ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's lacrosse team (8-3) won its fifth-straight game with a 12-11 decision over visiting William Smith (5-7) on Tuesday afternoon at Higgins Stadium.
After digging itself out of an early 4-1 deficit, Ithaca netted five of the final six goals of the first half to lead 6-5 at intermission. William Smith tied-up action, 6-6, to open the second, but three consecutive Bomber scores assured that Ithaca would never again trail. Two late goals brought the Herons within one at the 42-second mark, but Ithaca forced a turnover in the crease and returned to its offensive end to remain perfect on its home turf this season.
Junior
Nikki Dahl posted a career-high six-point performance with four goals and two assists. Junior
Tracy Rivas also netted four for the Bombers, while junior
Kaitlyn Hoffay tallied twice and
Kim Armbruster and
Racquel Lividini once.
Armbruster and senior
Siobhan Sullivan each collected four ground balls and
Sullivan forced a career-high four turnovers.
Junior
Jess Worthman improved to 8-2 on the season having made seven stops in cage for the Bombers.
Ithaca held a slight 27-24 advantage in shots and a 26-25 edge in ground balls, while the Herons won 15 draw controls to the Bombers' 10.
Worthman cleared a save to
Rivas who marched downfield and went right to goal to score the game's first, though William Smith rattled off four straight to power to a 4-1 lead at 17:08.
Dahl twice went unassisted, broken up by a
Rivas free position score, as the Bombers responded and knotted action at 4-4. William Smith claimed its final lead of the game at the eight-minute mark before
Lividini and
Armbruster each found the back of the net for a 6-5 Bomber advantage at the break.
The Herons brought the game to a 6-6 stalemate 46 seconds into the latter half, but
Hoffay,
Dahl and
Rivas went on to lift Ithaca to a 9-6 gap at 22:50. The teams thrice exchanged goals as Ithaca maintained its three-goal gap, but two late Heron scores threatened overtime. Ithaca held off a surging visiting team to claim the victory.
The Bombers return to action Saturday, April 21 at Elmira.
Box Score
