The Elmira College Soaring Eagles played their sixth annual Purple-Gold scrimmage last Friday, October 25, and the two sides skated to a 7-7 tie. The Eagles have lost only four players from last season's squad that went 28-6 overall, 28-4 against ECAC East-West competition, won both the regular- season and ECAC tournament titles, and made it to the Division III Final Four. Elmira's strength will be on offense, as it was last year. The Eagles' 240 goals last season was the second-highest total in team history, and almost all the big guns are back. Senior Joe Spinelli racked up 40 goals, 48 assists, and 88 points last year, all single-season Elmira records. His 181 career points ranks third on the Eagles' all-time scoring list, and with 70 more points this season, Spinelli will break Jeff Cristina's record. Also returning are Bernie Cassell and Bob Holmes, each of whom had 72 points last year. Plenty of offensive firepower was on display in the Purple-Gold scrimmage: the Purple team trailed 4-3 going into the third period but scored four times in eleven minutes. Not to be outdone, the Gold team tied things up with three goals in the game's last five minutes. If Elmira has a weakness, it is probably their inexperienced defense, which suffered the losses of standout players Jules Jardine and Sean Cowan (who is currently playing in the East Coast League for the Toledo Storm, a Detroit affiliate). The Eagles have no senior defensemen, and that worries fifth- year head coach Glenn Thomaris, who says, "I'm not at all concerned about our offense. But... defense is not going to be one of our strengths this season. We have a lot of work to do defensively." Goaltending will be handled by junior Tom O'Brien, who had a 3.38 goals-against average and .890 save percentage last year. Sophomore Dave Laudato provides an excellent backup, and the two may even alternate. The Eagles will open their season November 1 by doing something they did not do all of last year: playing a Division I team. Elmira goes up against Lowell in the first round of the US Air Classic at Providence. -- Bill Fenwick Cornell '86 and probably '94 LET'S GO RED!! "My friend has a 16-month-old baby. Ugly baby, really -- the doctor said, 'Keep the receipt on this one.'" -- Garry Shandling