TOURNAMENT PAGE

ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked Ithaca College women's soccer team will go for its fourth consecutive Empire 8 title and 11th overall beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday when the second-seeded Bombers take on the third-seeded Nazareth College Golden Flyers in the semifinal round of the 2015 Empire 8 Championship in Hoboken, N.J.  Top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology will host fourth-seeded Houghton in the afternoon's other semifinal.  The winner of each game will advance to Saturday's championship with a trip to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship up for grabs.

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PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME: Having momentum on your side is often a good thing, especially heading into postseason play.  Since losing back-to-back games early in the season, the Bombers have been on fire.  Entering the weekend, the Bombers boast an 11-game unbeaten streak in which they have outscored their opponents 22-2 and posted eight shutouts.  The streak began on September 23 with head coach Mindy Quigg's 300th career win and includes victories over two nationally-ranked programs including R.I.T. and Misericordia. 

CLIMBING THE POLLS: After falling out of the nation's 25 following three early season losses, the Bombers reappeared among the country's elite in the sixth poll of the season after being ranked 25th.   Since then, Ithaca has climbed five spots to its current No. 20 ranking.  Regionally, Ithaca's unbeaten streak has positioned the Bombers third in the poll behind William Smith and Stevens.  The Ducks enter the weekend tournament as the No. 14 team in the latest NSCAA poll.  
OLD RELIABLE: Senior goalie Beth Coppolecchia has been in this situation before, having started three Empire 8 Championships in her four-year career.  The Katonah native has posted 12 wins this season including seven by way of shutout.  Coppolecchia ranked among the top keepers in the Empire 8 this season.  Her .641 goals against average and .895 save percentage ranked second in the conference while her 94 saves were second-most.  For her career, Coppolecchia will go down as one of the best goalies in program history.  Her 28 shutouts to date ranks fifth all-time while her 46 wins are second-most in program history.  Coppolecchia has amassed 262 saves in her career and ranks in the top-ten in goals against average and save percentage.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS:  Being able to play under pressure and in a big moment can be the difference between winning and losing.  Experience could play a big role in the outcome of this weekend's championship.  The Bombers boast 19 returners all of whom have won at least one Empire 8 title.

DEFENSE CREATES OFFENSE: The Bombers' back line of Lindsey Parkins, Kendall Cirella, Aimee Chimera and Caroline Matos has shown a knack for limiting opportunities for opposing offenses.  Ithaca's defense has surrendered only 11 goals all season, which is the second fewest in the Empire 8.  One reason for their success is their ability to find Ithaca's front line which often possesses the ball for a majority of each game this season and ranks second in the conference at 2.12 goals per game.  Kelsey King leads the team with 22 points (nine goals, four assists) while Holly Niemiec and Sarah Woychick have added 16 and 10 points, respectively.    

SCOUTING STEVENS: Stevens enters the four-team tournament holding the top overall seed as the Ducks played to a 14-3-1 overall record and a 7-0-1 record in conference play.  Stevens, which is ranked 14th in the nation, led the Empire 8 in goals scored with 70 while its 388 shots were far and away the most taken by any conference school this season.  The Ducks feature a three-headed attack with Rabba Nassif, Zisi Komar and Kristen Goncalves leading the way with 112 combined points.  Nassif led the conference and ranked among the nation's best with 45 points (15 goals, 15 assists) while Komar was close behind with 39 points.  Goncalves had 28 points overall for the Ducks.  Stevens posted a 2-0-1 record against this year's field with a 1-1 tie coming against Ithaca.  The Ducks have won 10 of their last 11 games entering their semifinal pairing with Houghton including a 4-0 win over No. 7 The College of New Jersey.

SCOUTING NAZARETH: The Golden Flyers earned the tournament's third seed after playing to a 12-2-3 record overall and a 5-1-2 mark against conference schools.  Nazareth features two players that scored in double-digits including Briana Vibbard (19 points) and Laura Herman (10 points), however, its real strength is in its defense.  The Golden Flyers surrendered only nine goals all season, which was the fewest among any Empire 8 team, thanks in large part to goalie Allison Dobles.  Dobles led the conference in goals against average (.526), save percentage (.918), shutouts (seven) and ranked third with 89 saves.  Nazareth went 0-1-2 against this year's field with ties coming against Ithaca and Houghton.  The Golden Flyers, which earned a share of the conference title last year, will be vying for their 11th conference crown overall.

SCOUTING HOUGHTON: The Highlanders secured the tournament's fourth and final seed after recording a 10-5-2 overall mark including a 4-2-2 record in conference play.  Houghton also boasts a talented back line that allowed the third-fewest goals of any Empire 8 school this season (14).  Like Nazareth, Houghton claims two players that have reached double-digit point totals led by Sarah Gabriele's 18 points on seven goals and four assists.  Bailey Shattell contributed 16 points on the season.   In goal, the Highlanders look to Shawna Sprout who started all 17 games this season.  Sprout posted 10 wins in goal and was tied for the conference lead with seven shutouts.  Her .818 save percentage and .800 goals against average ranked third in the Empire 8.  Houghton, which has never won the Empire 8 Championship, is riding a seven game unbeaten streak entering the weekend.