BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Adam Nichols '20 continued his impressive start to the 2019 campaign on Saturday afternoon, as the Candor, New York, native produced the game-winning goal for the Elmira College men's soccer team (3-2-1) in a 1-0 road victory against D'Youville College (3-3-0).
                        
Nichols broke a 0-0 stalemate in the 54th minute thanks to a no-quit effort from the senior striker. A pass from Mark Brado Jr. '22 to Junior Coulibaly '21 allowed the third-year midfielder to loft the ball high over D'Youville's back line. However, D'Youville's AJ Wade misplayed the ball when attempting to clear it.
 
From there, Nichols collected the ball from Wade, who missed a slide tackle, and beat D'Youville's last defender, before routinely slotting the ball near-post with his left boot for the game-opening and eventual game-winning goal.
 
The strike from Nichols was one of just four shots EC attempted on the day, while the Spartans laced 18 shots. Of D'Youville's 18 shots, half made their way on target but EC's starting netminder, Xavier Townsend '23, denied all nine attempts en route to collecting his second win of the year and first clean sheet of his young career.
 
Elmira's defense was stormed with a flurry of first-half attempts by the Spartans, who peppered Townsend with eight shots on goal, and 14 shots overall. However, EC's back line settled into the second stanza and held D'Youville to just four shots, only one of which was on goal.
 
In His Own Words
Head Coach Kevin Brenner reflects on today's win…
"Today was the tale of two halves. The first half I felt we were not into the game and didn't play with enough grit and determination; credit to D'Youville for coming out hard. At halftime, we regrouped and came out with an attitude. We had a chip on our shoulder and were rewarded by scoring the game's opening goal. The entire team was committed to getting the win in the second half, along with the shutout. It was a total team effort. Onward we go to Wednesday at home."
 
News and Notes

• The negative 14-shot differential is the largest in an EC victory since September 23, 2017, when Elmira beat Nazareth with a negative 16-shot differential.
• EC's 3-2-1 record is the best the program has seen though the first six games of the year since 2013.
• Nichols has produced four goals in EC's first six games.
• Nichols has scored goals in back-to-back games.
• Nichols has 10 points (4g-2a) on the year, the most by an EC player since 2016.
• Townsend picked up his second collegiate victory.
• Townsend earned his first clean sheet as a starting goalkeeper.
• Townsend is 2-0-0 on the year.

Up Next
Elmira is back in action on Wednesday, September 18, when the Soaring Eagles welcome the Panthers of Pitt-Bradford to Campus Field. The non-conference bout is slated for 4:00 p.m.