HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' SOCCER: HANRAHAN OFF TO INCREDIBLE START FOR ELMIRA WITH 8 GOALS IN 4 GAMES (2022-09-16)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
For the past two years Emily Hanrahan has been one of the best goal scorers in Section 4.

This year the senior has taken things to an even higher level. Through four games she has eight goals, two per contest. More impressively, she has every Elmira Express goal on the season.

“It is crazy for me because I’m not used to all that,” Hanrahan said of scoring so many goals to start the year. “But, I couldn’t have done it without my team.”

Game in and game out teams focus their defense on Hanrahan, trying to slow down the powerful forward.

“It definitely is noticeable,” Hanrahan said. “Especially with Union Endicott, they had four or five people (on her) right off the bat, it’s crazy.”

What helps Hanrahan is having great teammates, including dominant midfielders like Mia Capilli who cut through the defense and find Hanrahan.

“It helps me get the game open and it helps them open the game up to pass,” Hanrahan said of when the midfielders cut through the defense. “It’s good to have a great midfield, and great all around attackers and defensive players.”

For Hanrahan, there is some pride in scoring even when teams want to try and stop her. But, she knows that’s possible through teammwork.

“It feels really nice to score when there are a lot of people on me,” she said. ‘But with the good team we have I know they’ll get me the ball or I’ll get the ball to them and we will score.”

It’s different for Hanrahan being a senior leader this year.

“It’s really different,” she said. “I’m not used to being one of the upperclassmen and having to be one of the bigger leaders out here.”

For Hanrahan to have a season like this has taken a lot of work.

“Definitely a lot of work and a lot of dedication,” she said.

Along with playing for Elmira the Express senior plays travel soccer for RNYFC, formerly Empire United Soccer Academy.

One of the things she has worked hard on is getting her shot off quick when teams key on her.

“When you have a lot of people on you, you have to get it off quick and I’ve sort of realized that as the season has gone on,” Hanrahan said.

Hanrahan is nearing 50 goals over the past three years, and she is hoping to continue playing in college next year.

“I have gotten some looks from some schools, trying to decide now and see how that goes,” she said.

For Hanrahan there is some challenge to playing a season, and also trying to decide your future at the same time.

“It’s definitely hard to juggle it, but if I just stay focused I can do it,” she said.

And, the success that Hanrahan, and her team, who won sectionals a year ago, has had is starting to draw the attention of college coaches.

“A lot of schools from around the area have been watching our team as a whole,” she said.

And, what they’ve seen this year has been a strong start, including a 3-0 opening game win over Maine-Endwell, a team that beat the Express a year ago by a goal.

“We definitely came out strong in that game, and we came out pretty strong in the Endicott game,” Hanrahan said.

The Express are 3-1 on the year, the one loss by a goal to Ithaca, and Hanrahan knows the good start just helps build confidence for everyone.

“I think we needed that confidence boost with all the young players coming in,” she said.

While Hanrahan has scored two goals a game this year, the team has only given up two goals this year, with three shutouts, and the Express senior feels like if she can score once or twice a night, they will win a lot of games.

“I definitely think so,” she said. “With as good of a defense as we have.”
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IN PHOTO: Elmira senior Emily Hanrahan. . . PHOTO BY BRIAN FEES.