Score: Nazareth College 20 – Elmira College 2
Records: Nazareth (4-4, 1-0 E8), Elmira (0-4, 0-1 E8)
Location: Nazareth's Artificial Turf Field – Rochester, N.Y.
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- For the second game in a row, offensive struggles hinder the attack of the Elmira College men's lacrosse team in the Soaring Eagles' 20-2 setback to Nazareth College on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Rochester, New York. The tilt served as the Empire 8 Conference opener for both programs.

EC's defense came to play in the first quarter, holding the Golden Flyers to just two opening-quarter goals. Sophomore goalie Mike Chaderjian '19 started the contest, the first of his career, and performed admirably, making five saves on Naz's seven first-quarter shots on goal, giving Nazareth a 2-0 advantage going into the second.

The matchup got away from EC in the following period, as it allowed five unanswered goals in the first three minutes, which expanded Nazareth's lead to 7-0.

Elmira was able to answer in the second with its first goal of the contest, as Colby Runk '18 scooped up a ground ball in the Nazareth zone and stormed past the opposing defense to net the unassisted tally at the 11:33 mark, his second of the season. The score cut the deficit back to six goals, 7-1. Unfortunately for EC, the Golden Flyers added three more goals by the end of the half to expand the lead to 10-1.

Wyatt Katsos '17 tried to spark an Elmira comeback attempt at the start of the second half, netting a man-up goal just 12 seconds into the third, his team-high-tying fifth tally of the season. Freshman midfielder David Keisler '20 was credited with the first assist of his young career on the play.

The comeback attempt proved unsuccessful, however, as the third and fourth quarters mirrored the second, with Naz owning a 32-to-14 advantage in shots in the half. Nazareth posted identical five-goal periods, putting the game out of EC's reach and sealing the 20-2 conference win.

Turning Point
From the opening faceoff, the Soaring Eagles had a difficulty winning control of the ball. EC won just four faceoffs out of the 24 in the game. This inability to win the ball allowed the Golden Flyers to maintain possession for much of the contest, which in turn allowed them to take a big lead in shots. With a 74-to-21 disadvantage in shots, EC did not have enough offensive chances to keep the matchup close.

Inside the Box Score

• The Golden Flyers owned a commanding 74-to-21 lead in shots.
• Nazareth also won the faceoff battle, 20-to-4.
• The ground ball total sat in favor of the home team, 58-to-22.
• EC finished the contest with 28 turnovers, compared to Naz's 23.
• Elmira finished 15-for-32 on clear attempts, while the Golden Flyers went 18-for-19.
• Katsos' goal served as the lone man-up tally for both teams, as the Soaring Eagles finished 1-for-5 and Nazareth went 0-for-4.
• Katsos and Runk were EC's two goal scores.
• Keisler also finished with a point with his helper on the Katsos tally.
• Chaderjian finished with 20 saves in his 53:32 minutes of action.
• Katsos recorded one save in his six-and-a-half minutes of relief play in the fourth.
• Paul Walter led all players with a game-high six points on four goals and two assists.

News and Notes

• The Soaring Eagles falls to 0-4 on the season.
• Elmira also drops to 0-1 in E8 play for the second consecutive season.
• The Golden Flyers improve to a perfect 17-0 record in the all-time series.
• Chaderjian set new career highs in saves (20) and ground balls (5) in his first career start.
• Katsos is the only Soaring Eagle to record a point in all four games this season.
• Katsos has tied Nevin Olney '18 for the team lead in points (7), goals (5) and assists (2).
• Keisler's assist was the first of his young career.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return home to Elmira, New York, for a home E8 bout against Houghton College on Wednesday, March 29. The conference tilt will be played at nearby Notre Dame High School at 4:00 p.m.