SCRANTON, P.A. -- The Elmira College field hockey team opened the 2016 season this evening against non-conference foe Marywood University on the Pacers' home turf in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Elmira battled Marywood until the final horn, but would come up short, as the Pacers marched away with a 4-0 victory.
 
Elmira had an opportunity to score the game's first goal in the 8th minute of action, when the Soaring Eagles were awarded a penalty corner. The corner would yield a shot from Katie Carroll '18, an attempt the junior forward put on cage. However, Marywood's Kerri Mountz made one of her game's two saves to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes.
 
Just 39 seconds after the Mountz save, Marywood countered and took their first lead of the game on a goal by Amelia Waibel.
 
The Soaring Eagles once again looked to respond on a penalty corner in the 13th minute, and on the ensuing play, Carroll would get off another shot but this one missed wide, as EC continued to trail by one goal. Unfortunately for Elmira, this would be all the offense it would muster in the first half, as the Purple and Gold were outshot 14-to-2 in the opening 35 minutes.
 
Marywood added its second goal of the half at the 20:43 mark on a tally from Cassie Stockwell. Stockwell's goal held up through the half, as the Soaring Eagles entered the halftime break with a 2-0 deficit.
 
Elmira hoped to turn things around in the second half by doubling its shot total (4), but the effort meant little to the score line, as the Pacers tacked on another pair of goals in the second stanza to claim a 4-0 win.
 
Turning Point
Credit Marywood's aggressive offense for today's win, as the Pacers launched 22 shots in today's game, putting half of those attempts on target. On the other hand, the Pacer defense was just as impressive, as it limited the EC offense to six attempts.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Marywood held a decisive advantage in shots, 22-6.
• 11 of Marywood's shots hit the cage, while Elmira put two of its attempts on target.
• Elmira was awarded three penalty corners, while Marywood had 12.
• The Pacers' tallied twice in both halves.
• Tina O'Donnell '20 got the start in cage for EC and made five saves in her debut.
• Julie Hockenberger '18 entered the cage for relief duty and made two stops.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira's all-time record against Marywood dropped to 3-1.
• O'Donnell's five saves are the most by an EC rookie in a starting debut since 2014.
• With the loss Elmira falls to 0-1, while Marywood improves to 1-1 on the year.

  
Up Next
Elmira will look to bounce back from today's setback tomorrow afternoon, when the Soaring Eagles travel to Cortland, New York, to face the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland. Tomorrow's non-conference bout is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.