ELMIRA, N.Y. -- It was another exciting week of Elmira College athletics, as seven of the nine fall sports teams were in action. Elmira picked up team wins in women's volleyball and men's soccer this past week, while several individuals recorded victories and solid scores.
 
HEADLINES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Women's Volleyball Opens Conference Play
Although the 2016 fall sports season in just about three weeks underway, the Soaring Eagles have yet to play a conference match. However, the Elmira women will open its E8 slate this week on Wednesday, September 21st, when the Purple and Gold make the short trip up Route 13 to face the Bombers of Ithaca College in a 6:00 p.m. match. Elmira will then welcome St. John Fisher College and Utica College to Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday, September 24th, for a pair of conference contests. EC faces the Fisher at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, before concluding the day's action with a 4:00 p.m. meeting with the Pioneers.
 
Men's Soccer Readies for Pivotal E8 Bout
Elmira puts its 1-0-0 conference record on the line this weekend when the Purple and Gold travel to face the Highlanders of Houghton College on Saturday, September 24th, at 3:00 p.m. Both teams won their conference openers by sizeable margins – Elmira with a five-goal victory over Utica and Houghton with a 4-1 win against St. John Fisher – and will be battling for three crucial E8 points to stay atop the conference standings.
 
Cross Country Teams Return to Action
The EC men's and women's cross country teams return to action after a week-long hiatus from competition. Both programs will be running in this weekend's Harry F. Anderson Invitational, hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. The women's race is set for a 10:30 a.m. start, while the men begin their event an hour later at 11:30 a.m. 
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS
Women's Volleyball Rallies for Five-Set Win Over Wildcats
Elmira did not make things easy on itself last Thursday night against Penn College, as the Soaring Eagles dropped the first two sets to the Wildcats. Trailing 2-sets-to-0, Elmira rallied to win three straight en route to a thrilling five-set win. After hitting a dismal -.053 in the first set, the Elmira women became much more efficient in the later sets to hit .203 (65k-26e-192att) for the match. Leading the way was Natalie Schieder '19 and her monster double-double performance. The Alden, New York, native produced 31 kills and 27 digs, both of which were career highs, to guide Elmira to its second victory of the year.

Updates on Women's Volleyball can be found: HERE
 
Fitzgerald and El Yazidi Shine for Women's Tennis
Although the Soaring Eagles went 0-3 on the week, Elmira's top-two singles players, Tilila El Yazidi '20 and Megan Fitzgerald '18, had good showings during the week. Neither player was able to capture a win against E8 powerhouse Ithaca College, but El Yazidi did produce a respectable 6-2, 6-3 score line at the top singles position against the reigning Empire 8 Player of the Year, Haley Kusak. The five games dropped by Kusak are the most an E8 opponent has taken from her in two years.
 
Then at the EC Fall Invitational, Elmira fell in a pair of non-league contests to Bard and RIT, both affiliates of the Liberty League. Fitzgerald went a perfect 4-0 at the invite, earning a pair of wins at first doubles with El Yazidi and two additional straight-set victories in singles at the second spot.
 
Updates on Women's Tennis can be found: HERE
 
Men's Golf Sits in Eighth after First Leg of Conference Tournament  
It was a challenging weekend for the Elmira men at the first leg of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. The Soaring Eagles produced a team score of 723 (+52) at the two-day event and sit 26 strokes behind seventh-place Susquehanna. Dan Gridley '18 led EC at the event with a two-day total of 172 (+28), good enough to place the third-year linksman in a tie for 24th place. Charl Pretorius '19 was not far behind Gridley's pace with a 173 (+29), as he will begin the second leg of the championship in 29th place.
 
