Elmira College (6-5, 0-0 E8) vs. Utica College (0-0, 0-0 E8)
Saturday, April 2, 2016 | 1:00 | Murray Athletic Center – Pine Valley, NY
 
Elmira College (6-5, 0-0 E8) vs. Nazareth College (1-7, 0-0 E8)
Sunday, April 3, 2016 | 1:00 | Mendon Racquet & Pool Club – Pittsford, NY
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's tennis team opens Empire 8 play with a pair of matches over the weekend. Elmira begins the weekend with a Saturday, April 2nd, meeting with Utica College at the Murray Athletic Center, before traveling to face Nazareth College on Sunday, April 3rd, at the Mendon Racquet & Pool Club in Pittsford, NY.
 
Last Time Out
It has been two weeks since Elmira's last match, a speedy 9-0 victory over Keuka College at the Murray Athletic Center Tennis Dome on March 19th. Elmira made quick work of the Wolfpack, as the Soaring Eagles won 96-of-104 games played. A total of four matches ended in sweeps, three in singles and one doubles. 
 
Empire 8 Opener
The Soaring Eagles open Empire 8 Conference play Saturday against the Pioneers. Historically Elmira has struggled in conference-opening games, going 1-15 in the last 16 years. Last season, Elmira snapped a 15-match skid in conference openers with a 7-2 win over Houghton College.
 
Scouting Utica
The Pioneers are the last Empire 8 team to get their season started, as the Utica men opened the year on Friday, April 1st, against Houghton College. Utica is coming off a 2-11 season in 2015 that saw the Pioneers pick up wins over Keuka College and the Sage Colleges. Matt Rogers returns for his senior season and will look to build on a 2015 campaign that saw the East Syracuse, NY, native earn a team-leading seven total wins. He went 5-6 in singles action a season ago, posting a 5-5 record at the second spot. 
 
All-Time Series vs. Utica
Since 2000, Elmira and Utica have met 21 times. The Soaring Eagles own a decisive 15-6 record in those contests and have won seven straight matchups entering Saturday's conference opener. Elmira has swept the last three meetings (27-0) and has won 43-of-45 matches over the last five seasons.
 
Scouting Nazareth
After opening the fall portion of their schedule with a 6-3 win over Penn State-Behrend, the Golden Flyers have dropped seven straight to bring their 2015-16 record to 1-7. Six of Nazareth's seven losses have come in the form of 9-0 defeats, including the team's most recent setback against the University of Rochester on March 24th.  
 
All-Time Series vs. Nazareth
Nazareth has dominated the all-time series with a 15-1 record dating back to 2000. Elmira picked up its first win in the series in 2015, when the Soaring Eagles downed the Golden Flyers 6-3 at the MAC, which snapped a 15-match losing streak.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira returns to action next Saturday, April 9th, when the Soaring Eagles welcome 23rd-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology to the MAC for an E8 showdown at 10:00 a.m.