NTL BOYS SOCCER: ELMIRA SLIPS PAST ATHENS, 1-0 (October 5, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Elmira scored midway through the second half to break a scoreless tie, and then made it stand up in a 1-0 win over Athens here Monday night in non-league boys soccer action at Alumni Stadium.

"It’s always fun getting together with coach (Derek) Hamilton and coach (Steve) Mastronardi, and playing against many of my club players I coach," said Athens coach Travis Reynard. 

"It’s always a competitive game that is great for us as we prepare for districts," he noted. "We don’t often get to see that level of competition on a regular basis within our league. 

"It’s definitely a tough loss, especially knowing that it was our own minor error that cost us, but we definitely have a lot to build off of and are ready to keep improving and bettering ourselves as a team," added Reynard. 

Elmira's Nolan Kennedy scored the game's only goal with 19:09 remaining, taking advantage of an Athens slip-up in its own end.

The Wildcats missed on an attempt to clear the ball out of the box, and Kennedy tapped it in to put the Express up 1-0.

"There were flashes offensively, but nothing really developed," said Reynard. "We couldn’t break down the back line of Elmira and they handled the speed and talent of our playmakers very well so credit to them.

"We have to find a way to find feet and build attacks as we had too many turnovers in the final third that shut down all hope of getting a real chance on target," he added. 

Elmira had a 6-2 edge in shots-on-goal, and a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Senior Zach Fisher had five saves in net for the Wildcats.

"Defensively, we were strong," said Reynard. "This was definitely one of the best defensive games for us. 

"We handled things out of the air and were able to shut down many of the key attackers for the Express. We stayed in position and all 11 guys played their defensive role and kept fighting," noted Reynard. "We have to keep improving on clearing the ball and making smart choices out of the back, but overall a great showing defensively by the team against a strong offensive team."

Athens, now 8-3-2, returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Towanda.

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IN PHOTO: Athens senior Zach Fisher. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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