ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's lacrosse team begins the Empire 8 Conference portion of its schedule with a 1:00 p.m. matchup against Nazareth College on Saturday, March 25.
LAST TIME OUT: EC fell to non-conference adversary Muhlenberg College by a final score of 20-4 on Sunday, March 19, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Soaring Eagles had a limited number of offensive chances in the bout, finishing with just 12 shots, compared to the Mules' 58. This onslaught on the defensive end of the field put a lot of pressure on Elmira's goalkeeper
Cameron Prior '17. The senior performed admirably between the pipes, making 11 saves in his 30 minutes of playing time. On the offensive side of the field, attackers
Wyatt Katsos '17 and
Nevin Olney '18 led the way for EC with a team-high two points. Katsos tallied twice for his second multi-goal game of the young season and Olney added a goal and an assist to maintain his team led in points with seven.
CAM KEEPS BUSY: Prior has been busy in the first three games of the year, as he paces the Empire 8 Conference in saves per game (16.33) and ranks fourth in saves percentage (.563). With 59 saves on the young season, the Malden, Massachusetts, native increased his career total to 374.
MAN UP CHANCES: The Soaring Eagles have recorded a man-up goal in all three of its games to start the season. Elmira is averaging 1.33 man-up tallies per game, a mark that ranks fourth in the conference. This success has proven an upward trend in the category, as EC averaged 1.00 man-up goals per game a season ago and that number sat at just 0.46 in 2015.
SCOUTING NAZARETH: The Golden Flyers have played some tough competition in recent weeks, dropping contests to sixth-ranked York College and 12th-ranked Denison University on March 17 and 18, respectively. Following those setbacks, Naz earned a 15-5 win over Hamilton College in its most recent bout on Tuesday, March 21, which improved its overall record to 3-4. Nazareth's offense has started the season off strong, as it ranks fourth in the E8 in both goals per game (11.00) and shots per game (37.57). The Golden Flyers have employed a balanced offensive attack, as three different players have recorded at least 17 points on the campaign. Senior midfielder Hunter Burdick leads the way with 18 points on 10 goals and a team-high eight assists. He is followed closely by sophomore attacker Jack Crowley (14g, 3a) and senior middie Jacob Gray (12g, 5a), who share second place on the team with 17 points. Rookie goalie Alex Winkler has excelled in his first seven appearances between the pipes with a 10.79 goals-against average, the sixth-lowest mark in the league. Junior midfielder Seth DeLisle has helped ease the pressure of Winkler with his conference best 9.86 ground balls per game.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's contest will mark the 17th meeting between the two programs. The Soaring Eagles are still looking for their first win against their feathered foes, as Naz has won the previous 16 tilts. The most recent matchup between the two teams was a 17-4 victory for the then No.13 Golden Flyers on March 26, 2016.
LOOKING AHEAD: Elmira will return to the field on Wednesday, March 29, for a home matchup against E8 foe Houghton College. The conference bout is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. at nearby Notre Dame High School.
