Box Score PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College football team forced five St. John Fisher turnovers and won 19-8 at Growney Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8. The Bombers clinched a share of the Empire 8 title, and earned the league's automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament. It is the second consecutive season that Ithaca has won the league and advanced to the NCAAs.

Ithaca is 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the Empire 8. St. John Fisher is 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Cardinals could earn a share of the Empire 8 title with a win next weekend against Alfred, but Ithaca holds the tiebreaker and automatic bid. The Bombers conclude the regular season Nov. 15 at Cortland, with kickoff at noon.
 
The teams traded field goals in the first half, with St. John Fisher converting twice and Ithaca's Max Rottenecker converting twice, from 37 and 50 yards out.
 
St. John Fisher went ahead 6-3 with 18 seconds left in the second quarter, but Ithaca worked quickly to tie the game before the half. A short kickoff was fielded by Chris Friedlander and returned to Ithaca's 43 with 13 seconds left on the clock. Dempsey connected on passes to Josh Oliver and Chris Bauer to move to Fisher's 33-yard line, and Rottenecker made a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to tie the score 6-6.
 
Fisher had the opening possession of the third quarter and moved to midfield before Ithaca forced its second turnover of the game. Anthony Domenick forced a fumble that was recovered by Sam Carney. Ithaca drove 52 yards in 10 plays and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Tom Dempsey, who scrambled free on a third-down passing play and raced inside of the left pylon.  The extra-point kick attempt was blocked by St. John Fisher and returned for a two-point defensive conversion.
 
The Cardinals drove into Ithaca territory on the ensuing drive and went for a fourth-down conversion pass that was deflected and intercepted by Noah Poskanzer at the 15-yard line and returned across midfield.
 
Ithaca made another fourth-down conversion stop in the opening minute of the fourth quarter to stop another drive as Marc Recio stepped up and stopped the running back for no gain on fourth-and-one.
 
Ithaca took over at its 34 yard line and moved 66 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. The drive was extended when St. John Fisher committed a pass interference penalty on third-and-15, and two plays later Vito Boffoli took a handoff in the backfield and passed to a wide-open Andrew Tabbert in the endzone for a 24-yard touchdown. Garrett Nicholson converted the extra point for a 19-8 Ithaca lead with 10:11 left to play.
 
Another Fisher drive ended in Ithaca territory when Ryan Michaels intercepted a pass at the 10-yard line with 8:18 left in the fourth. Ithaca used most of the clock on its next possession. A last-chance drive for the Cardinals ended when the Bombers intercepted a pass in the endzone to clinch the victory.
 
Ithaca ran for 45 yards in the game and quarterback Tom Dempsey completed 19 of 27 passes for 144 yards. Boffoli caught five passes and Chris Bauer and Josh Oliver had four catches each.
 
The Ithaca defense excelled on third- and fourth-down defense. St. John Fisher converted just six of 16 third-down attempts and was 0-for-2 on fourth down.
 
Marc Recio had 13 tackles and two pass break-ups to lead Ithaca. Anthony Domenick had 11 tackles and Malik Morris had 10 tackles. Morris had three pass break-ups. Poskanzer had two interceptions and a forced fumble with five tackles.
 
BOMBER NOTES
 
* St. John Fisher entered the game ranked 18th in the country in scoring offense, at 41.8 points per game, and was held to just two field goals and a defensive extra point. The Cardinals had committed just nine turnovers in their first eight games, before turning the ball over five times Saturday.
 
* It was the first time that St. John Fisher has been held without a touchdown since the 2008 season-opener at Mount Union. It was the first time that Fisher has been held without a touchdown at home since 1999 against Brockport.
 
* The 50-yard field goal at the end of the first half was the longest field goal of Rottenecker's career and tied the Ithaca College record for the longest field goal made, matching a 50-yarder by Matt Sullivan against Hobart in 1988.
 
* Ithaca regained the lead in the all-time series against St. John Fisher. In 17 all-time meetings, Ithaca holds a 9-8 lead.
 
Box Score and Play-by-Play (html)

ITHACA HIGHLIGHTS PACKAGE, Courtesy of Bombers Live -- (video via ICTV, audio via WICB Radio)


ST. JOHN FISHER HIGHLIGHTS PACKAGE