MONTREAL -- The Elmira College men's basketball team is kicking off the 2017-18 campaign with an international road trip north of the border. The Soaring Eagles are spending four days in Montreal, second-most populous city in Canada located on the Island of Montreal in the province of Quebec, with several sight-seeing trips and three preseason exhibition games against Canadian teams planned for the weekend.
Following a nearly seven-hour road trip from Elmira, New York, to Montreal, the Soaring Eagles arrived at their destination late on the night of Wednesday, October 18. Visit this page each day for updates on the EC men's basketball team, including photos, videos and scores of the preseason exhibition games.
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Exhibition Game Schedule
Friday, October 20 vs. Thetford Academy - L, 76-79
Saturday, October 21 vs. Champlain College Saint Lambert - W, 77-74
Sunday, October 22 vs. Vanier College - L, 86-68
October 19, 2017
The Soaring Eagles began their first day in Montreal with a practice session, which was held on the hardwood at the Sun Youth Organization's gymnasium. Sun Youth is a non-profit community center that boasts a cozy gym that is filled with character and history. The organization hosts various boys and girls basketball teams for all ages, and many former Sun Youth Hornets have gone on to success careers in both Canadian and NCAA colleges and universities. Perhaps the biggest name to come through the old-school gym was Andrew Wiggins, former NBA Rookie of the Year, who played in the Sun Youth Holiday Tournament during his amateur career.
Following practice and a fantastic lunch at the Deli Planet, Guinness Rider of JD Sports, who has served as Elmira's tour guide, brought the Soaring Eagles to check out some beautiful views of the city at the Mount Royal Park and Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal. Mount Royal, or Mont Royal in French, is the mountain in which the city was named after. Known as Montreal's Central Park, Mount Royal Park is topped by the Kondiaronk Belvedere, which provides a breathtaking view of downtown. Located on the southwest corner of the mountain is Saint Joseph's Oratory, the largest church in Canada and the 27th-largest in the entire world. The basilica is capped by a massive dome, one of the largest of its kind. From the portico outside the basilica, the EC men got another breathtaking view of the Montreal skyline.
October 20, 2017
The EC men began Friday with a walking tour through the city's historic district, known as Old Montreal. The tour began at Place Jacques-Cartier, which was referred to as the city's old Main Street and is the entrance to Vieux-Port de Montréal, or the Old Port of Montreal. After walking past Nelson's Column, the Soaring Eagles were led through the cobblestone streets lined with original architecture that dates as far back as the 17th century. The tour of Old Montreal brought the team to Place d'Armes, a public square that is regarded as the second-oldest public site in Montreal. The square is filled with history and surrounded by sites such as the Notre-Dame Basilica and the Saint-Sulpice Seminary. Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, as it’s known as in French, was the largest cathedral in North America at the time of completion. Its vast size and beautiful Gothic Revival architecture make the basilica a true marvel to see. In Place d'Armes, the Soaring Eagles befriended a group of Asian tourists, who posed for pictures with the team in front of the Paul de Chomedey, founder of Montreal.
That night, the Purple and Gold took on Thetford Academy in its first preseason exhibition game of the road trip. Although Elmira ultimately lost by three, 79-76, it was an exciting contest from the get-go. Anthony Abate ’19 scored the first points of the game with a layup on the first possession. Later in the first quarter, freshman forward Shawn Backus ’21 made a highlight-reel play by stealing the ball and running coast-to-coast for two points of his own. Senior sharpshooter Hayden Harkins ’18 found his groove from 3-point range in the first half and brought the bench to its feet with two more treys in a span of three possessions midway through the third quarter. Efficiency from beyond the arc helped Soaring Eagles overcome a double-digit deficit and a 3-pointer from Justin Porrett ’19 brought Elmira within three points with approximately 17 seconds remaining. While EC got the stop it needed on the defensive end of the court, the Soaring Eagles were unable to convert a last-second 3-point shot to force overtime.
October 21, 2017
Elmira's sight-seeing attraction on Saturday was the Montreal Olympic Stadium, home of the 1976 Summer Olympics and the former Montreal Expos baseball team. The size of the stadium is remarkable, simply calling it massive may be a bit of an understatement. It is the largest stadium in Canada, in terms of seating capacity. The Soaring Eagles were able to tour The Sports Centre, located at the base of the Montreal Tower, which housed the Olympic swimming pools. The Sports Centre is currently used as a training facility and is the current home of  Institut national du sport du Québec, an organization that helps train some of Quebec's best athletes for for Olympic or Paralympic competition. The Soaring Eagles posed for photos by the Olympic rings and on the podium outside the facility.
On the court that afternoon, the Purple and Gold battled the Cavaliers of Champlain College Saint Lambert. EC raced out to an early lead, 17-7, with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter thanks to an 11-2 run, which was capped off by a deep jumper from rookie guard Isiah Charles ’21. While the Cavaliers closed the gap by the end of the first quarter, second-year guard Jeremy Every '20 helped the Soaring Eagles maintain their advantage by flashing his stroke from mid-range in the second quarter. Fellow sophomore Jesse Adelson '20 joined in the offensive attack and nailed a 3-pointer that put EC up 35-27, a lead that grew to 37-27 before the halftime intermission. Champlain made things interesting in the second half and eventually overcame the deficit late in the fourth quarter by taking a 65-63 lead. A clutch Hayden Harkins '18 3-pointer and a second-chance lay-up from Anthony Abate '19 allowed Elmira to regain the lead, 73-70, and the Soaring Eagles iced the game by making their free throws in the final minutes for the 77-74 victory.
October 22, 2017
The final day of the Montreal Tour consisted of an early breakfast and a matinee tilt against Vanier College. The Cheetahs proved to be the toughest test for the Purple and Gold over the weekend, as they would secure an 86-68 win on their home court. Vanier opened the game with a 9-0 run, but Every ended the scoring drought midway through the first quarter with a baseline jumper. Despite falling behind by double-digits in the first half, the Soaring Eagles battled back with a run of their own before halftime. Harkins got things started with one of his signature deep 3-pointers, and Alex Ischiropoulos '20 nailed a trey later in the second quarter as well. Leading by 10 at halftime, the Cheetahs opened the second half like they did the first, widening the gap with another scoring run. Alex Rosen '19 came off of the bench in the second half and helped get the bench excited by sinking several shots, including a few from deep.
