Game Info
Ithaca (2-2, 1-0 Empire 8) at Stevens (3-2, 1-0 Empire 8)
Saturday, September 17, 2016 | 1:00 P.M.
De Baun Athletic Complex – Hoboken, N.J.
 
Game Coverage
Live Stats | Video Stream
 
Last Time Out
The Ithaca College field hockey team improved its record to 2-2, capping its two-game opening homestand with a 4-1 victory over SUNY Oneonta on Tuesday afternoon. The Bombers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Lauren Delia five minutes into the contest. IC went on to score three goals after halftime to pull away from the Red Dragons for the team's second consecutive victory.
 
Keegan-Twombly Stays Hot
Senior forward, Colleen Keegan-Twombly, found her name all over the stat sheet for a second consecutive game, posting a fantastic effort against SUNY Oneonta. She assisted on Ithaca's first and third goals, while she iced the game with a tally of her own with just under five minutes to play. The Kingston, N.Y., product completed the two-game homestand with nine points, as she marked a two goal and one assist effort against Utica in the team's home opener last Saturday. She enters the weekend ranked second in the conference with 11 points on four goals and three assists.
 
Delia Tallies Two
Senior striker, Lauren Delia, got on the scoring sheet for the first time in 2016 in the Bombers' last contest. She scored the team's opening goal just over five minutes into the game, finishing off a beautiful two-on-one play with Keegan-Twombly. She added a goal just one minute into the second half to extend IC's lead. The two-goal effort was Delia's fourth of her career.
 
Second Half Success
One thing that has been Ithaca's hallmark during the early portion of this season has been the team's depth, which has allowed head coach, Tracey Houk, to employ a steady rotation of players to keep the unit on the field energized. The benefits of this rotation has shown itself immensely in the second half of games. In the team's last two victories, Ithaca has outscored its opponents 6-1 after halftime. On the year, Ithaca holds a 7-5 advantage in goals for/against in the second half, compared with a 1-3 mark in the first half of contests.
 
Scouting Stevens
The Ducks enter the weekend with a 3-2 overall record and 1-0 mark in Empire 8 contests. It is quite possible that Saturday's contest will be an early-season preview of a potential conference tournament matchup, as both teams met in the Empire 8 Championship a season ago. Stevens has gotten off to a solid start to the season, sandwiching three convincing victories with a pair of losses to top-10 ranked opponents to begin the season. Katti Thomasian and Cassidy O'Hearn pace the attack with three goals and two assists apiece, while Nolie Prouty has added two goals and two assists. Emily Stukenborg has been the team's primary goalkeeper, posting a 2.31 goals-against average and a .745 save percentage.
 
Looking Ahead
Ithaca returns home for a mid-week Empire 8 showdown when Houghton invades Higgins Stadium for a 4:00 p.m. tilt on Wednesday, September 21.