ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira College men's soccer will take on its final non-conference foe this evening, as the Soaring Eagles travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to take on the King's College (Pa.) Monarchs. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at McCarthy Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
Elmira was less than four minutes away from sealing an all-important Empire 8 win against the defending conference champion St. John Fisher Cardinals. However, a late goal by the Cardinals in the 87th minute proved to be the difference, as the two feathered foes played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at Campus Field. St. John Fisher dictated much of the first-half play, but the Soaring Eagles flashed just how opportunistic they can be, as senior
Donte Donegal '18 scored on EC's first shot attempt of the contest in the 28th minute.
Michael Courtney '21 set up the goal with a one-time through ball that split a pair of defenders and placed Donegal inside 10 yards with a clear path to goal. Rookie netminder
Jacob Mattice '21 once again received the starting nod and made four saves in 110:00 of work. For his efforts, Mattice was crowned the Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Week, marking the second time this season an Elmira goalkeeper has claimed the award.
SCOUTING KING'S
The Monarchs have already clinched a postseason berth into the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Tournament thanks to a 10-5-1 overall record and a 4-2-0 mark within league play. King's is coming off of back-to-back one-goal losses, both against conference opponents, which snapped the Monarchs' eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2). The majority of King's success has taken place away from its home pitch at McCarthy Stadium, as the Monarchs boast a 6-1-0 road record compared to an even 4-4-1 mark at home. Liam McLoughlin has shined in his freshman season for the Monarchs with a team highs in points (24) and goals (11). The rookie owns a trio of multi-goal games, including a pair of hat-tricks, but has been held scoreless over the team's last four contests. Close behind is August Axtman, who is second on the team in goals (8) and enters Wednesday night's contest with four tallies in his last four games. Defensively, Owen Geedey has played the lion's share of minutes in goal for the Monarchs. He owns a 10-5-1 record with 44 saves, a .745 save percentage and a 0.88 goals-against average.
SERIES HISTORY
Elmira and King's have faced each other 11 times dating back to the 1980 season. The Monarchs hold a slight 5-4-2 edge in the all-time series, but have not lost to the Soaring Eagles in six straight meetings (4-0-2). Elmira's last win in the series dates back to the 1991 season, when the Soaring Eagles clipped the Monarchs by a 1-0 final score at Campus Field.
LOOKING AHEAD
Elmira will turn its sights on what is undoubtedly the most important match of the year, as the Soaring Eagles look to clinch a postseason berth in a Friday, October 27, showdown with the Gators of the Sage Colleges. The opening kickoff for the E8 contest is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Albany College of Pharmacy's ACPHS Turf Athletic Field.
