OSWEGO, N.Y. -- The Elmira College field hockey team reached a historic milestone on Wednesday night with a 3-1 road victory over Oswego State, as the Soaring Eagles opened a season with back-to-back wins for just the second time in 20 seasons of varsity competition.

The 2019 rendition of the Soaring Eagles (2-0) has matched a feat only accomplished previously by the 2001 squad, which began its season with consecutive 1-0 victories over Neumann University and Vassar College. This comes less than 12 months after the Purple and Gold produced the most wins in a single season since 2005. Additionally, first-year head coach Jessica Franklin joins Bernadette Macca as just the second coach to begin her tenure with the Soaring Eagles with two straight wins.

Leading the charge for Elmira against the Lakers (1-1) was Janie Kempf '21. The third-year midfielder finished one point shy of her previous career high with five points, which included two of EC's three goals. She also assisted on the eventual game-winning goal, scored by senior midfielder Emily Selbert '20.

Kempf started the scoring in the 12th minute with her first goal of the year. After Oswego's Annie O'Neill leveled the score at 1-all in the 23rd minute, Selbert cashed in on a penalty corner to put the Soaring Eagles ahead for good at 2-1. In the third quarter, Kempf caged her second goal of the night. After dribbling the ball to the top of the point, she ripped a hard-hit shot to the right side of the cage and in to expand Elmira's lead to 3-1.

The Lakers didn't go down without a fight in the final quarter. Seven of Oswego's 12 shots were registered in the last 15 minutes, forcing senior goalie Tina O'Donnell '20 to make a trio of saves to preserve the lead. Third-year defender Holly Karalus '21 also posted a defensive save in the early moments of the fourth quarter.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Jessica Franklin when asked about Elmira's 2-0 start to the season…
"It's amazing. The girls worked really hard for this win and are becoming a strong unit on the field."

Coach Franklin on being just the second team to begin with consecutive wins in the program's 20-year history…
"It definitely makes the start to our season even more special. We're working hard and it's great to see the results of that."

Coach Franklin on Janie Kempf's five-point effort against the Lakers…
"Janie really ran the midfield today and was a fantastic playmaker for us. She's becoming a great leader on the field for us and is a key player in keeping the momentum on the field going.

News and Notes

• At 2-0, Elmira has started a year with consecutive wins for just the second time in two decades.
• The last time EC began with back-to-back wins was the second varsity season in 2001.
• Kempf netted a season-high two goals, as part of a game-high five-point performance.
• Selbert owns both of Elmira's game-winning goals so far in 2019.
• Karalus' defensive save is her second of the season.
• With five points on the season, Kempf (36) has surpassed Sarah Dake '06 (35) for sixth-place all-time in career points.
• O'Donnell moved into fourth-place all-time in career wins as a goalie with nine.

Up Next
Elmira will put its unbeaten run on the line on Saturday, September 7, as the Soaring Eagles are set for a 1:00 p.m. contest against the University of Scranton.