This is a site dedicated to the Boys' Varsity Soccer team for the Elmira City School District in Elmira, New York. The team is a member of the Southern Tier Athletic Conference (STAC) and participates in the West Division.  Elmira is also a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA).

NYSSWA Final State Ranking - 2006 (#10), 2007 (#19), 2010 (#16) 

STAC West Division Champions - 2002 (Co-Champions), 2007 , 2008, 2012 (Co-Champions) 

STAC Finalists - 2008

STAC Champions - 2008

#1 Seed in Section IV Tournament - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 (shared) 

NYSPHSAA Section IV Finalist - 1988, 1989, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010 

NYSPHSAA Section IV Champions - 1989, 2006, 2010 

                                        Southern Tier Athletic Conference

 11/09/12

ALFRED, NY — Two members of the Alfred University men’s soccer team – junior midfielder Jeff Thomas (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) and senior forward Frankie Mannino (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy) – have been named Empire 8 Conference all-stars.

Thomas, named to the Second Team, and Mannino, given honorable mention, are each repeat all-conference selections, as both earned Second Team honors last season. It marks the fourth time in four years Mannino has been named a conference all-star (Second Team in 2009 and 2011; honorable mention in 2010 and 2012).

Thomas had 14 points (second on the team) on six goals (second-most) and a pair of assists. One of his goals was a gamewinner.

Mannino led the team in points (24) and scored a team-best 11 goals (two gamewinners) to go with two assists. Mannino will leave Alfred with 34 career goals, second most on the school’s all-time list behind career leader Bobby Linaberry’s 35.

Each season, the Empire 8 honors students-athletes from each conference school who play on teams sponsored by the conference, with Sportsperson of the Year awards. Honorees, chosen by their coaches, exhibited outstanding sportsmanship in keeping with the conference’s mission of “competing with honor and integrity.” Senior defender Rigel Johnson (Little Valley, NY, Cattaraugus-Little Valley) is Alfred’s honoree from the men’s soccer team.

Alfred finished the 2011 season with a 6-12-0 record (1-6-0 Empire 8).

www.stargazette.com - Joe Mink - 2/7/13

ELMIRA — Soccer has always been in Alex Varkatzas’ blood.

His dad, Kostas, played professionally in Greece. And now Alex will be competing at the Division I level after he signed a letter of intent Wednesday at Elmira Free Academy to play on the men’s soccer team at Binghamton University.

Alex Varkatzas said he received a partial scholarship that can increase as he progresses through the program. He plans on majoring in business administration.

“I’m excited to join a Division I program,” he said. “It’s nice to be playing close to home.”

A senior at EFA, Varkatzas scored a team-record 29 goals last season as a forward for the Elmira Express, which shared the Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division title with Corning. He finished his career with 64 goals, also a record for EFA/Elmira.

Varkatzas was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America boys all-state third team for large schools, which includes players from classes AA and A.

The NSCAA also picked Varkatzas as a Region II all-star. That team included top players from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The common theme from Alex Varkatzas, Kostas Varkatzas and Elmira coach Derek Hamilton is Alex’s love of the game.

“He’s willing to be committed to improving,” said Elmira coach Derek Hamilton.

Kostas Varkatzas, a defender during his playing days, said he started his son out at age 4.

“He started kicking the ball around. As a 6-year-old you could tell he loved the game. He did footwork from 6 to 10 and then joined a travel league,” he explained.

Hamilton recalled bringing Alex Varkatzas up to varsity as an eighth-grader for the Section 4 tournament. He ended up having so much faith in the youngster’s ability that he had him taking a penalty kick during the playoffs.

“He had a clean strike on the ball, and he was only 13. He knocked it home like he was 18,” Hamilton said.

Varkatzas is now competing on the Express boys basketball team. He said he’s played basketball since modified except for a season off as a junior because of concerns about possible injury. But he’s back on court, mostly for the conditioning.

Varkatzas said he drew interest from Syracuse, Bucknell and American University.

After college, Varkatzas said he’d like to go pro, perhaps even going to Greece.

His dad believes he can do it.

“Absolutely,” Kostas Varkatzas said. “But it will take lots of work.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

By Shawn Vargo Corning Leader

Elmira’s Alex Varkatzas and Corning’s Will Cornfield have been rewarded for stellar soccer seasons by being selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America boys all-state team.

Varkatzas was a third-team pick to the large-school team and Cornfield was a fifth-team selection. Both are seniors. The large-school team includes New York state players from classes AA and A.

Previously, it was announced that Elmira Notre Dame senior Alex Nassar was selected to the small school fifth team.

Varkatzas, a forward, scored a team-record 29 goals this season in helping Elmira share the Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division title with Corning. He finished his career with 64 goals, which is a record for Elmira Free Academy/Elmira Express.

He was previously selected to the Region II team by the same organization. That team included top players from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Cornfield, a forward/midfielder, helped Corning win the Section 4 Class AA championship after it shared the STAC West title and advanced to the overall STAC championship game. He had nine goals and a team-high 10 assists.

Varkatzas and Cornfield were both STAC West/Metro all-conference choices.

Several From Area Given All-State, All-Region Recognition

By Andrew Legare - alegare@gannett.com

Elmira boys soccer player Alex Varkatzas capped his record-setting career by earning all-region honors on a national all-star team.

