ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 19 Ithaca College women's lacrosse program got its 2017 season underway when it welcomed Skidmore College to a rain and wind-swept Higgins Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Battling inclement conditions and a motivated Thoroughbreds side gunning to make a statement on the opening weekend of the season, the Bombers prevailed in a 12-9 victory to get the year off on the right foot.
 
Although unseasonably warm temperatures and sunny skies made a premature visit to the Finger Lakes region during the majority of this past week, the conditions on Saturday took a sharp nose-dive. A steady deluge of stinging rain and falling temperatures made things difficult for both teams, leading to a combined 55 turnovers on the afternoon. However, when push came to shove, IC was able to outlast the visitors on the strength of a seven-goal barrage after halftime.
 
Fifth-year senior Ally Runyon paced IC with four goals, in the process passing JoAnn Binko '96 for ninth on the program's all-time points chart with 172 for her career. Sophomore Allison Panara registered a team-high five points on two goals and three helpers, while seniors Morgan Racicot (1G-2A) and Morgan Cadwell (2G-1A) collected three points apiece in helping Ithaca pull free down the stretch.
 
Following a trend set from last season, senior Emily Ross and junior Kimberly Presuto continued to split time in the cage for IC. Ross started the contest, allowing five goals and making four stops in the opening half. Presuto took over for the second session, allowing four goals and also making four saves in securing the victory.
 
The Thoroughbreds got off to a quick start on the scoreboard, as talented attacker Cas Szwajkowski launched a shot just past the outstretched basket of Ithaca's Ross to grab an early 1-0 lead. Szwajkowski was a thorn in the Bombers' side throughout the afternoon, scoring six of the visitor's nine goals on the day.
 
Runyon answered for Ithaca just under three minutes later, showing no rust in her game despite seeing her first competitive action in over a year after missing all of last season. Working a nice interchange play with Racicot, Runyon lasered a shot into the twine to equalize the score.
 
Although the visitors briefly snatched back the lead on a Szwajkowski tally, IC bested the Skidmore keeper for a pair of goals to take its first lead of the contest. Sophomore Danika Wagener leveled the score at two-all with a nice inside power move to the goal with 22:38 left in half, while freshman Bailey Herr finished off a great pass from Wagener at the X to the front of the net to score her first collegiate goal.
 
Ithaca opened up a 5-3 lead with 9:15 remaining in the opening half. First, Racicot fired home her first goal of the year after receiving an expert pass from Panara. Shortly thereafter, Cadwell, who scored 23 times off of free positions a year ago, notched her first of the year off the reset to lift IC to the two-goal advantage. However, that lead would evaporate before the break, as Szwajkowski netted a pair, with the final one coming with just six seconds left in the half.
 
The team's continued to trade blows throughout the opening portions of the second stanza, but a three-goal run by the home side over a 1:45 span with just over 16-minutes left to play proved to be the difference.
 
Senior Gaby Berne snapped an 8-8 deadlock when she found herself on the other end of another clinical pass from Panara. Drawing two defenders, Panara spotted Berne at the far post and whipped a pass that eluded the outstretched sticks of the oncoming Thoroughbreds. One-on-one with the keeper, Berne launched a low shot that tickled the twine.
 
Panara took it upon herself to widen the lead 1:04 later. Working on the fast-break, Cadwell sprung a streaking Panara who used her speed to blow past her cover. On the run, she rocketed a top-shelf shot into the upper netting. Runyon capped the run on the ensuing IC possession, converting on a nice one-two passing play with Racicot.
 
The lead proved more than enough for IC to handle, as the Bombers defense locked-in down the stretch. Ithaca limited the Thoroughbreds to just one goal over the final 17:17 of the game to make the lead stand up. Ithaca had 11 players cause a turnover on the afternoon, led by senior midfielder Olivia Oppenheim's five forced Skidmore miscues. Junior defender Molly Long and sophomore middie Erin McGee and second-year defender Reid Simoncini finished with three caused turnovers apiece.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Saturday, March 4, when it hits the road for the first time in 2017. IC will travel to the North Country to take on St. Lawrence in a 1:00 p.m. battle against the Saints.