ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The second week of the Elmira College sports season is officially in the books, as all nine fall athletic teams were in action this past week. It was an inspiring week for the Soaring Eagles, who saw a handful of teams pick up their first wins of the season, as well as several individuals produce impressive results.
 
HEADLINES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Men's Golf Set for Fall Leg of E8 Championships
Elmira already has two invitationals under its belt and will play in a third at the Keuka Invite, before embarking on the first leg of the 2016-17 Empire 8 Championships. The four-round conference tournament begins this weekend on Saturday, September 17th, at the Timber Banks Golf Club in Baldwinsville, New York. Last season the Elmira men finished the fall portion of the championship in seventh place with team score of 705 (+129).
 
Men's Soccer Opens Home Slate with Back-to-Back Games
After picking up its first win of the season last Saturday, the Elmira College men's soccer team is eager to return to the comforts of the grassy pitch at Campus Field. Elmira welcomes former E8 affiliate, RIT, to the Southern Tier for a 4:00 p.m. non-league match on Wednesday, September 14th. The Soaring Eagles will then open Empire 8 play the following Saturday, September 17th, against Utica College at 12:00 p.m.
 
Field Hockey Eager for Home Opener
The 2016 season not has begun as well as Elmira would have hoped, after suffering three consecutive setbacks to open the year. However, all three contests took place away from EC's home field at the Murray Athletic Center. The Soaring Eagles will be anxiously awaiting Wednesday's home opener against Oswego State, a game that is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. 
 
Women's Tennis Hosts Three-Team Invite
The Soaring Eagles will welcome Ithaca College for a conference match this Thursday, which should serve as a good tune-up for Saturday's EC Fall Invitational. The one-day event will feature dual matches between Elmira, Bard, and RIT. All three teams will play each other once in a nine-point match on the outdoor hard courts at the Ernie Davis Academy.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS
Men's Soccer Captures First Win of 2016
A one-goal win in the team's lone game of the week brought smiles to the faces of the men's soccer team. Elmira downed Hilbert by a 2-1 final on the Hawks' home pitch in Hamburg, New York, last Saturday afternoon. Misi Glover '19 opened the scoring with his first collegiate goal on a penalty kick in the fifth minute of action, but the Hawks equalized in the 61st minute to level match at 1-1. EC's leading scorer from a season ago, Michael Bryant '18, played the hero by scoring the game-winning goal in the 75th minute to seal Elmira's first win of the season. With the goal, Bryant moved into a two-way tie for eighth place in EC history for career goals (24).
 
Updates on Men's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Women's Soccer Goes 0-1-1 at MSMC Tournament
Elmira looked to right the ship so to speak this past weekend at the Mount Saint Mary College Tournament, an event that featured the Soaring Eagles against Montclair State and SUNY New Paltz. EC dropped its tournament-opening game to Red Hawks, before playing New Paltz to a 2-2 double-overtime tie. Sara Kazerouni '18 and Maddie Miller '17 netted goals in the first half at the 30- and 37-minute marks, respectively; Jordyn Rousselle '18 was credited with an assist on the Kazarouni goal. Despite holding a two-goal advantage at the half, Elmira surrendered a pair of tallies in the 57th and 67th minutes of the second half, as the two teams played to a double overtime draw.  
 
Updates on Women's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Field Hockey Drops E8 Opener to Washington & Jefferson
The Elmira women opened conference play on the road last Saturday morning against the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College. EC conceded 3:04 into the contest, one of four first-half goals for the Presidents, as W&J ran away with a lopsided 6-0 victory. Julie Hockenberger '18 started in cage for Elmira and made 11 saves, her second consecutive match with double-digit stops. Tina O'Donnell '20 came in for relief duty and turned away four shots in 13:39 of action.
 
Updates on Field Hockey can be found: HERE

Women's Volleyball Splits During Home-Opening Weekend
Elmira opened the year with a pair of non-league matches at Speidel Gymnasium this past Saturday against Alfred State and Cazenovia. After suffering an 0-3 setback in the season-opener to the Lady Pioneers, the Soaring Eagles bounced back for a 3-0 victory over the Wildcats of Cazenovia in the nightcap. Natalie Schieder '19 shined in the two matches with back-to-back double-digit kill efforts and produced her 13th career double-double against Cazenovia with 19 kills and 15 digs.
 