Varkatzas, a senior forward, was selected to the Region II team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

That honor is part of a big week for local soccer players.  Six girls from the Elmira-Corning area have been picked to the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports all-state team, led by three from Elmira Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame selections were first-team Class C pick Rebecca Watts, and fourth-team choices Hannah Haskell and Brittany Schutrum.

Also earning all-state honors were Corning Haley Lukefahr (fourth team Class AA), Elmira Sierra Barr (sixth team Class AA) and Waverly's Emiley Myers (fifth team Class B).

Prolific Career for Varkatzas

Varkatzas finished her career with an EFA/Elmira Express record of 64 goals, including a team-record 29 this season. Among his other records are goals in a game (6), assists in a game (3), points in a game (12), points in a season (62), and career points (144).

Elmira finished with a 9-6-1 record and shared the Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division title with Corning.

Varkatzas is the first player in Derek Hamilton's 12 season as EFA/Express coach to earn all-region honors.  The Region II team includes players from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Said Hamilton: "Being called up to the varsity as an eigth-grader in the second half of the season and seeing the work ethic he's put in and developing in the players he's become. ...It's exciting not just to see how good he is now, but it's an example of a kid maximizing his potential."

www.stargazette.com - Staff Report - December 1, 2012

Two Elmira players were named to the Southern Tier Athletic Conference Metro/West all-star boys soccer team.

Goalie Eric Berglund and forward Alex Varkatzas represented the Express, joining two Corning players, defender Jeff Kahlmeyer and midfielder Will Cornfield.

Elmirans making the All-West Division team are defender Caleb Johnson, and midfielders Curtis Grant and Kyle Johnson.

Horseheads put goalie Rhett Seeley, defender Mike Reed, midfielder Alex VanFleet and forward Ben Morse on the All-West unit.

Defender Eli Koski, midfielder Nico Summa and forward Lucas Knowles were Corning’s All-West picks.

www.stargazette.com - Andrew Legare - 10/23/2012

ELMIRA — As the rain poured Tuesday afternoon, a wave of Ithaca goals helped send the Little Red to a 5-2 victory over Elmira in a Section 4 Class AA boys soccer semifinal at Elmira Free Academy.

Ithaca took a three-goal halftime lead that was extended to 4-0 early in the second half in beating the Express for the first time in three tries this season.

Eh Tha Dah scored twice for third-seeded Ithaca (8-6-1), with Lucas Williamson, Luc Sinon and Nick Gualtieri each scoring once as Ithaca secured a spot in the championship game against top-seeded Corning (10-6-2). The final is scheduled for Nov. 3 at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta.

Elmira, the No. 2 seed, finished with a 9-6-1 record.

“We lost to these guys a couple of times and I knew we were going to come and face a very good team,” Ithaca coach Gilbert Antoine said.

“Because of the rain, that would change the structure of the game. So I immediately told my guys to just play according to the way the weather is. ... The more we shoot, the better chance we have of scoring sooner.”

The Little Red finished with 28 shots on the artificial turf at Marty Harrigan Field and it took just under nine minutes for one of those to find the back of the net, with Gualtieri burying a blast past Express goalie Eric Berglund.

Eh Tha Dah increased the lead to 2-0 with 23:30 remaining in the half when he scored off a perfect cross-field pass from Amir Omar.

Williamson’s goal with 49 seconds left in the half gave Ithaca a 3-0 edge.

“In the past when we’ve played in games like this, we’ve come out on top because we’ve matched or exceeded what the other team has put out in terms of desire to win the game," Elmira coach Derek Hamilton said. “We didn’t have that in the first half today and we dug ourselves a hole that was too big to get out of.”

Ithaca’s defenders made life difficult for Elmira star forward Alex Varkatzas, who scored three goals in a 4-3 comeback win against the Little Red on the same field earlier this season. The Express often get the ball to him in space on long passes, but Ithaca didn’t surrender anything close to a breakaway Tuesday.

“My strategy was to play three guys in the back,” Antoine said. “We would keep him very busy so that he would get tired. Although he’s an extremely good player, today he was not that effective at the very beginning. But toward the end he was. But it was too late for him.”

Said Hamilton: “We had time on the ball and usually we play direct to Alex with some accuracy. Today the quality of service was poor from all over the field. We couldn’t get the ball to his feet and when we struggle to get the ball onto his feet, we struggle going forward. Obviously, the (weather) conditions didn’t play well for us today, but as a collective unit we didn’t play well as a team either.”

By the time Varkatzas broke through for a goal off a Kyle Johnson assist, Ithaca’s lead was 4-0 thanks to Sinon’s goal with 32:08 remaining.

Varkatzas’ goal, which came with 8:01 to play, was his 29th of the season and it came after he was sent off the field earlier in the half after receiving a yellow card for a high, aggressive tackle. The 29 goals match the Elmira School District single-season record set by Elmira Free Academy’s Johnny Phoummany in 1998.

Dom DeMuth brought Elmira within 4-2 with 5:10 to go before Eh Tha Dah put the game away with three minutes left.

“It was encouraging to see us put two on them in the end,” Hamilton said. “Obviously, it was too little, too late. It was a little discouraging it took us 73 minutes to get to that point.”

