UTICA, N.Y. – The 12^th-ranked Ithaca College women's lacrosse team remained undefeated in Empire 8 play on Wednesday afternoon, besting Utica in a 17-6 whitewashing at Gaetano Stadium in Utica, N.Y. The win improves IC's record to 5-0 in Empire 8 play with three conference games remaining.
 
The Bombers were paced by a huge offensive performance from sophomore attacker Allie Panara who had a game for the ages against the Pioneers. The second-year attacker posted a career-high and second-best for an Ithaca player with 10 points in the game, blitzing Utica for six goals and adding on four assists.
 
Senior Morgan Racicot and freshman Bailey Herr each posted four-point games in the dominant win. Herr finished with two goals and two assists, while Racicot chipped in one goal and dished out three helpers. With the performance she moved into seventh on the team's all-time list with 64 career assists, passing Jenna Gruben '99.
 
Senior attacker Ally Runyon continued her push towards becoming the first IC player to record 200 goals in a career. She fired home three goals to notch her 10^th hat trick of the season, adding on to her program-leading goal tally with 189 career scores.
 
Sophomore Danika Wagener also stayed red-hot, posting three points on one goal and two assists. Senior Morgan Cadwell added two goals in the game, her sixth multi-goal effort of the year. Senior Taylor Brady and freshman Katie Welch added one goal apiece. It was the first goal of the season for Brady, who also marked a caused turnover and two ground-balls in the game.
 
Defensively, the Bombers were led by junior Molly Long and freshman Becky Mehorter, who both notched a pair of caused turnovers. Mehorter picked up four ground-balls, while Long finished with three grounders.
 
Junior Kimberly Presuto picked up her eighth win of the season on Wednesday, making three saves as Ithaca opened up a large lead during the opening half. Senior Emily Ross took over following halftime, making six saves and also adding a pair of caused turnovers in an excellent performance off the bench.
 
IC raced out to an early 3-0 advantage in the first 3:09 of game action. Panara broke the ice 53-seconds into the game, while Runyon sent home her conference-leading 45^th of the year just 1:21 later. Panara capped the early three-goal spurt 55-seconds after Runyon with her second of the game.
 
After Utica answered with a pair of tallies on scores by Katlyn Scarpinella and Rebecca Plunkett 52-seconds apart to cut the deficit, IC blew open the game with a huge 8-0 scoring run during the middle 10-minutes of the half. Panara scored twice and added an assist during the run. Herr also netted both of her goals, while Cadwell, Runyon and Wagener each netted a single score during the stretch.
 
Welch ensured IC would take a nine-goal lead to the break. She scored her second of the season to make the score 12-3 heading into halftime.
 
The scores kept coming during the second half. Cadwell locked in the running-clock, giving IC a 10-goal advantage 35-seconds into the second frame. Runyon made it 14-3 just 2:40 later to notch her hat trick.
 
Panara finished off her big day with back-to-back goals with 19:56 and 16:56 to go in the contest. Brady finished off the goal scoring for IC with 6:31 remaining.
 
Ithaca returns home this Saturday, April 15, when it battles Nazareth College in another Empire 8 contest. Opening draw is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.