Updates on Men's Golf can be found: HERE
 
Clarke and Ogden Card Top-25 Finishes at William Smith
The Elmira women took home a seventh-place finish at the William Smith Invitational, played at the Clifton Springs Golf Club in Clifton Springs, New York. Audrey Clarke '18 led the charge with a two-day score of 176 (+32), which placed the Churchville, New York, native in a tie for 15th place at the event. First-year golfer Alyssa Ogden '17 also had a good showing at with a 22nd-place finish, as she carded a 184 (+40).
 
Updates on Women's Golf can be found: HERE
 
Men's Soccer Defeats Utica in E8 Opener
Following a midweek 0-0 draw against RIT in non-conference action, the men's soccer team scored a big 6-1 victory over Utica College at Campus Field in its Empire 8 Conference opener. The Purple and Gold received outstanding performances from Michael Bryant '18 and Donte Donegal '18 on the offensive end of the field. Donegal scored the first two goals of the game, including the eventual game-winner, with assists on both plays from Bryant. The Portola Hills, California, native then tallied twice himself, including an outstanding individual effort in the 78th minute. Bryant navigated through a host of Pioneer defensemen before ripping a shot into the lower right corner. With six points in the win, Bryant tied his single-game career high.
 
Updates on Men's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Rousselle Scores in Loss for Women's Soccer
Third-year midfielder Jordyn Rousselle '18 was a bright spot for the women's soccer team in Saturday's 5-1 loss to SUNY Potsdam at Campus Field. She was credited with a team-high three shots and her first goal of the 2016 campaign. Rousselle received a pass from Niki Lemper '17, who also picked up her first point of the year with the assist, and poked it past the SUNY Potsdam netminder inside the near post. Amanda Banner '17 had a busy day in goal for EC, as the fourth-year keeper recorded her second game with double-digit saves this season (12). Banner leads the Empire 8 in saves per game with 8.80.
 
Updates on Women's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Field Hockey Drops Two Nail-Biters at the MAC
It was a tough week for the field hockey team, who battled down to the wire, but came up empty in a pair of one-goal losses. On Wednesday, the Soaring Eagles saw a first-half lead slip away with just over a minute remaining in regulation against Oswego State. The Lakers then completed the comeback in the second overtime session for a 2-1 victory. On Saturday against E8 foe, Houghton, the Purple and Gold played the Highlanders to a 0-0 draw down to the final second. However, a penalty corner awarded to the Highlanders as time expired allowed the visitors to tally in the 70th minute, resulting in a 1-0 heartbreaking loss. Goalie Julie Hockenberger '18 combined to make 20 stops in nearly 160:00 minutes combined in the two games.
 
Updates on Field Hockey can be found: HERE
 
WEEKLY AWARDS
Elmira College Athletes of the Week:
Natalie Schieder '19 – Women's Volleyball
Michael Bryant '18 – Men's Soccer
 
Click here to read the EC Athletes of the Week release.
 
Empire 8 Players of the Week:
Michael Bryant '18 – Men's Soccer
 
Click here to read Bryant's E8 Player of the Week release.
 
THE WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, September 20
Men's Soccer at Vassar – 4:00 p.m.
*Women's Tennis at St. John Fisher – 4:00 p.m.
Field Hockey at Wells – 5:45 p.m.
 
Wednesday, September 21
Women's Soccer at Pitt-Bradford – 4:00 p.m.
*Women's Volleyball at Ithaca – 6:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, September 24
Men's and Women's Cross Country at Harry F. Anderson Invitational – 10:30 a.m.
*Field Hockey at St. John Fisher – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Golf at Martin-Wallace Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
*Women's Volleyball vs. St. John Fisher – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Tennis at SUNY Oneonta – 1:00 p.m.
*Men's Soccer at Houghton – 3:00 p.m.
*Women's Volleyball vs. Utica – 4:00 p.m.
*Women's Soccer at Utica – 6:00 p.m.
 
Sunday, September 25
Women's Golf at Martin-Wallace Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Tennis at Oswego State – 1:00 p.m.
 
Bold Indicates Home Event
* Indicates Conference Match-Up