Score: Ithaca College 1, Elmira College 0
Records: Ithaca (3-0-1), Elmira (1-3-0)
Location: Campus Field – Elmira, N.Y.
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- On an unusually brisk early September evening, the Elmira College men's soccer team came up just short in a thrilling non-conference matchup to Ithaca College, 1-0. Today's contest also served as the centerpiece of the Elmira College Men's Soccer Alumni Weekend, as EC welcomed back several members of the program from previous years and decades.
 
Today's match was a hard-fought, physical and tactical one that saw the two former conference rivals battle back-and-forth for field position from the opening whistle. Only 14 shots were taken during the entirety of the contest, as Ithaca held a 10-4 lead. However, the Elmira back line stood strong and limited Ithaca to just three shots on goal, while EC logged two.
 
Corner-kick opportunities finished in favor of the Bombers, 9-3, while the foul count was nearly identical at 14-13 with the Soaring Eagles being whistled for the majority of the infractions.
 
As competitive as today's match was, it is hard to believe that the deciding play occurred inside the first minute of action. An Elmira foul in the first 40 seconds of regulation set up an Ithaca free kick just outside 18-yard box. The Soaring Eagles defended the kick with a four-man wall shielding the left post, as EC's starting goalkeeper, Giovanni Garufi '22, hovered near the right stick.
 
Ithaca's Tom Dillmann did not waste the opportunity, as he drilled a low-lining shot that skimmed underneath several members of the Elmira wall, who jumped to defend an aerial attempt. Dillmann's shot barely made its way past Garufi, who just missed the save at full stretch, and into the net for the game-opening score just 43 seconds into the game.
 
The Bombers rode the momentum from its game-opening score, as they outshot EC 6-to-1 in the first 45 minutes. However, despite the gap in shot attempts, Elmira entered halftime trailing by just one goal.
 
In the second half, Elmira came out of the gates flying, mixing in a high-press and a solid counter-attack game. EC neutralized the Ithaca offense, which was held to just four shots in the second stanza with only one of those attempts making its way on frame.
 
Elmira had a pair of quality scoring chances in the final 15 minutes, starting with Colin Morrison '19 in the 76th minute. Kairu Taira '22 setup the scoring play by drawing a foul, which eventually turned into a yellow card, on an Ithaca defender to the right of the 18-yard box. On the free kick, a well-placed service by Nino Marino '22 put the ball on the near post, where Morrison leaped in the air and flicked a header towards the net. Unfortunately, the attempt skimmed over the crossbar.
 
It looked as though EC equalized in the 84th minute, as a long ball into the box squeaked out of a scrum of blue and gold jerseys to the boot of Taira. Sitting just 6 yards away from the goal, Taira smashed a shot that rattled off the crossbar and went straight down. However, the ball did not cross the end line and the play was eventually whistled dead on an offside call, as Ithaca escaped another near-scoring attempt by the Purple and Gold.
  
Elmira had one last attempt on a corner kick in the 87th minute, but the Soaring Eagles were unable to break through for the score, as Ithaca slipped past the Purple and Gold by a one-goal margin, 1-0.
 
In His Own Words…
"I could not be more proud of the team tonight," raved head coach Kevin Brenner. "Outside the first five minutes of play, I thought we were even if not better than a very strong Ithaca College team, especially in the second half. I thought we created enough chances in the second half to gain the equalizer. If we continue to perform at this level, I think we will do great things in the Empire 8 Conference. We will reset the mind and body as we refocus again for Tuesday night's match at SUNY Cortland."
 
News and Notes

• Elmira welcomed back former members of the men's soccer program for its Alumni Weekend festivities.
• Elmira will embark on a three-game road trip following today's match.
• The Soaring Eagles are 1-1-0 at Campus Field thus far into the season.
• Garufi finished with two saves for the Soaring Eagles.

 
Up Next
The Purple and Gold open a three-game road trip with a visit to No. 23 nationally-ranked SUNY Cortland this Tuesday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m.