Score: Elmira College 14, Alfred University 4
Records: Elmira (3-7, 1-3 Empire 8), Alfred (3-8, 0-5 Empire 8)
Location: Campus Field – Elmira, New York

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's lacrosse team earned its first Empire 8 Conference victory of the 2017 season on Saturday afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles defeated the Saxons of Alfred University by a 14-4 final score at Campus Field.

Led by a career performance from Rachael Goetz '20, who scored a game- and season-high six goals, the Soaring Eagles' offense reach double-digit goals for the third time in the last four games and finished just two shy of its season-high output. The first-year attacker became the first Elmira rookie to score six times in a game the program's all-time leading scorer, Moorea Spoljaric '16, did so against Hartwick College on April 7, 2013

Goetz, a 5-foot-2-inch freshman from Lake View, New York, began the contest by netting the first two goals of the game inside the first five minutes, which gave the Purple and Gold a lead it would never relinquish. Her first score came off a feed from Kylie Connell '17, who found Goetz as she slashed from left-to-right through the top of the arc. The rookie then beat Alfred goalie Shannon Gray stick-side inside the near post, almost the identical spot in the upper right corner in which she buried her second goal.

After Alfred's leading scorer, junior midfielder Miranda Gilbert, tallied consecutive free position goals to trim the deficit down to one, 3-2, EC ended the opening half with three in a row from Kelsey Quail '17, Rachel Grampp '18, and Goetz, respectively, and carried a 6-2 advantage into the halftime intermission. Grampp recorded her first goal of the afternoon on a second-chance effort, as her initial attempt bounced off of the leg of Saxons goalie Shannon Gray. The Williamsville, New York, native won the battle with Gray for the loose ball off of the rebound and immediately fired the ball into the back of the net from the right side of the crease.

Elmira's three goals to end the half sparked what turned into an 8-0 run for the Soaring Eagles. EC began the second period with five goals from five different players and pulled ahead 11-2 with 19:17 remaining in regulation. Of the eight tallies during the momentous run, three came on free position restarts, and only Quail's second of the game was assisted. Connell fired a precision pass to Quail inside the arc, and the senior midfielder switched hands and spun to her left around her defender before picking the lower right corner.

Alfred finally halted a scoreless drought that lasted 22:55 with back-to-back scores at the 18:54 and 13:07 marks in the second half, but the Soaring Eagles closed the conference contest with the last three goals in a span of 3:15. Two of the three were registered with an extra attacker, as the Saxons received three yellow cards in the final five minutes of regulation. Goetz sandwiched another pair of goals around a one-timer inside the arc from Mae Dinh '18.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Alexa Tardif when asked about winning her first Empire 8 game of the 2017 campaign…
"It feels wonderful. It's a very important win for our team."

Coach Tardif on Elmira's offense…
"We worked well together as a team, and our offensive movement was outstanding. Our free position production also assisted in our efforts."

Coach Tardif on Rachael Goetz's banner day…
"Rachael played with intensity and had excellent shot placement today. I'm proud of her breakout performance and I am hopeful it's a sign of things to come in her career."
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira held a significant lead in shots, 40-to-17, and in shots on goal, 30-to-12.
• Both teams committed 20 turnovers apiece.
• Elmira went 14-for-18 on clear attempts (77.8%), while Alfred was 15-for-25 (60.0%).
• The Soaring Eagles held a 31-to-20 edge in ground balls.
• EC was 3-for-6 on free-position attempts, while the Saxons were 2-for-7.
• Goetz paced the Purple and Gold with a game-high six goals.
• Goetz also logged three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Grampp finished with four points (2g, 2a) and tied for the team lead in ground balls with five.
• Quail registered three points (2g, 1a), while collecting a game-high eight draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Dinh finished with a pair of goals and was a perfect 1-for-1 on free-position attempts.
• Kyra McDonald '18 recorded two points on one goal and one assist; she also caused two turnovers and collected one ground ball.
• Connell tied for the team lead in assists with two.
• Louisa Lippiatt Durnell '18 was EC's final point-getter, as she logged two points (1g, 1a) and tallied four ground balls.
• Kelcey Crawford '18 and Sarah Hughson '18 tied for the team lead with Grampp in ground balls (5).
• Hughson also caused two turnovers and collected two draws.
• Crawford finished with four draw controls, second-most by a Soaring Eagle this afternoon.
• Lindsay Wargo '17 came up with eight saves in 60 minutes of action and picked up her third win of the year.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira has scored double-digit goals in three of its last four games.
• EC's 14-goal output is the team's second-highest total of the 2017 campaign.
• The 21 points registered by EC ties its season high.
• Elmira's 40 shots tied its season-high mark, while the 30 shots on goal stand as the second-highest total of the year.
• The Soaring Eagles have finished with 10-or-more draw controls in five consecutive games.
• EC's 14 draw controls are the second-highest single-game total of the season.
• Goetz became the first Elmira rookie to score six goals in a single game since Moorea Spoljaric '16 logged six against Hartwick on April 7, 2013.
• Goetz's six goals are tied for the most scored by a Soaring Eagle this season; McDonald scored six against Wells on April 5.
• Quail's eight draw controls were a career high and tied the 2017 season-high mark set by Crawford on April 8 against Hartwick.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to action next Wednesday, April 19, when they travel to Hoboken, New Jersey, to face the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology. The Empire 8 Conference bout is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.