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (1-1), DeMuth (1-0), K. Johnson (0-1)

Ithaca Scoring - Tha Da (2-0), Williamson (1-1), Sinon (1-0), Gulietieri (1-0), Omar (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (6-4), Ithaca (9-6)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund-4), Ithaca (Twadorkus-4)

Said Corning senior defender Jeff Kahlmeyer: “We just really figured out what things clicked and what we needed to do. We cleaned up our passes, we kept the mentality of just going for the goal every time. It starts with the goalie, to the defense to the midfield to the forwards. We’ve all got to work as one.”

The Express struggled to get the ball to Varkatzas, who was visibly frustrated in the second half and throughout overtime. He sat the final 1:41 of the first overtime period after receiving a yellow card for protesting a call.

“We adjusted some things at halftime defensively to cover Alex, who’s their main goal scorer,” Mastronardi said. “We shut him down in the second half. He’s a phenomenal player, but we took care of business there.”

Elmira (9-5-1) was without its second-biggest offensive threat, Curtis Grant, who was one of four Express starters out with an injury.

“As I said all season, we’re a very young team and we were even younger today,” Hamilton said. “I was happy with the way we played with how young we are. We brought on three junior varsity players today just to play the match and they all played well.

“Hats off to Corning for a great game. They’re probably one of the best teams we’ve seen all season. PKs happen.”

After 80 minutes of regulation play, the teams played two 10-minute, sudden-death overtime periods before the contest went to penalty kicks to decide which team advanced to the STAC semifinals. Cornfield, Kahlmeyer, Zach Quist and Knowles all converted for the Hawks. Goalie Eric Berglund was the only one of three Elmira players to connect.

“We have this motto we say: ‘Just put it in the fridge,’” Kahlmeyer said. “It means we’ve got to bury it every time.”

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (2-0), K. Johnson (0-1), Wise (0-1)

Corning Scoring - Summa (1-0), Cornfield (1-0 pk), Knowles (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (11-3), Corning (10-3)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund-9), Corning (Goforth-8)

Class AA 	
1     Brentwood-11                  11-0-0
2     Clarence-6                    14-0-0
3     Arlington-1                   11-1-0
4     Lockport-6                    13-0-0
5     Bethlehem-2                   10-0-2
6     Webster Schroeder-5           10-1-2
7     Deer Park-11                  10-0-1
8     Hicksville-8                  10-0-2
9     Cicero-North Syracuse-3       10-2-0
10     White Plains-1                 9-1-1
11     Newburgh Free Academy-9       10-2-1
12     Massapequa-8                  10-1-0
13     Half Hollow Hills West-11     10-1-0
14     Syosset-8                      9-2-1
15     Washingtonville-9              7-0-3
16     Liverpool-3                   10-2-1
17     North Rockland-1              11-1-0
18     Spencerport-5                  9-4-1
19     Baldwinsville-3                9-2-1
20     Elmira-4                       9-4-0
Class A     
1     Pittsford Mendon-5            15-0-0
2     Jericho-8                     11-0-1
3     Williamsville East-6          15-0-0
4     Port Chester-1                12-0-0
5     Vestal-4                      12-1-0
6     Scotia-Glenville-2            12-1-1
7     Syracuse Fowler-3             12-1-0
8     Sayville-11                   10-2-0
9     Wallkill-9                    10-0-1
10     Byram Hills-1                 10-2-0
11     Lawrence-8                    10-0-1
12     Beacon-1                      10-2-0
13     Brighton-5                    10-3-1
14     East Hampton-11                9-2-1
15     Williamsville Souith-6        10-2-1
16     Albany Academy-2              12-0-0
17     Watertown-3                   11-1-1
18     Troy-2                        10-2-1
19     Syracuse CBA-3                 9-3-0
20     John Glenn-11                  7-2-3
Class B     
1     Livonia-5                     14-0-0
2     East Aurora-6                 13-0-0
3     Ichabod Crane-2               10-0-1
4     Westhill-3                    13-0-0
5     Briarcliff-1                   9-1-1
6     Northeastern-Clinton-7        12-0-0
7     Susquehanna Valley-4           9-2-0
8     Center Moriches-11             9-3-0
9     Mattituck-11                   9-2-1
10     Broadalbin-Perth-2            11-2-1
11     Cazanovia-3                    9-3-1
12     Carle Place-8                  7-5-1
13     Ellenville-9                   8-2-1
14     Hornell-5                     10-0-1
15     Blind Brook-1                  8-3-2
16     Lackawana-6                   11-0-0
17     Skaneateles-3                  9-3-2
18     Potsdam-10                     8-3-2
19     Hampton Bays-11                8-4-1
20     Oneonta-4                      9-2-0
Class C     
1     Port Jefferson-11              9-0-0
2     Lansing-4                     14-0-0
3     Friends Academy-8              8-0-1
4     Mynderse-5                    14-0-1
5     Lake George-2                 14-0-0
6     Fabius-Pompey-3               13-1-0
7     Naples-5                      12-0-1
8     S.S. Seward-9                 11-0-1
9     Solomon Schecter-1             7-2-1
10     Cooperstown-3                 12-2-0
11     Randolph-6                    14-1-0
12     Maple Grove-6                 12-1-1
13     Galway-2                      11-1-0
14     Williamson-5                  11-0-2
15     Keshequa-5                    12-1-1
16     Tully-3                       10-2-0
17     Canton-10                      6-3-3
18     Southold-11                    9-3-0
19     Greene-4                      13-3-0
20     Utanago-4                     13-1-0
20     Mekeel Christian Academy-2     9-1-1
Class D     
1     Chazy-7                       12-0-1
2     Poland-3                      10-0-2
3     Fort Ann-2                     9-3-1
4     Cherry Valley-Springfield-4   13-0-0
5     Margretville-4                13-0-1
6     Family School-9                7-4-1
7     North Collins-6               11-1-0
8     Fillmore-5                    12-1-0
9     Marathon-4                    12-2-0
10     Minerva-Newcomb-7             10-1-0
11     Genesee Valley-5              11-2-0
12     Hamilton-3                     9-1-2
13     Cincinnatus-3                  9-1-0
14     Elmira Notre Dame-4           12-2-1
15     Parishville-Hopkington-10      8-2-1
16     Alfred-Almond-5               10-3-0
17     Northville-2                   8-3-2
18     Harrisville-10                 8-2-0
19     McGraw-3                       9-2-1
20     Alexandria Bay-3              10-2-1

