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Here are some game notes to bring you up to speed before championship weekend.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Bombers clinched the top overall seed in this year's four-team tournament with a 1-0 shutout win over Alfred on the final day of the season.  With the win, Ithaca also earned the right to host this year's championship for the first time since the 2008 season.  Entering Friday's semifinal, Ithaca's 3-3-1 record at home isn't quite indicative of how well it has played at Carp Wood Field.  Ithaca has managed 11 goals at home compared to only eight goals on the road. 

FAMILIAR FOES: Having played each of these team once this season, Ithaca is very familiar with the field.  The Bombers boast a 2-1 mark against the other three participants in this year's tournament after defeating Houghton, 2-0, and Elmira, 2-1.  The Bombers fell to Stevens, 1-0, after the Ducks were able to notch the game-winning goal as time expired.  Dating back to 2004, Ithaca has compiled a 12-15-2 record against the three other teams vying for this year's conference crown.  

THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE: Obviously being good offensively helps your cause, but if you can't stop the other team from putting the ball into the back of the net, you don't stand a good chance of winning.  Ithaca's defense has answered the call time and time again, allowing only 19 goals all season, which is second-fewest in the conference.  Junior goalie Zach Jacobsen isn't making it easy on opposing front lines either as the Frederick, Md. native ranks third among all conference keepers with a 1.205 goals against average.  Jacobsen's five shutouts led the conference while his 86 saves were more than any other goalie in the Empire 8 this season. 

INSIDE THE STREAK: Entering the weekend, Ithaca has been on a tear.  The Bombers have not lost a game in nearly a month, having won five of their last six games.  Ithaca settled for a scoreless draw against nationally-ranked Skidmore on October 18.  During the Bombers' six-game unbeaten streak, Ithaca has outscored its opponents 9-1 with all five wins coming in shutout fashion.  Ithaca is receiving contributions from multiple sources as well with seven different players scoring a goal in its last six games.  Brandon Thompson leads the way with three goals during the streak while Sam Boylan, Ellis Masterman, Jordan Filipowich, Andrew Coburn, Cody Kiss and Blair Carney have each notched one goal.

WHAT'S ON THE LINE: Aside from bragging rights and the hoisting the conference's championship plaque, each team wants to earn the Empire 8's coveted automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.  Ithaca last played in the tournament during the 2008 campaign after earning an at-large bid.  The Bombers have not won the conference title outright since 2002, but did share the title in 2012.  Entering the weekend, Stevens has claimed the last eight conference championships.  Elmira and Houghton have never won the tournament.

SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks boasted the best overall record in the conference at 13-3-2 but were tabbed as the second seed after falling a half game behind Ithaca in Empire 8 play for the conference's top spot.  Stevens features a high-powered attack with four players having scored double-digits in points.  The Ducks are led by Colin Phillips' 35 points (14 goals, seven assists) and Carson Pryor's 29 points (14 goals, one assist).  The duo ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the conference in scoring.  Stevens' goalie, Mike Renna, earned 12 wins in net for the Ducks this season including five by way of shutout.  Renna's .988 goals against average was second-best among all Empire 8 keepers.  The Ducks posted a 1-0-2 record against this year's field with their lone win coming against Ithaca.  Stevens enters the tournament having gone 2-2-0 in its last four matches.

SCOUTING HOUGHTON: The Highlanders earned the tournament's third seed after posting a 4-2-1 record against Empire 8 competition and a 9-6-2 mark overall.  Houghton features a strong defense led by Jacob Dunnett who ranked fourth among all Empire 8 goalies in goals against average (1.302) and sixth in save percentage (.713) while his three shutouts was third-most.  Offensively, the Highlanders have four players who have notched double-figure point totals including Ben Lawrence (18 points), Andrew Bussey (12 points), Jordan Mullen (12 points) and Mitch Beattie (10 points).  Houghton claimed a 0-2-1 record against this year's field, however, the Highlanders are riding a three-game winning streak entering the weekend.

SCOUTING ELMIRA: Elmira brings a 7-6-4 overall record into the Empire 8 Championship along with a 3-1-3 mark in conference competition.  The Soaring Eagles posted more ties than any other conference school this season including draws against Stevens, Alfred and Nazareth.  Elmira ranks third in the conference in scoring average at 1.88 goals per contest while its defense ranks fourth after allowing 1.88 goals per game this season.  The Soaring Eagles are led by Michael Bryant's 39 points on 18 goals and three helpers.  Bryant's 39 points and 18 goals led the conference this season while his 83 shots was second-most by any conference player.  In goal, Elmira features Austin Mansell who ranked third in the conference in save percentage (.763) and fifth in goals against average (1.36).  Mansell posted five wins this season including one shutout while fellow keeper Kevin Huggins added two wins of his own in eight appearances.