ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team continued its extremely difficult stretch of competition on Friday afternoon when it welcomed 19^th-ranked University of Rochester to Higgins Stadium. Unfortunately, the Bombers were again held off the scoreboard in its second straight contest against a nationally-ranked foe, falling to the Yellowjackets 4-0. The loss drops Ithaca to 6-6 on the year and 1-3 in Liberty League play.
 
IC has struggled to get offense generated during its most recent stretch, which has been extremely difficult. The Bombers entered the day looking to snap a scoreless streak that spanned the two previous contests against perennial SUNYAC challenger SUNY Cortland and Liberty League front-runner then 12^th-ranked Skidmore. The road didn't get any easier on Friday, as Rochester entered the day ranked the second stingiest defense in the Liberty League.
 
The opening 10 minutes were played quite competitively with both teams making incursions into the attacking zone. It was Ithaca that actually got the first scoring chance of the game. Just four minutes into the game, IC made a quick charge down the right flank of the attacking zone. Senior midfielder Amanda Schell made an excellent move to slide past her defender on the backhand, making a bee-line to the high slot. Despite two oncoming defenders closing the gap, she loaded up a hard backhand shot that was parried away by the blocker of Rochester keeper Gabrielle Cantley.
 
Sadly, that was the last shot on goal that Ithaca would have in the contest, as the Yellowjackets began to assume territorial control as the first half pushed on in the latter stages. The visitors held an 18-to-3 shot advantage in the game, holding Ithaca to just a single shot attempt after halftime.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Savanna Lenker did her best to turn away the Rochester attack, while the Bomber defense played much stingier than the final score may have indicated. IC held one of the top attacking units in the League to just 18 total attempts at target and seven total penalty corners in the game, but the Yellowjackets did well to maximize their looks.
 
Rochester broke through in the 12^th-minute when Claire Dickerson scored her first of two goals in the half. Lenker did well to deny the initial shot by Colleen Maillie off a penalty insert; however, the rebound kicked back out to Dickerson in the slot. Rochester's leading striker swiped it home on the rebound from five-yards out to make the score 1-0.
 
The two sides played to a stalemate over the next 15 minutes of action, before the Yellowjackets tacked on another. Reserve player Lauren Sharpe started the play, sending a pass across the scoring arc through a maze of sticks. Dickerson corralled the pass with some nifty stickwork on the backhand and chipped a shot just over the outstretched pad of Lenker and into the right corner of the cage.
 
Olivia Denny was the scorer of both Rochester tallies after the break. She finished off a highlight-reel penalty corner play in the 47^th-minute, as Catherine Hauser deflected a shot-pass by Colleen Maillie out of midair to the far post, which Denny swatted out of the air and into the cage. Denny added her second of the game on a rebound score with 7:35 left in regulation.
 
Lenker finished with six saves in the contest, turning over the cage to freshman Ariyahna Bernard for the final 7:35 of action. Bernard made two saves in her relief appearance to set a new best during her rookie year.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Sunday, October 15, when they hit the road to face another perennial Liberty League power in William Smith. Start time for the match is 1:00 p.m. in Geneva, N.Y.