www.stargazette.com - Andrew Legare - 10/10/12

ELMIRA — It took less than 30 minutes for Elmira to wrestle away control of the Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division from Corning.

After falling behind early, the Express scored four straight goals to close the first half in a 5-1 boys soccer victory over the Hawks on Wednesday afternoon at Elmira Free Academy’s Marty Harrigan Field.

Alex Varkatzas had three goals and an assist to help Elmira improve to 9-4 with one league game remaining. Corning dropped to 8-4 with two games left.

Elmira plays at Union-Endicott on Friday night. If Elmira wins, Corning would need victories over Maine-Endwell and Vestal to force a playoff for the division title.

“We lost to them last time, so we wanted revenge,” said Elmira junior Curtis Grant, who contributed a goal and two assists. “We went down 1-0 on a (penalty kick). We came out, scored a goal and got our morale up and played as a team and we won 5-1.”

Corning’s Will Cornfield scored on the penalty kick just over eight minutes into play after Elmira was called for a foul in the penalty area.

The lead didn’t last long, though, with Grant scoring a little more than two minutes later when he chipped a shot over the head of Hawks goalie Alex Goforth.

“The PK was a little unlucky for us,” Express coach Derek Hamilton said. “We did our best to keep our composure with a call we disagreed with, but at the same time Curtis scored on a fantastic through ball from Alex, which kind of negated that and got it back equal at 1-1.

“We pushed forward from there and kind of took the assertive role for the remainder of the match.”

Varkatzas scored the go-ahead goal with 15:54 left in the first half, then made it 3-1 with 6:27 to go before halftime. A goal by Dustin Collins off an assist from Grant with 1:01 on the clock extended the advantage to three goals at the half.

Corning was a 3-1 winner at home against Elmira earlier this season, but that defensive display wasn’t repeated on EFA’s home turf.

“We were outmuscled in the first half and outplayed,” Corning coach Steve Mastronardi said. “We were not quite focused in the first half. It’s tough to overcome a three-goal deficit.

“Their game plan was executed pretty well. They just broke us down. They have dangerous players up top. ... You give them the ball in the wrong place, good teams will finish. And that’s what they did today.”

Mastronardi said his team played well in the second half, but Elmira’s zonal defense gave up few scoring chances. Elmira goalie Eric Berglund made six saves.

Varkatzas put the final touch on the win when he broke in alone on Goforth and scored his 26th goal of the season with 10:47 remaining.

“We began winning tackles in the midfield,” Hamilton said of his team’s improved play after falling behind. “As soon as we win the ball, we play forward with some purpose to feet. And when we can find Alex’s feet and support that and play off of that, we’re usually a pretty good team going forward.”

Said Grant of Varkatzas: “He takes away two defenders, so that leaves more space on the pitch to play.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Express hand Corning 5-1 STAC West soccer defeat

www.the-leader.com - By The Leader Staff

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (3-1), Grant (1-2), Collins (1-0), Prunoske (0-1)

Corning Scoring - Cornfield (1-0 pk)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (8-3), Corning (6-3)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund-6), Corning (Goforth-3)

