Score: Houghton College 1, Elmira College 0
Records: Houghton (4-2, 1-0 E8), Elmira (0-5, 0-1 E8)
Location: Pine Valley, N.Y. - Murray Athletic Center

PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- For the second time in the last four days, the Elmira College women's field hockey team suffered a nail-biting loss. Houghton College needed every second on the clock – and then some – to defeat the Soaring Eagles 1-0 in their Empire 8 Conference opener Saturday afternoon.

The Soaring Eagles and Highlanders played a full 70 minutes without either team producing a goal. However, the officials awarded Houghton a penalty corner as time expired, giving the visitors one more opportunity for a score. Houghton's first shot off of the penalty corner, released by Kelsie Ashley, was stopped on a defensive save by Elmira's Julia Derco '17. HC's leading scorer, Tanya Hatton, was then able to corral the ball in a scrum in front of the cage and send it through traffic into the back of the net for the game-winner.

EC's Katie Carroll '18 nearly tallied for the first time this year midway through the second half, which would have put the Soaring Eagles in the driver's seat for a victory in the conference opener. The third-year midfielder took four of her team-high-tying five shots in the second half. All four shots came in a span of 2:43, beginning in the 50th minute. At 52:13, she ripped an attempt that went just wide of the far post. The ball remained in bounds and found her stick in front of the net moments later, but Houghton goalie Elizabeth Piszker was there to deny Carroll's shot attempt.

Turning Point
Saturday's game looked destine for overtime throughout the majority of the 70 minutes. While the Houghton offense possessed the ball in the attacking half of the field for much of the game, the Elmira defense held its ground, and the Soaring Eagles were able to generate a handful of scoring chances themselves. Despite a full 70 minutes of hard work by both sides, it would come down to one penalty corner, awarded to the Highlanders with seconds left in regulation. Had the clock expired a mere five seconds sooner, the two teams would have been headed to a 15-minute golden goal overtime period.

Inside the Box

• Houghton finished with a 24-to-13 advantage in shots.
• The Highlanders were awarded 15 penalty corners, including nine in the second half.
• Elmira had three penalty corners.
• Carroll and Atu Machika '18 each attempted a team-high five shots.
• Carroll led Elmira with two shots on goal; Machika had one.
• EC goalie Julie Hockenberger '18 performed admirably despite taking the loss. She played the entire 70 minutes and made 13 saves.
• Ashley Hughes had a game-high six shots for the Highlanders.
• Hatton scored the game-winner, with an assist coming from Ashley.
• Piszker made a trio of saves en route to the win.

News and Notes

• For the second time this week, Elmira was defeated in a one-goal heartbreaker. Oswego State topped the Soaring Eagles, 2-1, in double overtime on Wednesday.
• Houghton's lone goal marked a season-low allowed by the EC defense in a game in 2016.
• Hockenberger made double-digit saves for the third time this season.
• Hockenberger ranks third in both saves (50) and saves per game (10.00) in the Empire 8 through five games.

Up Next
Elmira College will continue its non-conference schedule with a trip to Wells College on Tuesday, September 20th, at 5:45 p.m.