PINE VALLEY, N.Y. -- The Elmira College field hockey team held two-time defending Empire 8 Conference champion Washington and Jefferson College to a single goal on Saturday, but for a third consecutive game, the Soaring Eagles were defeated by a 1-0 final score.

The Presidents (6-4, 2-1 Empire 8), who won 18 games a year ago and reached the second round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, started off strong and converted for the game's only goal in the seventh minute. After the first quarter, however, the two sides played a very 45 competitive minutes on the grassy pitch at the Murray Athletic Center. While the Presidents opened with a 9-to-0 advantage in shots in the first quarter, the Soaring Eagles (4-6, 0-2 Empire 8) held them without a shot in the second quarter. Meanwhile, in the second half, Washington and Jefferson finished with a narrow 6-to-4 lead in the category, with EC recorded three of its shots in the fourth quarter.

Elmira's first penalty corner came in the closing seconds of the third quarter. After a give-and-go with Janie Kempf '21, senior midfielder Emily Selbert '20 rifled a shot towards the cage, but it sailed just wide of its mark. In the 52nd minute, Kempf took a hard swing from the baseline on the left side of the cage, but she, too, pushed the ball wide.

The score remained 1-0 late in the fourth quarter after the officials disallowed a second Washington and Jefferson goal due to a dangerous shot. Inside the final minute of regulation, it appeared as though Kempf would have one final opportunity to force overtime. A towering aerial pass landed right in front of EC's junior midfielder, but the officials signaled for a foul on the play, allowing the Presidents to clear the ball out of the attacking third.

News and Notes

• Elmira's third consecutive 1-0 loss dropped its record to 4-6 overall and 0-2 in E8 play.
• Five of EC's 10 contests in 2019 have been decided by goal.
• The Soaring Eagles held the Presidents to one goal for just the second time since the series began in 2006, this after allowing no less than four goals since 2014 and giving up seven to the Presidents last season.
• Tina O'Donnell '20 recorded 11 saves on Saturday, as the senior from Kutztown, Pennsylvania, native became the sixth goalie in program history to reach 400 career saves.
• O'Donnell has logged double-digit saves on four occasions this season.
• Kempf, Selbert, Sarah Griffith '23 and Jenna Heiser '23 each finished with one shot against W&J.

Up Next
On Sunday, October 6, the Soaring Eagles will concluded their weekend doubleheader by hosting Lancaster Bible College at the Murray Athletic Center. The non-conference bout is slated to begin at 12:00 p.m.