Class AA      
1      Brentwood-11                 9-0-0
2      Clarence-6                  11-0-0
3      Arlington-1                 10-1-0
4      Lockport-6                  10-0-0
5      Bethlehem-2                  9-0-2
6      Webster Schroeder-5          9-1-2
7      Hicksville-8                 8-0-1
8      Deer Park-11                 8-0-1
9      Cicero-North Syracuse-3      8-2-0
10      Newburgh Free Academy-9      7-2-0
11      White Plains-1               8-1-1
12      Massapequa-8                 7-1-0
13      Northport-11                 7-1-0
14      Syosset-8                    6-2-1
15      Washingtonville-9            6-0-3
16      Fayetteville-Manlius-3       8-2-1
17      North Rockland-1             8-1-0
18      Half Hollow Hills West-11    8-1-0
19      Shenendehowa-2               8-1-2
20      Elmira-4                     8-3-0
Class A      
1      Pittsford Mendon-5          14-0-0
2      Scotia-Glenville-2          12-0-0
3      Jericho-8                    8-0-1
4      Williamsville East-6        12-0-0
5      Syracuse Fowler-3            9-0-0
6      Port Chester-1              10-0-0
7      Vestal-4                    10-1-0
8      Sayville-11                  8-2-0
9      Byram Hills-1                8-1-0
10      Wallkill-9                   8-0-1
11      Island Trees-8               8-0-2
12      Beacon-1                     9-1-0
13      Greece Arcadia-5            10-1-1
14      East Hampton-11              8-2-1
15      Malone-10                    7-1-1
16      Watertown-3                  9-1-1
17      Williamsville Souith-6       8-2-1
18      Albany Academy-2            10-0-0
19      Miller Place-11              4-2-1
20      Brighton-5                   8-3-0
Class B      
1      Livonia-5                   11-0-0
2      East Aurora-6               10-0-0
3      Ichabod Crane-2              7-0-1
4      Westhill-3                  10-0-0
5      Briarcliff-1                 7-0-1
6      Northeastern Clinton-7      11-0-0
7      Hampton Bays-11              8-2-1
8      Carle Place-8                6-3-1
9      Susquehanna Valley-4         8-1-0
10      Center Moriches-11           8-3-0
11      Mattituck-11                 7-2-1
12      Broadalbin-Perth-2           9-2-1
13      Skaneateles-3                8-2-2
14      Ellenville-9                 7-1-1
15      Hornell-5                    9-0-1
16      Pleasantville-1              7-2-2
17      Albion-6                     9-1-2
18      Indian River-3               9-3-0
19      Potsdam-10                   6-2-2
20      Oneonta-4                    7-2-0
Class C      
1      Port Jefferson-11            7-0-0
2      Lansing-4                   11-0-0
3      Friends Academy-8            6-0-1
4      Naples-5                    12-0-1
5      Lake George-2               12-0-0
6      Maple Grove-6               10-0-1
7      Cooperstown-3                9-1-0
8      S.S. Seward-9               10-0-1
9      Solomon Schecter-1           7-1-0
10      Tully-3                     10-1-0
11      Mynderse-5                  10-0-1
12      Maple Hill-2                 7-2-0
13      Keshequa-5                  10-0-1
14      Randolph-6                  12-1-0
15      Galway-2                     8-1-0
16      Byron-Bergen-5               9-0-1
17      Canton-10                    5-3-2
18      Southold-11                  6-3-0
19      Odessa-Montour-4            11-2-0
20      Unatego-4                   10-0-0
Class D      
1      Chazy-7                     10-0-1
2      Poland-3                     9-0-2
3      Fort Ann-2                   7-3-1
4      Cherry Val.-Springfield-4   11-0-0
5      Margretville-4              11-0-1
6      Family School-9              6-2-1
7      North Collins-6              9-1-0
8      Fillmore-5                  11-1-0
9      Marathon-4                  11-0-1
10      Minerva-Newcomb-7            6-1-0
11      Alfred-Almond-5              9-2-0
12      Hamilton-3                   7-1-2
13      McGraw-3                     8-1-1
14      Elmira Notre Dame-4         10-2-1
15      Parishville-Hopkington-10    7-2-0
16      Genesee Valley-5             8-2-0
17      Northville-2                 7-3-1
18      Harrisville-10               7-1-0
19      Cincinnatus-3                8-1-0
20      Alexandria Bay-3             9-1-1

www.stargazette.com - Staff Report  

Boys soccer

• Elmira 4, Binghamton 0: Alex Varkatzas scored three goals, and Elmira limited Binghamton to one shot in STAC action at Elmira.

Brendan Wise had the other goal for Elmira (8-3), and Eric Berglund made one save.

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (3-0), Wise (1-0), Collins (0-1), DeMuth (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (15-5), Binghamton (1-2)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 1), Binghamton (Midyette - 11)

www.stargazette.com - 9:17 PM, Sep. 28, 2012 - Written by Ron Levanduski

ELMIRA — A three-goal effort by senior Alex Varkatzas helped lead the Elmira boys soccer team to a 4-3 comeback victory Friday over Southern Tier Athletic Conference foe Ithaca in a match for control of the West Division at Marty Harrigan field.

Elmira overcame a three-goal, first-half deficit with three second-half strikes. The first came 53 seconds apart before the 30-minute mark to tie it at 3.

The Express (7-3, 4-1) continued to pressure the Little Red with several more opportunities. Varkatzas scored the winner at 23:34 after taking control of the ball in front of the last Ithaca defender and shooting it past goalie Geoffrey Twardokus into the lower right corner of the net.

“We came out flying in the second half,” Varkatzas said. “It was a pivotal win in the division.”

The victory solidified Elmira’s lead over Ithaca (4-4-1). Elmira beat Ithaca 3-2 on the road earlier this month.

“That’s a huge win for us,” said Elmira coach Derek Hamilton. “We have struggled to find consistency, but today was one of our more well-played games.”

Luc Sinon put Ithaca up 1-0 at the 32:05 mark. Amir Omar and Nick Gualtieri scored off free kicks for a 3-0 lead 17 minutes into the match.

“We made some alarming mistakes and dug ourselves a hole,” Hamilton said.

Varkatzas converted on a penalty kick at the 20:32 mark and Ithaca led 3-1 at the half.

“We got the break with the penalty kick and the momentum swung,” Hamilton said. “We controlled the tempo of the game in the second half.”

Varkatzas made it 3-2 on a direct kick that deflected off a defenders foot and into the upper right corner of the net at 31:34. Sophomore Eli Harperin tied it 53 seconds later, finiding the top right corner on a long angle kick.

