ITHACA, N.Y.  — Sophomore Kaelan Fitzpatrick scored a career-high six goals and classmate Jake Cotton handed out a career-high six assists to lead the nationally-ranked Ithaca College men's lacrosse team to an 18-4 win over Utica College Saturday afternoon at Higgins Stadium.

Sophomore David Drozjock added three goals, senior Michael Walker tallied one goal with two assists, and junior Jack Shumway scored twice as No. 19 Ithaca (7-1, 1-0 Empire 8) notched its fifth straight win and claimed its Empire 8 opener.

The Bombers, who have scored 15 or more goals in seven of eight games, entered Saturday's contest ranked third nationally in scoring offense (16.38) while ranking third in scoring defense (4.38 goals per game).

Junior Grant Osadchey won 65 percent of his faceoffs (13 of 20) and scooped up six groundballs, Cotton added four groundballs, freshman Brendan King had two assists, and classmate Aaron Sanchez had three groundballs with two caused turnovers for IC.

Senior All-American defender Eli Gobrecht caused four turnovers, while senior Scott Sidnam, the reigning Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year, made 11 saves and allowed only one goal in 45 minutes in net. Sidnam currently leads all of Division III in goals-against average (3.97), and ranks in the top 10 in the nation in saves percentage (.691).

Taking on the Pioneers (1-6, 0-1), Ithaca enjoyed a 58-22 edge in shots while forcing Utica into 27 turnovers in winning for the 10th time in the last 11 meetings.

The Bombers scored the first five goals in a span of 9:59 to open the contest. Drozjock's man-up goal off a feed from Walker opened the scoring 3:51 into the game, then nine seconds later King fed Drozjock for a quick 2-0 lead.

Gobrecht caused a turnover and added his fourth goal of the year one minute later for a three-goal cushion, and Fitzpatrick and sophomore Stephen Morrell added goals for a 5-0 Ithaca lead. 

Utica got on the scoreboard with 3:51 remaining in the opening stanza, but the Bomber defense would clamp down and hold the Pioneers scoreless for the next 35:01 spanning the first, second, third, and fourth quarters.

Fitzpatrick scored three times while Drozjock and Shumway added goals as Ithaca took a 10-1 lead into halftime.

The Bombers attack kept at it in the third, outscoring Utica 7-0 behind two goals from Fitzpatrick, a goal from Walker and Shumway, plus tallies from freshmen Josh Della Puca, Brendan Lao, and Will Witter.

Ithaca welcomes rival SUNY Cortland to Higgins Stadium for a 7 p.m. non-conference clash Wednesday night. The game will serve as a Shed the Red contest, with students encouraged to donate a red item of clothing to the Ithaca Rescue Misson. 

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