West Palm Beach, Fla.—Ithaca dropped its first game of the season Tuesday evening, falling 14-13 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2-0) at Lake Lytal Park. Sophomore Katie Hurley (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Honeoye Falls) scored four goals for the Bombers (1-1), with senior Becky Bedard (East Longmeadow/East Longmeadow, Mass.) adding three goals and a game-high three assists.

After seeing an 11-5 lead turn into a 13-12 deficit, Ithaca tied the score on a goal from sophomore Ali DeCirce (Binghamton/Binghamton) with eight minutes to play in the game. The Red Hawks soon reclaimed the lead, however, notching the game winning tally with under four minutes to play. The Bombers came up short in the final minutes, getting just one shot in their attempt to reties the score.

Ithaca took early control of the game, with Hurley scoring the game's first three goals. Bedard scored her second goal of the game in the final minutes of the half to give the Bombers a 6-3 lead entering halftime.

In the second half, Ithaca scored five of the first seven goals, including back-to-back free position goals from freshman Nicole Borisenok (Albany Academy for Girls/Watervliet) and Kassie Garfield (The Wheeler School/Cuttyhunk Island, Mass.).

Five straight RPI goals cut the lead to one before a score by junior Sarah Cox (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Honeoye Falls) extended the Ithaca lead to 12-10 with 12 and half minutes left to play. Another string of Red Hawk goals, this one of three straight, sparked the 4-1 run that closed the game for RPI.

Bedard led the Bombers with three ground balls and three caused turnovers, as well as in points and assists. Borisenok and Garfield each notched a pair of goals.

In the net, junior goalie Courtney Dowell (Massapequa/Massapequa) made 10 saves.

The Bombers will remain in West Palm Beach for an 11:30 a.m. matchup with Vassar Friday.

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