Eric Berglund made seven saves for Elmira and Twardokus finished with four stops.

www.stargazette.com - Staff Report - 9:39 PM, Sep. 26, 2012 

Curtis Grant and Alex Varkatzas each scored a goal as the Elmira boys soccer team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at Horseheads on Wednesday in Southern Tier Athletic Conference action.

Grant’s score came about 20 minutes into the first half. Varkatzas scored later in the half after a half volley and scissors kick from just inside the 18-yard line that found the far post.

Eli Halperin and Kyle Johnson assisted on the goals.

“Much improved from the last few games,” Elmira coach Derek Hamilton said of his team’s play.

Eric Berglund made five saves for Elmira (6-3). Rhett Seeley had nine saves for Horseheads.

Division leader Elmira hosts second-place Ithaca at 5 p.m. Friday in a key STAC West game.

Elmira Scoring - Grant (1-0), Varkatzas (1-0), Halperin (0-1), Kyle Johnson (1-0)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (12-6), Horseheads (5-2)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 5), Horseheads (Seeley - 9)

Veteran coaches Al Ellis and Chris O'Brien compile the NYSPHSAA rankings on behalf of the N.Y. State Sportswriters Association.

CLASS AA
1    Hicksville-8             5-0-0
2    Brentwood-11             5-0-0
3    Clarence-6               7-0-0
4    Lockport-6               8-0-0
5    Webster Schroeder-5      6-0-1
6    Arlington-1              6-0-0
7    Bethlehem-2              5-0-2
8    Liverpool-3              5-0-1
9    Middletown-9             4-1-1
10    Shenendehowa-2           5-0-2
11    Elmira-4    5-0-0
12    Half Hollow Hills W.-11  5-0-0
13    Massapequa-8             4-0-0
14    Mamaroneck-1             6-0-0
15    Cicero-North Syracuse-3  6-1-0
16    Deer Park-11             4-0-1
17    Syosset-8                4-1-0
18    North Rockland-1         5-0-0
19    Ward Melville-11         3-0-2
20    Sachem East-11           4-1-0
CLASS A
1    Pittsford Mendon-5       8-0-0
2    Jericho-8                4-0-1
3    Scotia-Glenville-2       9-0-0
4    Williamsville East-6     7-0-0
5    Syracuse Fowler-3        6-0-0
6    Port Chester-1           5-0-0
7    Vestal-4                 4-1-0
8    Shorehmam/Wading Riv.-11 5-1-0
9    Wallkill-9               5-0-1
10    Island Trees-8           3-0-1
11    Eastport/South Manor-11  4-0-0
12    Byram Hills-1            4-0-0
13    Malone-10                4-1-1
14    Beacon-1                 6-0-0
15    East Hampton-11          4-1-1
16    Williamsville Souith-6   6-1-0
17    John Glenn-11            4-1-1
18    Brighton-5               4-2-0
19    East Syracuse-Minoa-3    5-1-0
20    Pearl River-1            4-1-1
CLASS B
1    East Aurora-6            7-0-0
2    Oneonta-4                6-0-0
3    North Salem-1            5-0-0
4    Livonia-5                6-0-0
5    Ichabod Crane-2          4-0-1
6    Mattituck-11             4-1-1
7    Carle Place-8            3-2-1
8    Broadalbin-Perth-2       5-2-1
9    Marlboro-9               2-0-0
10    Skaneateles-3            5-1-2
11    Liberty-9                6-0-0
12    Northeastern Clinton-7   7-0-0
13    Hampton Bays-11          4-2-1
14    Hornell-5                5-0-1
15    Ellenville-9             6-1-0
16    Bath-5                   4-0-1
17    Our Lady of Lourdes-1    4-1-0
18    Peru-7                   6-1-0
19    Albion-6                 6-1-1
20    Clinton-3                3-1-0
CLASS C
1    Port Jefferson-11        4-0-0
2    Maple Hill-2             5-0-0
3    Lansing-4                4-0-0
4    Friends Academy-8        3-0-1
5    Naples-5                 6-0-1
6    Maple Grove-6            7-0-1
7    Cooperstown-3            4-1-0
8    Rhinebeck-9              6-0-0
9    Byron-Bergen-5           5-0-0
10    Randolph-6               7-1-0
11    Haldane-1                3-1-0
12    Lake George-2            7-0-0
13    Tully-3                  6-1-0
14    Mynderse-5               4-0-1
15    Solomon Schecter-1       3-1-0
16    Canton-10                5-1-2
17    S.S. Seward-9            5-0-1
18    Hamilton-1               3-3-0
19    Galway-2                 6-0-0
20    International Prep-6     3-0-0
CLASS D
1    Chazy-7                  6-0-1
2    Cincinnatus-3            6-1-0
3    Fort Ann-2               5-2-0
4    Cherry Valley-Spring.-4  6-0-0
5    Alfred-Almond-5          5-1-0
6    Parishville-Hopk'ton-10  4-0-0
7    Marathon-4               3-0-0
8    Family School-9          3-2-1
9    North Collins-6          5-1-0
10    Scio-5                   5-0-1
11    Crown Point-7            5-0-0
12    Fillmore-5               5-1-0
13    Poland-3                 4-0-0
14    Margretville-4           7-1-0
15    Hamilton-3               4-1-1
16    Alexandria Bay-3         5-0-1
17    Belfast-5                6-1-0
18    Smithtown Christian-11   1-2-0
19    Argyle-2                 5-2-0
20    Heuvelton-10             4-1-0

Union-Endicott 1, Elmira 0: Union-Endicott’s Conner Gyllenhammer had the winning goal, assisted by Kyle Hughs, with 35:28 left in the game.

