SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore defense engineered its own offense early, getting a pair of goals from the back four as the Thoroughbreds defeated Elmira, 3-0 in non-league action at Wachenheim Field on a cool Wednesday night.
Skidmore improves to 5-1-3 with the victory, snapping a three-match winless streak. Elmira's record falls to 2-8-1.
The Thoroughbreds struck early in the contest, scoring its first goal off a corner kick in the 15th minute.
Brennan Mitrolka fed it to
Kevin Santos, who gave it back to Mitrolka. Mitrolka's cross into the box found
Will Greening on the far end of the scrum in front of net, as the defender's header beat the Elmira keeper wide.
Jeremy Tenenbaum doubled the score for the Thoroughbreds in the 22nd minute, tallying his first of the year after maneuvering through the defense to get into the box. His low shot found the right corner of the net.
Elmira nearly tied things up in the 27th minute, as Soaring Eagles' striker Donte Donegal found the ball off a rebound in front of the net. His shot got past Skidmore goalkeeper
Sebastian Bosch, but a Skidmore defender parried the shot away at the goal line.
As Elmira pressed the Skidmore defense in the second half, the Thoroughbreds put the game further out of reach on the counter attack in the 60th minute.
Dario Flores fed a long thorough pass between two Elmira defenders to a streaking
Augustine Okoye in the box, who chipped the keeper for his team-leading sixth goal of the year.
Skidmore kept Elmira at bay for most of the contest, holding a 16-5 shot advantage and an 8-1 edge in shots on goal. Skidmore also saw seven corner kicks, holding Elmira to just one.
Bosch and
Pearse Martin combined for the clean sheet, the team's fourth of the year. Bosch was held without a save in the first half, with Martin parrying away his only shot on net in the second. Three Elmira goalkeepers saw action in the 90 minutes, with Jacob Liese making three saves in the opening half.
The Thoroughbreds will return to Liberty League action on Saturday, traveling to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to take on Vassar at 2 p.m., in a rematch of last year's Liberty League Championship match.
