ELMIRA, N.Y. -- This Saturday's men's soccer match between Elmira College and Houghton College may only be the second Empire 8 game of the season for the two teams, but don't let the young season diminish just how important this conference bout will be come late October. The battle to stay atop the conference standings starts at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 24th, as the Soaring Eagles travel to clash with Highlanders on Houghton's home turf at Burke Field.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Elmira was looking to extend its three-game unbeaten streak, but those hopes came to a screeching halt, as the Soaring Eagles dropped a 3-0 decision to non-league foe, Vassar College. The meeting between the two programs was the first since the 1983 season. Haruka Okamoto '18 made a career-high six saves in the loss, while Michael Bryant '18 made his collegiate debut in net and logged 6:55 of playing time between the posts.
 
E8 LEADERS: Saturday's contest will be an intriguing one to say the least, as it will feature the Empire 8's top point-scorer in Bryant, as well as the league's leading goaltender in Houghton's Jacob Dunnett. Bryant paces the conference in points per game (1.33), while Dunnett sits atop the league leaderboard in goals-against average (0.51) and save percentage (.875). However, the last time these two teams met in 2015, Bryant got the best of Dunnett with a pair of goals, the second being the game winner.
 
SCOUTING HOUGHTON: With a 4-2-2 overall record, the Highlanders are off to their best start since the 2014 season. Houghton enters Saturday's contest having won its previous two contests by a combined score of 9-1. Houghton's most recent victory occurred on its home turf at Burke Field, a 5-0 victory over visiting Pitt-Bradford. The key to Houghton's success this year has been its versatile attack, one that features 12 different goal-scorers that have combined for 14 tallies. Just as impressive has been the play of Houghton's starting goalkeeper, Jacob Dunnett, who owns a 0.51 goals-against average with 28 saves.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: There have been 18 all-time meetings between the Soaring Eagles and Highlanders. Houghton owns a 12-5-1 advantage in those contests, but Elmira has the most recent win in the series, a 3-1 victory at Campus Field in 2015. Both teams have played each year since 2012 and have traded wins every year, with each team prevailing on its home turf each time. The last time either team won on the road dates back to the 1989 installment of the rivalry, when the Purple and Gold solidified a 2-0 victory at Houghton.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Following Saturday's E8 bout, the Soaring Eagles return to Campus Field on Tuesday, September 27th, for a 4:00 p.m. non-league contest with Marywood University.