Union-Endicott Scoring - Gyllenhammer (1-0), Hughs (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (5-4), Union-Endicott (5-3)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 4), Union-Endicott (? - 5)

Corning boys beat out Elmira

www.the-leader.com

By Bob Benz

With an inspired effort, the Corning Hawks made an emphatic statement Monday and handed the Elmira Express their first loss of the season at Memorial Stadium.

The Hawks pressured the Express goal for the better part of 90 minutes and cashed in three times to come away with a feel-good 3-1 victory over their previously-unbeaten STAC West rivals.

Nico Summa, Lucas Knowles and Will Cornfield provided goals for Corning and teammate Noah Coons added a pair of assists to help the Hawks improve to 3-1 on the season.

Corning opened the scoring moments after Knowles hit a shot that Elmira goalkeeper Eric Berglund knocked away with a diving stop to his right. However, Summa was there to clean up the rebound and promptly buried a shot into the back of the net with 27:08 remaining in the opening half.

The Hawks made a concerted effort to try to contain Alex Varkatzas, Elmira’s most dangerous offensive player.

“Coming into the game we were worried about Alex Varkatzas,” Mastronardi said. “For the first five games, no one has had an answer for him defensively. We had markings, so we tried to play what we normally play and just pressure cover, which worked well and limited the opportunities with the ball at his feet.”

And while Mastronardi was pleased with how his team limited Varkatzas on offense, Elmira’s talented senior forward did score once. Mastronardi tracked down a breakaway pass down the right side and hit a shot inside the far post to tie the score with 22:52.

The entertaining first-half fireworks resumed when Corning regained the lead with 9:19 left in the first half. On a Corning rush, Noah Coons made a centering feed that Knowles deflected in with a leaping kick at the 9:19 mark of the first half.

Coons set up the Hawks’ insurance goal midway through the second half, setting up Cornfield, who drilled a shot into the top left corner from just inside the box.

Alex Goforth came up with some big stops in goal for Corning and finished with four saves.

The Hawks outshot the Express 24-6. Eric Berglund turned back 12 shots in goal for Elmira (5-1).

Corning Scoring - Cornfield (1-0), Knowles (1-0), Nice Summa (1-0), Coons (0-2)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (7-2), Corning (24-3)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 12), Corning (Goforth - 4)

www.stargazette.com

Staff Report

Elmira 4, Maine-Endwell 3 (OT)

Alex Varkatzas scored three goals including the game winner, five minutes into overtime, for a come-from-behind win n a STAC game at home.

Varkatzas scored the tying goal on a free kick with 41 seconds left in regulation.

Eli Halperin also scored for the Express (5-0) and Curtis Grant added two assists.  Brendan Wise assisted on the winning goal.  M-E (2-2-1) outshot Elmira 9-7 and held a 6-1 advantage in Corners.

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (3-0), Halperin (1-0), Grant (0-2), Wise (0-1)

Maine-Endwell Scoring - Swartz (1-1), Lee (1-0), Burtis (1-0), Osovski (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (7-1), Maine-Endwell (9-6)

Saves -  Elmira (Berglund-6), Maine-Endwell (Cosens-5)

www.stargazette.com

Staff Report  

Boys soccer

• Elmira 8, Binghamton 1: Alex Varkatzas scored six goals for Elmira in a rout of Southern Tier Athletic Conference foe Binghamton.

Varkatzas has 12 goals in four games for the Express (4-0), which has already surpassed last season’s win total of three. Dustin Collins and Kyle Johnson each added a goal and an assist.

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (6-0), K. Johnson (1-1), Collins (1-1), Grant (0-2), Berglund (0-2), Prunoske (0-1)

Binghamton Scoring - Ahmetovic (1-0)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (16-5), Binghamton (3-3)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 2), Binghamton (Midyette - 8)

Elmira Remains Unbeaten This Season

www.stargazette.com

by Ed Boulat eboulat@gannett.com

ITHACA — In soccer, having the lion’s share of the possession does not guarantee you a win.

On Monday night, the Ithaca High boys’ soccer team learned that lesson the hard way. The Little Red dictated long stretches of the game and even dug itself out of an early hole but could not continue its string of positive early results, suffering a somewhat harsh 3-2 defeat to visiting Elmira in Southern Tier Athletic Conference play from Joe Moresco Stadium.

Both of Ithaca’s first two games entering Monday had gone into overtime — a 3-2 home win over Union-Endicott and a 3-all tie at Maine-Endwell. Elmira (3-0), which outscored Vestal and Horseheads by a combined 6-2 in a pair of wins to open the season, got the winning goal from sophomore Kyle Johnson with 8:41 remaining in the second half, breaking a 2-all halftime tie.

“We controlled the game after the first 10 minutes and should have won, but we just couldn’t finish,” Ithaca coach Gilbert Antoine said. “But Elmira played really well, and you have to give them credit.”

Early on, however, it looked as if the Express might not have to work too hard for its third win in three tries.

Despite being forced to play on the counter, Elmira struck twice in the opening 12 minutes, both times with senior striker Alex Varkatzas heavily involved. Varkatzas carried the ball 50 yards down the field to create the Express’ first goal, forcing a good save out of Ithaca junior goalie Geofferey Twardokus (4 saves) and allowing junior teammate Curtis Grant to pounce on the rebound six minutes in.

