ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked Ithaca College women's soccer team will continue postseason play at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday when the No. 19 Bombers take on Catholic University in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship in Swarthmore, Pa.

Those unable to make the trip can still cheer on the Bombers by following the game through the links below:

Live Stats     |     Live Video     |     Twitter Updates

Check out some game notes to catch you up to speed before kickoff.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Ithaca earned one of 20 at-large bids into this year's field of 64 after playing to a 13-4-2 overall record.  The Bombers enjoyed a 12-game unbeaten streak at one point this season with two wins coming against nationally-ranked opponents.  The Cardinals enter with 16 wins against only two losses and earned their way into the tournament after winning the Landmark Conference title for the second straight season.  Catholic enters its first round matchup riding an 11-game winning streak. 

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Playing a strong schedule during the regular season can pay dividends in the postseason.  Ithaca had a grueling out-of-conference schedule that included four teams playing in this year's tournament (Rowan, Williams Smith, SUNY Oneonta and Misericordia).  The Bombers also squared off with six opponents that were ranked in the nation's top-25.  The Cardinals, on the other hand, have only faced one team in this year's field and faced one opponent that cracked the NSCAA top-25.

POSTSEASON PROWESS: Head coach Mindy Quigg and the Ithaca College Bombers are no strangers to postseason play.  Ithaca has now played in 26 NCAA Championships including 13 straight appearances in The Dance.  The program's four-straight trips to the NCAA semifinals from 1988 through 1991 were highlighted by consecutive national titles in 1990 and 1991. The Bombers reached the quarterfinals in 2013, reaching the Elite 8 after defeating Penn State-Behrend (3-0), Rowan (1-0) and Messiah (1-0 OT).  The Cardinals will be making their fourth tournament appearance and second in a row on Saturday.

DEFENSE STANDS FIRM: Both teams boast strong defensive units entering the weekend.  The Bombers ranked second in the Empire 8 after allowing 0.74 goals per contest while the Cardinals played to a 1.04 goals against average.  Ithaca's backline ranked 53rd overall in the nation while Catholic ranked 127th out of 431 teams.

DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY BUT…: Both Ithaca and Catholic are downright offensive.  Both are capable of putting the ball into the back of the net.  Ithaca features three players that have tallied 10 points or more on the season while the Cardinals claim six to have accomplished that feat.  Catholic ranks 22nd overall in scoring offense while Ithaca scores a shade over two goals per contest.

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE: Goaltending often plays a huge role in determining who wins and who loses.  Both goalies featured in Saturday's lineup have done a lot of winning over their respective careers.  Ithaca keeper, Beth Coppolecchia, enters the weekend having won 13 games this season and 47 in her four-year career.  Catholic goalie, Lexi Halperin posted 16 wins this season and has accumulated 41 wins in her illustrious career.  For Ithaca, Coppolecchia has proven year-in and year-out that she is one of the top goalminders in the nation.  The Katonah native stood among the best goalies in the conference, ranking second in goals against average (.731), save percentage (.889) and total saves (112).  Her seven shutouts this season was tied for the most of any conference keeper.

LOOKING AHEAD:  Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but the winner of Saturday's game will face the winner of Swarthmore and St. Joseph's (Long Island) at 5 p.m. on Sunday.  Dating back to 2004, IC has not played either team at any point.

POSTSEASON PRAISE: Heading into the NCAA Championship, Ithaca boasts eight players that were honored by the Empire 8 Conference for their outstanding play this season.  Aimee Chimera was named the conference's Defensive Player of the year while Kelsey King, Beth Coppolecchia and Holly Niemiec were each named First-Team All-Conference.  Lindsey Parkins was named Second-Team.  Taylor Baranowsky, Megan Nash and Jess Demczar were each given an Honorable Mention. 
     
ITHACA's LEADERS:  King has been Ithaca's most dominant offensive weapon all season as the senior midfielder leads the team with 24 points, 10 goals and 83 shots.  Niemiec ranks second on the team with 18 points while Sarah Woychick tallied 10 points on the year.  Woychick has also come through in the clutch time and time again this season, notching four game-winning goals.  To date, the Bombers have had 11 different players record a goal during the 2015 campaign.   

CATHOLIC'S LEADERS: The Cardinals feature a strong 1-2 punch in Lindsay Aleman and Kristen Wosleger who have combined to post 64 points on the season.  Aleman leads the team and ranks 17th in the country with 21 goals overall.  Catholic has also received strong contributions from freshman Taylor Pisk (15 points) while sophomores Andrea Jablonski and Nia Gomez have tallied 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Tweet #ICVictory