the year. 
  The 2016-17 non-conference schedule continued to pit the Soaring Eagles against some of the stiffest competition in the region, as Elmira traveled to North Country to take on a surging St. Lawrence squad. Elmira stood toe-to-toe with the Saints, holding a six-point halftime lead before going up by as many as 11 points in the second half. However, St. Lawrence rallied in the final minutes to take a 72-70 lead with 22 ticks remaining on the clock. With just two seconds remaining, freshman Alex Ischiropoulos '20 went for the win by attempting a 3-pointer, but the shot was off its mark. Thankfully, Henry Cuffee '19 tipped in the miss and forced overtime at 72-72; the rebound and put-back was part of Cuffee's 15 point, 11 rebound double-double. The Saints proved to be too much for Elmira in the five minute overtime, as St. Lawrence escaped with an 87-78 overtime victory.
  After opening the season with four consecutive road games, the Soaring Eagles returned to Speidel Gymnasium for a trio of home contests prior to finals week. The trip back home was just what Elmira needed, as the Purple and Gold have pieced together a mini three-game win streak, including wins this past week against the Pennsylvania College of Technology and SUNY Cortland. Elmira began the week with a dominant 65-23 win over the  Wildcats, the lowest scoring output EC has allowed since 1985-86. The Soaring Eagles followed that performance with a thrilling 70-68 win over Cortland, a victory that snapped a 15-game skid to the Red Dragons; Elmira's last win over Cortland came in the 1997-98 season. Emily Green '18 paced the offense with a two-game average of 18.0 points per game, which included a career-high 21-point performance against Cortland. Rachel Vespucci '19 continued to surge as EC's post presence, logging a pair of double-doubles to extend her consecutive double-double streak to four games – the four-game double-double streak is the longest by a Soaring Eagle in over 15 years.