ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's tennis team wraps up action at the Murray Athletic Center for the 2016-17 calendar year this afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles welcome Houghton College for a 4:00 p.m. Empire 8 Conference showdown.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Elmira traveled to Hoboken, New Jersey, last time out to take on the No. 39 nationally-ranked Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology. Stevens, which has won seven consecutive Empire 8 Conference titles, proved to be too much for the Soaring Eagles, as the Ducks handed the Elmira men a 9-0 loss. The setback snapped Elmira's season-long four-match road winning streak, EC's longest such streak in over 17 seasons.
 
PLAYOFF PUSH: With the 2016-17 regular season coming to a close in the next week, the race for one of the four Empire 8 Conference Tournament spots is heating up. Today's contest between Elmira and Houghton is a crucial one for both teams, as they are deadlocked at fifth in the E8 standings, just one win away from cracking the top four. Stevens has all but clinched the No. 1 overall seed with a perfect 6-0 record, and with two league matches against cellar-dwellers Hartwick and Utica, the Ducks are primed to win another E8 regular season title. Ithaca is in the driver's seat to claim to the second seed, but the final two spots at three and four are still up for grabs, as one win separates four teams. Elmira and Houghton will more than likely need to win out to solidify a postseason bid, setting up an exciting scenario for this afternoon's league tilt.
 
SENIOR DAY: A quick look up and down the Soaring Eagle roster will show that EC does not possess a single four-year senior. However, third-year netter Chris Konow '18 will be playing in the final home match of his collegiate career this afternoon. Konow, who will graduate a year early this June, has had a tremendous impact on the Elmira men's tennis program since his debut in 2014-15. The Lebanon, Connecticut, native heads into today's match as the program's third all-time leader in doubles wins (26) and is fifth in EC history in total wins (47).
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS: Houghton College is having its best season in program history at the moment with a 10-5 overall record and a 3-3 mark in league play. Houghton's 10 victories ties the program's all-time wins record, which it set last season when the Highlanders ended the year with a 10-7 overall record. The Highlanders are coming off of a 9-0 sweep of Utica last time out, but prior to that win suffered a trio of losses to conference opponents and won just one contest - Jordan Scott's three-set win over St. John Fisher's Jacob Zarzycki at the fourth singles position. Scott has been Houghton's most consistent performer in both singles and doubles during the 2016-17 season. He leads the team with 18 totals wins, including a team-high nine singles wins, and is tied with rookie Jake Fisler for the team lead in doubles victories with nine apiece.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: Elmira and Houghton have met each season since the Highlanders added men's tennis as a collegiate offering during the 2013-14 season. The Soaring Eagles hold a slim 2-1 edge in the all-time series, but the Highlanders boast the most recent victory, a 6-3 win on their home courts last spring.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Following this evening's home finale, the Soaring Eagles flock to Rochester, New York, for their 2016-17 regular-season finale on Saturday, April 29, when they take on the Cardinals of St. John Fisher. The opening serve of the Empire 8 bout is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.