Elmira, NY -- Playing in their final game of the 2015 season, the Elmira College women's lacrosse team battled it out with Empire 8 Conference opponent St. John Fisher College at EC's Campus Field but would come up short as the Cardinals claimed an 18-11 victory.
 
Ashton Hogan '15 set the tone on offense for the Soaring Eagles, as she scored seven goals in her final collegiate game, putting her season total at 48, tying her for fourth place in program history.  Hogan also assisted on one goal to give her eight points on the day, good enough to share the game-high with Fisher's Jordan Johnson.  Hogan's eight points ups her season total to 59, putting her in a two-way tie for fourth place on EC's all-time record list for single-season points. She also registered a game-high five draw controls while causing two turnovers and collecting three ground balls. 
 
Fellow senior Marissa Mongillo '15 also had a standout game with four points on one goal and three assists.  She also chipped-in with four draw controls and two ground balls.  Moorea Spoljaric '16 was not far behind with three points on two goals and an assist.  For Spoljaric, her three points upped her season total to 56, which is tied for sixth in EC history.  Additionally, she scooped-up a game-high five ground balls.
 
Defensively, Elmira received key contributions from defender Ali Barber '18 and goalie Lindsay Wargo '17.  In addition to causing one turnover, Barber also totaled a career-high four ground balls.  Wargo on the other hand claimed two ground balls and made 12 saves, giving her 155 saves on the season which is the fourth-highest single-season total in Elmira College history. 
 
Hogan and Spoljaric's goal and point totals this afternoon added to their EC legacy as both players moved-up significantly in the Elmira record books.  Hogan ends her three-year career with 122 goals and 144 points, both of which rank third all-time while Spoljaric's three-year totals of 118 goals and 140 points are both fourth all-time.  Additionally, Hogan's 59 points this season and Spoljaric's 56 mark the third time in program history a pair of players has totaled 50 or more in the same season. It is also the third time two players in the same season have scored 40 or more goals and the first time the same duo has done it in back-to-back seasons. 
 
Elmira hung tough today with Fisher, a team that was nationally ranked this season and who continues to receive votes in the national coaches' poll, despite being outshot 44-to-20 and being on the wrong end of the turnover stat line, 19-to-10. 
 
The Soaring Eagles were however able to level the playing field today in two very important team statistical categories, draw controls and ground balls.  Fisher held slim leads in both of the categories today, with a 17-to-14 advantage in draws and a 22-21 edge in ground balls.
 
Fisher opened today's game by taking a 3-0 lead through the first 5:10 of the first half.  However, Elmira would get back-to-back goals from Hogan and Spoljaric less than a minute apart to bring the score to 3-2 with just under 23 minutes to play in the first half. 
 
From there, both teams traded goals until the first half horn sounded, as the score stood at 7-6 entering halftime.  Credit Elmira's defense for their ability to limit the damage in the first half as the Cardinals held a hefty 23-to-8 advantage in shots.
 
The Cardinals opened the second half in good form, scoring back-to-back goals in the first 2:46 to take a 9-6 lead. 
 
Trailing by three goals, Elmira would win two consecutive draw controls which resulted in a pair of goals by Hogan and Spoljaric, cutting the Fisher lead to 9-8.  The Cardinals would win the next draw control, but EC netminder Wargo came up with a big save on EC's defensive end to keep it a one-goal game. 
 
Following Wargo's save, Elmira failed to clear the zone but a heads-up play by Barber caused a Fisher turnover and a successful Elmira clear, setting up Hogan for her fifth goal of the afternoon that tied the game for the first time since the opening whistle at 9-9 with 21:48 to play in the second half.
 
Hogan's goal triggered Fisher to call a timeout. 
 
After the timeout, Fisher would claim the draw control and were eventually awarded a free position shot.  However, Wargo once again stepped-up in a big way, denying Fisher's Sierra Badger on the free position attempt. 
 
Following the save Elmira cleared the zone and created a fast-break opportunity.  On the break, Spoljaric found herself with the ball just a few feet from the cage.  While falling to the ground, Spoljaric whipped a shot that was inches away from finding the net but her attempt caromed off the post as the game remained tied at 9-9.
 
Unfortunately for Elmira, Spoljaric's near score was as close as they would get to claiming a lead as Fisher went on to outscore the Purple and Gold, 9-2, in the final 18:44 as the Cardinals escaped with an 18-11 win. 
 
Today's game marked the final contest of the 2015 season for the Soaring Eagles who will say goodbye to four graduating seniors in Ashton Hogan '15, Captain Marissa Mongillo '15, Krista Peltier '15,and Courtney Foote '15.