Elmira Tops St. John Fisher For First Win of Season
The Elmira College Field Hockey team took the field against St. John Fisher College searching for their first win in both the Empire 8 Conference and on the season. They accomplished what they set out to do, winning 2-0 over the Cardinals and giving first-year coach, Katie Augustine-Moore, her first win as head coach of the Purple and Gold. Following a tough loss to the University of Rochester on Wednesday, the team came out full of heart from the opening whistle, hustling on both ends of the field and applying constant pressure when the Cardinals touched the ball.
After nearly an entire half of scoreless play, and a multitude of shots on cage by both teams, the Soaring Eagles struck first. With about four minutes left to play in the half, Elmira used a handful of nice passes to lead one another down the field and into the scoring area. McKenna Light ’14 (Marathon, NY -- Marathon) controlled the ball at the penalty line and waited for one of her teammates to make a run towards the goal. She passed the ball towards the right post where Sarah Harden-Marshall ’14 (Marathon, NY -- Marathon) was waiting for the ball. Harden-Marshall made a hard shot into the open corner that gave the Soaring Eagles a 1-0 lead. That score would hold until halftime.
Both teams came out full of energy in the second half, with Elmira continuing to press for scoring opportunities to put the game away and Fisher looking to equalize the score. The Purple and Gold struck again midway through the second half to take a 2-0 lead. After being awarded a corner, Sarah Thomassen ’12 (Stewartstown, PA -- Kennard-Dale) passed the ball to Light, who found herself in nearly the same position as when the first goal was scored. This time Light passed the ball towards the left post where she found Ashland (Bernice) Hall ’15 (Belfast, ME -- Belfast Area) who took the pass and shot the ball just out of the reach of the Fisher goalie, recording the first goal of her young Elmira College career.
After facing a desperate attack to get back into the game by St. John Fisher, the Soaring Eagles’ defense held strong and kept the Cardinals from recording a goal. Elmira College goalie Lauren Thomas ’14 (Marshfield, MA -- Marshfield) played extremely well, saving all ten shots she faced. Shannon Nelligan’14 (Poughquag, NY -- Canterbury) also played a strong game on defense, providing steadiness to the back line and contributing a save of her own after the ball rolled past Thomas late in the game to secure the shutout.
The win moves EC’s record to 1-4 on the season and 1-0 in the Empire 8 conference.