Alfred, N.Y. – The Elmira College men's soccer team traveled to Alfred University on Wednesday evening for an Empire 8 matchup against the Saxons. In a tightly contested match that saw both teams create scoring opportunities, neither side could find the back of the net as the Soaring Eagles battled Alfred to a 0-0 draw.
LEADERS
Juan Carlos Cruz Gandia recorded one save in net for the Soaring Eagles, earning his second shutout of the season.
Aadne Aarstad,
Juan Ortegon, and
Hernan Arenas each played the full 90 minutes on the EC backline.
Luka Tatanashvili,
Ole Esselmann,
Adam Tufton, and
Dylan Brown each recorded two shots.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Soaring Eagles came out looking to establish themselves early, with Esselmann recording the first shot of the match less than two minutes in. Tatanashvili followed with an opportunity in the eighth minute, forcing Alfred goalkeeper Tyler Mulholland into his first save of the evening. Both teams continued to battle for possession throughout the opening half, with neither side able to create a breakthrough.
Maroun Papadopoulos tested Mulholland in the 35th minute, while Esselmann had another attempt blocked shortly before halftime. Elmira held a 4-3 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes as the teams entered the break scoreless.
Alfred came out on the front foot in the second half, putting pressure on the Elmira defense. Cruz Gandia was called into action in the 54th minute, making a diving stop on an Alfred attempt to keep the Saxons off the scoreboard. The Soaring Eagles continued to defend well as Alfred controlled much of the possession, limiting the Saxons to just one shot on goal despite 12 second-half attempts. Elmira looked to find a late winner, with Tatanashvili sending an attempt wide in the 81st minute.
Dylan Brown followed with a header in the 85th minute that was turned away by Mulholland. Aarstad had one final opportunity for EC in the 89th minute, but his shot was saved as the two sides finished in a scoreless draw.
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles will be back at home to face Utica University on Saturday, October 24. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Elmira College Athletics, please visit
athletics.elmira.edu. Follow us on Twitter - @ECSoaringEagles, Instagram - @ecsoaringeagles, YouTube - @ECSoaringEagles, and Facebook by searching Elmira College Athletics.
