ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Following a thrilling 3-2 win in its last outing, the Elmira College field hockey team will look to build off of its triumph this Saturday, September 24th, when the Soaring Eagles travel to face the Cardinals of St. John Fisher College. Saturday's conference bout is slated for 11:00 a.m. at Fisher's Growney Stadium in Rochester, New York.  
 
LAST TIME OUT: After suffering a pair of heart-wrenching losses, the Soaring Eagles came out on the right side of a one-goal decision thanks to a 3-2 road victory over Wells College. Although Elmira came out on top, the win did not come easily. The Express jumped out a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, before Katie Carroll '18 scored her first of the season in the 24th to even the match at 1-1. Wells reclaimed its one-goal advantage just 3:03 after the halftime break on a goal by Kate Wells. However, Sarah McCaffrey '18 answered for Elmira in the 48th minute with her second tally of the season, which set up Julia Derco '17 for game-winning score in the closing 10 minutes of regulation.
 
DERCO COMES UP CLUTCH: Fourth-year defensive stalwart Julia Derco has four goals in her EC career, but each time the Hackettstown, New Jersey, native scores it seems to be a crucial goal for the Soaring Eagles. Derco knocked-in Elmira's game-winner against Wells, the second game-winning goal of her career. Derco's influence on the outcome of games is undeniable, as the Purple and Gold are 3-0 all-time when she finds the back of the cage.
 
MCCAFFREY & CARROLL SHINE: Sarah McCaffrey and Katie Carroll look to be coming into their own as the season progresses, especially after the two Soaring Eagles produced three points apiece in Elmira's win over Wells. McCaffrey owns six points this season on two goals and two assists. Her six points and two helpers are both career highs. Carroll, on the other hand, has four points this season on a goal and a career-high two assists.
 
SCOUTING FISHER: After winning once in its first three games of the year, the St. John Fisher women have rattled off three consecutive wins and enter Saturday's contest with a 4-2 (2-0 E8) record. Of Fisher's three straight wins, two have come in the form of shutouts against Nazareth (4-0) and Utica (1-0). The Cardinals resume also includes an impressive 2-1 victory at home over SUNY Cortland, a team that received votes in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) national poll.  Emily Markarian and Lexi Foley share the team lead in goals with three apiece, while Markarian boasts a team-best eight points. Lauren Fazio has been a key distributor for the Cardinals with a team-high three assists. Defensively, Ashley Maynard has been Fisher's top choice in cage with four starts in five appearances. She owns a 3-1 record thanks to a 0.69 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: Elmira and St. John Fisher have met once each season since the inception of the Cardinals' program in the fall of 2011. Aside from Elmira's series-opening victory in 2011, the Soaring Eagles have struggled to prevail past the Cardinals, who are 4-1 all-time against EC.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Elmira returns to action on Wednesday, September 28th, when the Purple and Gold welcome the Wolves of Keuka College for a 4:00 p.m. non-league contest. Wednesday's match with the Wolves marks the beginning of a season-long four-game homestand.