Another six minutes saw Varkatzas do the job himself, as he was the first to classmate Brendan Wise’s corner, and, despite not making the best of connections, did enough to get the ball past Twardokus.

All the while, though, the Little Red enjoyed the majority of the possession and, and after a couple of close calls, it was finally rewarded. With 16:35 left before halftime and the Express pinned deep in its own end, IHS sophomore Jean Sinon’s cross found the feet of senior captain Eh Tha Dah, who, after having his initial shot saved brilliantly by Elmira junior goalie Eric Berglund, sent the rebound in the roof of the net. Continuing to pile on the pressure, the Little Red tied the game 53 seconds before halftime, as Sinon managed to toe-poke a loose ball through a crowd of legs after a late corner kick.

The second half saw chances for both sides, but with less than 10 minutes left, the Express dealt the final blow, fittingly on a counter attack. Varkatzas picked up the ball near the midway line and, after attracting a pair of Ithaca defenders, sent a cross field pass to Johnson, whose cracking one-timer beat a diving Twardokus.

The Little Red, which held a 10-7 advantage in shots and forced Berglund into nine saves, will look to get in the win column on Wednesday when Vestal visits Moresco Stadium for a 7 p.m. contest.

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (1-2), Grant (1-0), K. Johnson (1-0), Wise (0-1)

Ithaca Scoring - Williamson (1-0), Teh Dah (1-0), Luc Simon (0-1)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (8-5), Ithaca (9-5)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund - 5), Ithaca (Twardokus - 5)

www.stargazette.com

10:37 PM, Sep. 5, 2012 

Varkatzas' hat trick carries Elmira past Horseheads

ELMIRA — A few hours after finishing the first day of school, the members of the Elmira boys soccer team moved within one victory of matching last season’s win total.

Senior forward Alex Varkatzas scored a hat trick to lift the Express to a 4-1 victory against Horseheads in a Southern Tier Athletic Conference game Wednesday afternoon at Elmira Free Academy’s Marty Harrigan Field.

Elmira is off to a 2-0 start following a 3-12-1 record in its inaugural season as a combined team. That first win came last week at traditional power Vestal, 2-1.

“The style of play we have is much different from recent years,” said Varkatzas, who played for EFA before the merger. “We move the ball now and we have a lot more technical players. I think we can make a decent run this year and we’ve already shown we can beat some of the top teams.”

Horseheads dropped to 1-1 under first-year coach Mark Mucci, who was upbeat despite the defeat.

“I thought we played well,” he said. “Except for about 12 minutes in the first half, we kept our composure, we possessed the ball well, we were making good decisions. A break here or there, and the score’s a little different.”

It took the Express awhile to break through against Horseheads, with Varkatzas scoring off a corner kick from Curtis Grant with 15 minutes, 44 seconds left in the first half.

“It seemed like we had a little soccer hangover, if you will, from the Vestal win,” Varkatzas said. “We came out a little complacent and maybe a little cocky. Then we realized we had to get it going because Horseheads is no slouch.”

Varkatzas scored his second goal on a penalty kick with 8:46 left in the half. Brendan Wise put the Express up 3-0 early in the second half and Varkatzas completed his hat trick off another assist from Grant with 32:16 remaining.

“I think we played sluggish for about 60 minutes and we kind of put a good 20-minute spell together and we got a few goals out of it,” Elmira coach Derek Hamilton said. “That kind of set the tone for the rest of the match.”

Varkatzas, a high honors student who has scored five of Elmira’s six goals this season, is looking at Division I programs such as Bucknell, American University and Syracuse University as potential college homes.

His highly competitive nature has sometimes worked against him on the field, but Hamilton said Varkatzas has grown into a leader this season.

“Alex has always been a great player. The goals are always going to be there,” Hamilton said. “I’ve been the most impressed with his maturity this season. He’s really come forth and become a team leader and has put the team on hisack.”

Said Mucci: “Varkatzas is obviously a very talented player and he showed that today.”

The Blue Raiders closed the game strong, with their work paying off with 8:17 remaining on a goal from Ben Morse.

“It’s something to build on,” Mucci said. “It’s a long season. We’ve got 12 more games and we showed we can play the kind of soccer that we want to play today. We’ve just got to work on a few things and hopefully we’ll improve every game.”

Elmira Scoring - Varkatzas (3-0), Wise (1-0), Grant (0-2), K. Johnson (0-1)

Horseheads Scoring - Morse (1-)

Shots/Corners - Elmira (12-6), Horseheads (5-1)

Saves - Elmira (Berglund-5), Horseheads (Seeley - 5)

Below are some of the best moments in EFA/Elmira Soccer history to have been caught on film:

--> Nick Lian (as a junior) scores one the best goals of his career in a 6-1 victory over Elmira Southside.  This bicycle is amazing and you get two looks at it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKRf87i_EsY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yYF8TBhNIg

--> Ross Holden bends a fantastic free kick around a Union-Endicott wall to lead Elmira Free Academy to a 1-0 victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m30Phi_QRio

-->Justin Munson and Alex Varkatzas set the pace in a 3-0 victory over Owego in a New York State, Section IV, Class "A" Semi-Final match sending EFA to their third section final in five years!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPXMnd8HlzY&feature=related