Score: SUNY Oneonta 9, Elmira College 2
Records: SUNY Oneonta (3-2), Elmira (0-3)
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. -- Red Dragon Field

ONEONTA, N.Y. -- A tremendous effort by the faceoff and defensive units was not enough for the Elmira College men's lacrosse team on Saturday afternoon against SUNY Oneonta, as the Soaring Eagle offense remained stagnate in a 9-2 road loss.

From the faceoff dot to the back end, the Soaring Eagles played their best game of the young season. At the X, second-year midfielder Kevin DiMagno '20 won a season- and career-high 10 faceoffs, as EC won the draw battle for the first time in nearly a year. Defensively, Elmira limited the Red Dragons to just nine goals, the fewest surrendered in a single game this season. Rookie goalie Jacob Mattice '21 stood tall between the posts and made 20 saves in just his second collegiate start.

EC also finished with a 33-to-26 advantage in ground balls. DiMagno scooped a career-high 10 loose balls, while defenseman Cam Brickey '19 added seven to go along with his two caused turnovers.

Alas, in the offensive zone, the Soaring Eagles mustered just two goals. The Soaring Eagles were outshot by a considerable margin, 41-to-18, and finished the non-conference contest 0-for-7 on man-up opportunities. The EC men were held scoreless for the first 29:14, before Nevin Olney '19 found the back of the net with an assist from DiMagno. That made it a 5-1 score in favor of Oneonta right before the half, but Shane Carroll won the ensuing faceoff for the Red Dragons and scored five seconds later to increase the deficit back to five goals, 6-1.

Down 7-1 in the fourth quarter, Olney fed Colby Runk '18 and the fourth-year midfielder scored with 6:11 to play in his 2018 debut. However, SUNY Oneonta added two more goals in a span of 1:04 to halt any thoughts of an EC comeback.

News and Notes

• Elmira's record falls to 0-3 following Saturday's loss to SUNY Oneonta.
• The EC defense allowed a season-low nine goals, the first time since a 16-5 win over Houghton on March 29, 2017, that the Soaring Eagles held an opponent to single digits.
• The Soaring Eagles won 10-of-15 faceoffs against the Red Dragons, marking the first time since that same win over Houghton in 2017 that Elmira won the battle at the X.
• For the third consecutive game, the EC offense scored just two goals.
• Runk picked up the first goal of his senior season in his first appearance of the year.
• Olney tallied a season-high two points with one goal and one assist.
• DiMagno posted career highs in faceoff wins (10) and ground balls (10).
• Mattice made 20 saves, a season high for the freshman in his second start.

Up Next
Elmira will continue the non-conference portion of the 2018 schedule with a road trip to La Plume, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, March 21, to take on the Giants of Keystone College at 4:00 p.m.