Elmira, N.Y. - The Elmira College men's soccer team opened its Empire 8 campaign against the Gators of Russell Sage College on Wednesday afternoon. The match ended in a 1-1 draw as the Soaring Eagles battled back from an early deficit.
LEADERS
Jose Corporan scored for the Soaring Eagles and put two shots on goal while
Daniel Mercedes had an assist.
Juan Carlos Cruz Gandia recorded six saves.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Soaring Eagles started strongly, winning a corner kick in the opening minutes that was defended well by the Gators. The first big opportunity of the match came in the 12th minute for Russell Sage when the Gators were awarded a penalty kick. The Gators forward made no mistake, placing his penalty into the side netting to put Sage ahead early. The Soaring Eagles came close to leveling when
Luka Tatanashvili slipped
Alex King in for a chance. The Gators goalkeeper came up big, pushing the shot aside for a corner. The Soaring Eagles continued to look for an equalizer but could not find one as they went into halftime trailing.
EC started the second half on the front foot. The Gators were able to absorb the pressure, preventing any big chances for Elmira. With just over 23 minutes left, Ole Esselmann found Mercedes with space down the right wing. Mercedes' early cross found Corporan, who buried the ball into the back of the net to draw EC level. The Soaring Eagles pushed for a winner, coming close with six minutes left. Hernan Arenas' shot was cleared off the line by a Gators defender before Esselmann forced a strong save from the Sage goalkeeper. The Soaring Eagles ran out of time to find a winner as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles will stay at home as they host the Wolves of Keuka College in an Empire 8 contest on Saturday, September 19 at 1:00 PM on Campus Field.
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.
