ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The 2016-17 sports season officially began last week, as seven of Elmira College's nine fall athletic teams were in action. Women's soccer and women's tennis both opened the year with home contests, while field hockey, men's soccer, men's cross country, women's country, and men's golf all competed away from the friendly confines of their home facilities at EC.
 
HEADLINES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Women's Volleyball Hosts Home Tri-Match
Elmira was originally scheduled to open the 2016 this Wednesday, September 7th, against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, but the opener has been cancelled with no makeup date scheduled as of this time. However, the Soaring Eagles will instead open the year on Saturday, September 10th, as the Soaring Eagles host a home tri-match in Speidel Gymnasium with Alfred State and Cazenovia College. Action on Saturday begins at 11:00 a.m.
 
Empire 8 Conference Openers
Despite being just two weeks into the fall season, a pair of EC teams will open their Empire 8 Conference schedules. Women's tennis plays in its E8 opener on Wednesday, September 7th, with a road match against Houghton College. Field hockey also opens its conference schedule on the road with a Saturday, September 10th, meeting with Washington & Jefferson College.
 
Women's Golf Opens Fall Slate at Utica
The last of Elmira's nine fall athletic teams to open the year will be the Soaring Eagles' women's golf team. Elmira kicks-off the fall schedule with a trip to New Hartford, New York, to compete in the Utica College Invitational, which will take place at the Yahnundasis Golf Club.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS
Women's Tennis Opens Campaign with Impressive Win
Elmira began the 2016 season with an impressive result with a 9-0 sweep of the Pennsylvania College of Technology at the Murray Athletic Center this past Saturday morning. The Soaring Eagles dominated in all phases of the match, winning 96-of-113 total games played. Several players picked up their first career collegiate victories (El Yazidi, Bliss, Hill, and Holwell), while the Purple and Gold extended their home unbeaten streak to eight matches, a mark that dates back to the 2014-15 season.
 
Updates on Women's Tennis can be found: HERE
 
Cross Country Debuts at Alfred State Invite
The EC cross country teams opened the year at the Alfred State Invitational last Friday evening. Caitlin Malanowski '20 and Hannah Gaston '17 paced the women's team with a pair of top-10 finishes. Malanowski claimed seventh place in her collegiate debut with a time of 24:36.23, while Gaston checked-in at 10th with a time of 25:50.12. For the men, Zac Park '17 turned in the team's best time at 20:58.11, good enough for a 14th-place finish at the season-opening event.
 
Updates on Women's Cross Country can be found: HERE
Updates on Men's Cross Country can be found: HERE
 
Men's Golf Opens Year at Pitt-Bradford
For the fifth consecutive season, the Elmira men opened the fall portion of its schedule at the Pitt-Bradford Invitational at the Pine Acres Country Club, located in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The course and the field of competitors proved to be a challenge for the Soaring Eagles, as they placed 13th out of 16 teams with cumulative score of 349 (+61). Senior linksman Brandon Payne '17 carded a team-best 83 (+11), which placed the Hastings, New York, native in a tie for 28th place. 
 
Updates on Men's Golf can be found: HERE
 
Men's Soccer Stumbles in Opening Games
Elmira suffered back-to-back defeats in its first two contests of the year, both of which took place on the road, as the Soaring Eagles fell to SUNY Cortland and Susquehanna University. Rookie netminder Jacob Liese '20 shined in net in the team's first two games, totaling 10 saves, including a six-save effort against the Red Dragons. Liese's six saves were the most made by an EC rookie netminder in a start since 2012.
 
Updates on Men's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Women's Soccer Falls at Home
Sara Kazarouni '18 knocked-in Elmira's first goal of the season, but it was a small consolation in a tough week for the Soaring Eagles, who suffered a pair of losses to No. 4 nationally-ranked William Smith College and the University of Mary Washington. Despite, the losses Elmira should be encouraged by the play of its senior goalkeeper, Amanda Banner '17, who amassed 21 saves in the two contests. She produced 12 stops against Mary Washington, a mark that tied her single-game career high.
 
Updates on Women's Soccer can be found: HERE
 
Field Hockey Suffers Season-Opening Losses
It was a challenging start for the EC field hockey team, as the Purple and Gold dropped a pair of non-league road games to Marywood University and SUNY Cortland. The lone bright spot for the Elmira women was the play of Atu Machika '18, who collected her first goal of the season against the Red Dragons.
 
Updates on Field Hockey can be found: HERE
 
THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, September 7
*Women's Tennis at Houghton – 4:00 p.m.
 
Friday, September 9
*Women's Tennis at Utica – 4:00 p.m.
^Women's Soccer vs. Montclair St. - 7:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, September 10
Women's Volleyball vs. Alfred State – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Volleyball vs. Cazenovia – 3:00 p.m.
*Field Hockey at Washington & Jefferson – 10:00 a.m.
Men's Cross Country at Steven A. Warde Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
Women's Cross Country at Steven A. Warde Invitational – 11:00 a.m.
Men's Golf at Utica College Invitational – 10:30 a.m.
Women's Golf at Utica College Invitational – 10:30 a.m.
Men's Soccer at Hilbert – 3:15 p.m.
^Women's Soccer at Mount Saint Mary College Tournament – 4:30/7:00 p.m.
 
Sunday, September 11
Women's Tennis vs. Fredonia – 12:00 p.m.
Men's Golf at Utica College Invitational – 8:30 a.m.
Women's Golf at Utica College Invitational – 8:30 a.m.
 
Bold Indicates Home Event
* Indicates Conference Match-Up
^Mount Saint Mary College Tournament in Newburgh, N.Y.