Houghton, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's soccer team earned an important conference win on Saturday as the Bombers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, beating Houghton College, 2-0, at Burke Field.
Ithaca's win, which snapped a three-game losing streak, moved the Bombers into sole possession of first place in the Empire 8 standings with a 3-1-0 mark while Houghton slips to 2-1-1.
Sam Boylan staked the visiting Bombers to an early 1-0 lead in just the 10th minute after capitalizing on a penalty kick opportunity. Six minutes later, Ithaca struck again when
Brandon Thompson doubled Ithaca's lead to 2-0 after beating the Houghton defense on the right side of the box before going five-hole for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Matt Bukowski was credited with an assist on the play.
Houghton would turn up the intensity in the second half, but junior goalie
Zach Jacobsen answered the call, holding the Highlanders scoreless after making five saves. Jacobsen earned his third win of the season on the day and recorded his second shutout in a Bombers' uniform.
As a team, Ithaca's offense was firing on all cylinders, taking 17 shots including nine on net.
The Bombers (3-7-1) will look to extend their lead in the Empire 8 standings at 12 p.m. on Saturday against conference foe Nazareth College in Rochester.
