HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Ithaca College men's soccer team will start its Empire 8 playoff run on Friday, Nov. 7 with a neutral site semifinal game against the Utica Pioneers at 4 p.m. Stevens, the top seed and host, will play Alfred in the other semifinal match at 1 p.m.

The second-seeded Bombers finished the year with an overall record of 5-7-3, including a mark of 5-1-1 in Empire 8 play. Ithaca is undefeated in its last five conference games, going 4-0-1 in that span. Utica, the third seed, finished the season with a record of 7-8-3, with a mark of 4-3-0 in the conference.

The Bombers rank sixth in the Empire 8 in both scoring average (1.07) and opponent scoring average (1.53). Sophomore Sean Forward ranks eighth in the conference with 11 points, coming on five goals and one assist. He ranks fifth overall with a 1.00 point-per-game average. Goalkeeper Jordan Gentile ranks fourth in the E8 in goals-against-average (1.49) and seventh in total saves (65). Gentile also ranks fifth with three shutouts on the year.

In their last meeting, Ithaca defeated Utica on the road, shutting out the Pioneers by a score of 1-0 at Gaetano Stadium on the campus of Utica College. Sean Forward scored the lone goal for Ithaca, while junior Joseph Dobbins and sophomore Sam Boylan each recorded three shots on goal. Gentile stopped all seven shots he faced for his first shutout of 2014. Ithaca outshot the Pioneers 18-13, and recorded 11 shots on goal to Utica's seven. Ithaca also dominated in corner kicks, earning 11 to the Pioneers' three.

Ithaca has won three Empire 8 championships since 1999. The Bombers most recently played to a 0-0 draw against Stevens in the 2012 Empire 8 championship game. The tie earned the Bombers co-champion honors and marked the program's first conference title since 2002.

The winner of the conference playoff will earn automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship later this month.



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