Pietro Gallina
3
Winner Elmira ELMIRA (5-8-4, 5-4-2)
1
Houghton HOUGHTON (3-12-2, 1-8-2)
Winner
Elmira ELMIRA
(5-8-4, 5-4-2)
3
Final
1
Houghton HOUGHTON
(3-12-2, 1-8-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Elmira ELMIRA 2 1 3
Houghton HOUGHTON 0 1 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Soars to Playoffs for Second Consecutive Season with Victory Over Houghton

HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Elmira College men's soccer team clinched its second consecutive Empire 8 Conference postseason berth on Wednesday evening, picking up a 3-1 victory over the Highlanders from Houghton University on the final day of the regular season. The game-opening goal would take just 22 seconds to find the back of the net, as Pietro Gallina '26 found the twine on an assist from Ole Esselmann '28, while Horacio Vicioso '26 also added a first half goal at the 11:25 mark. 


JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 3, Houghton 1
LOCATION: Houghton, New York | Burke Field
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (5-8-4, 5-4-2 Empire 8), Houghton (3-12-2, 1-8-2 Empire 8)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • Just moments after kickoff, Elmira would be off and running as Esselmann found Gallina for his team-leading fifth goal and 12th point of the season. For Esselmann, he collected his first collegiate assist. After Daniel Mercedes '27 found Esselmann heading up the middle of the field, the midfielder would take the ball up the middle of the field before finding a gap with Gallina on the other end. 
  • From there, the game would show bursts of offense, before Vicioso scored his second goal of the season at the 11:25 mark. Off a Highlander goal kick, Carter Jock '26 would find Gallina, who with some quality footwork found Vicioso who went to the lower-left hand corner to extend the Elmira lead to a pair. 
  • Carrying a 2-0 lead into the break, the Soaring Eagles could concede a goal in the 53rd minute after James Fay found the back of the net on an assist from Kennedy O'Banda. Despite, the Purple & Gold would answer back less than ten minutes later after earning a penalty shot, which Jose Navea Corporan '27 executed on to bring the Elmira lead back to a pair. 
  • Juan Carlos Cruz Gandia '27 would finish with three saves in net for the Soaring Eagles.

UP NEXT:
Elmira will await the remainder of the Empire 8 postseason standings to determine its opponent on Saturday, which will serve as a road game for the Purple & Gold in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. 


 



 
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