Rochester, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Ithaca men's lacrosse team is making its eighth straight appearance in the Empire 8 tournament and will play at top-seeded and second ranked Rochester Institute of Technology in a semifinal game Friday at 4 p.m. Ithaca holds a 29-18 all-time series advantage over the Tigers, including a 14-8 edge playing on RIT's turf. The Tigers are 2-1 in Empire 8 play against the Bombers. Live Stats will be available during the game.

Ithaca, who has claimed a pair of Empire 8 crowns, defeated RIT 12-9 in the 2008 final, while falling to the Tigers 11-8 in the 2006 title game and 9-6 in the 2010 championship.

Ithaca won three of its last four regular-season games to qualify for the playoffs and finished the Empire 8 season with a 5-3 record. The Bombers have had a winning record in the league all 10 years that the Empire 8 has existed.

The Tigers are ranked second in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division III Poll with a flawless 15-0 record, and were 8-0 in the Empire 8. RIT won the regular-season match-up with the Bombers, 11-9, on April 9.

Ithaca had six players receive year-end honors from the Empire 8 announced by the league office on Thursday. Senior David Gal (Loomis Chafee (Conn.)/Amherst, Mass.), a three-time Empire 8 selection, led the way for the Bombers earning Empire 8 first-team accolades.

Junior Tom Mongelli (Kinnelon/Kinnelon, N.J.) and senior Michael Silipo (Williston Northampton/Deerfield, Mass.) tallied second-team recognition, while senior Jay Lucas (Fox Lane/Bedford Hills), junior Brian DiBetta (John Jay/Katonah) and sophomore Adam Wacenske (Gates-Chili/Rochester) received honorable mention to the all-conference team.

Friday's winner will advance to Sunday's league championship game, which will be held at noon at the highest remaining seed. The other semifinal match is being played at second-seeded Stevens against third-seeded Nazareth.