Updates on Women's Volleyball can be found: HERE

Women's Tennis Drops Trio of Matches
Elmira has struggled since winning its season-opening match against Penn College. The Soaring Eagles suffered a 6-3 setback to Houghton in the team's E8 opener, before falling to Utica two days later by a 5-4 final. Elmira wrapped up the week with another 6-3 loss to Fredonia, a loss that snapped an eight-match home win streak. EC's top two players, Tilila El Yazidi '20 and Megan Fitzgerald '18, continued their superb play with identical 6-0 records on the week.
 
Updates on Women's Tennis can be found: HERE
 
Men's Cross Country Wraps Up Action at Steven A. Warde Invite
On a warm morning in Cobleskill, New York, EC's men's cross country team competed at the Steven A. Warde Invitational, hosted by SUNY Cobleskill. Although the Soaring Eagles placed ninth in the field of nine teams, Elmira's Zac Park '17 continued to produce steady race times. Park finished the 5.2-mile course in 35:08.74 to claim a 31st-place finish at the 86-person event. 
 
Updates on Men's Cross Country can be found: HERE
 
Malanowski Paces Women's Cross Country at Steven A. Warde Invite
Rookie runner Caitlin Malanowski '20 extended her superb running form this past Saturday at the Steven A. Warde Invitational, hosted by SUNY Cobleskill. Her 21:31.43 time at the 5K event was the fifth-fastest time in program history and good enough for an 18th-place finish at the 83-runner event. Hannah Lundgren '18 was close behind with a time of 22:00.77, a mark that ranks sixth in the EC record books, which helped her secure 25th place. As a team, Elmira took home a seventh-place finish with a 170-point team total.
 
Updates on Women's Cross Country can be found: HERE

Men's Golf Places Eighth at Utica Invitational
Elmira ditched the Southern Tier last Saturday for a weekend getaway to Central New York to compete at the Utica Invitational. Played at the challenging Yahnandasis Golf Club in New Hartford, New York, the Elmira men took home an eighth-place finish at the 11-team event. Charl Pretorius '19 led the way with a two-day total of 169 (+27), good enough to finish tied for 29th place. Pretorius shaved seven strokes off of his day one score during the final round for a day-two score of 81 (+10), a career best for the South African native.
 
Updates on Men's Golf can be found: HERE
 
Women's Golf Finishes Fourth at Utica
Joining the men at Yahnandasis Golf Club this past weekend were the Elmira women, who were also competed at the Utica Invitational. The Soaring Eagles combined for a team score of 768 (+184) at the two-day event and finished in fourth place out of the field of eight teams. Audrey Clarke '18 paced the Purple and Gold with a two-day score of 161 (+15), which included a low round of 77 (+4) during Sunday's action. Clarke's career-low 77 helped her claim a seventh-place finish at the 46-person invite.
 
Updates on Women's Golf can be found: HERE
 
WEEKLY AWARDS
Elmira College Athletes of the Week:
Audrey Clarke '18 – Women's Golf
Misi Glover '19 – Men's Soccer
 
Click here to read the EC Athletes of the Week release.
 
Empire 8 Players of the Week:
Audrey Clarke '18 – Women's Golf
Tilila El Yazidi '20 – Women's Tennis
 
Click here to read Clarke's E8 Player of the Week release.
Click here to read El Yazidi's E8 Player of the Week release.
 
THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, September 14
Men's Golf at Keuka Invite – 10:00 a.m.
Field Hockey vs. Oswego State – 4:00 p.m.
Men's Soccer vs. RIT – 4:00 p.m.
 
Thursday, September 15
*Women's Tennis vs. Ithaca – 4:00 p.m.
Women's Volleyball vs. Penn College – 6:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, September 17
Men's Golf at Empire 8 Championships – TBA
Women's Golf at William Smith Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Tennis vs. Bard – 9:30 a.m.
*Men's Soccer vs. Utica – 12:00 p.m.
*Field Hockey vs. Houghton – 1:00 p.m.
Women's Soccer vs. SUNY Potsdam – 3:00 p.m.
Women's Tennis vs. RIT – 4:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, September 18
Men's Golf at Empire 8 Championships – TBA
Women's Golf at William Smith Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
 
Bold Indicates Home Event
* Indicates Conference Match-Up