ITHACA, N.Y. – The 10^th-ranked Ithaca College men's lacrosse team got back in the win column on Saturday afternoon when it welcomed Alfred University for the third game of the Bombers' five-game homestand to conclude the regular season. IC put up a season-high 20 goals in a 20-9 rout of the Saxons, improving to 5-1 in Empire 8 play heading into the final week of the regular season.
 
Both the Bombers and Saxons pledged this game as their USILA HEADstrong Foundation awareness game. The two sides donned commerative shoelaces and other uniform accessories to promote the foundation, which has raised more than $9.1 million dollars to cancer research since its founding by the late Hofstra University lacrosse player Nicholas Collelouri in 2005. Once play got underway it was Ithaca held the upper-hand throughout the majority of the contest. IC strung together eight-goal and seven-goal scoring runs to swiftly pull away from the Saxons.
 
Senior Jack Shumway and sophomore Josh Della Puca each finished with five points to lead the Bombers on the afternoon. Shumway netted three goals and chipped in two assists, while all five of Della Puca's points came on goals, which set a season high for the talented second year attacker.
 
Junior Jake Cotton and sophomore Will Witter both posted three-point efforts on the day. Cotton scored twice and added his 110^th career assist, moving within 10 of tying the program record. Witter finished with a hat trick, his fifth of the season and third over the past four contests. Fellow third-year Greg Drillock also marked three points, scoring once and adding two assists.
 
Juniors Stephen Morrell and Steven Landspurg each finished with two points. Both scored one goal and added one assist. The scoring tally for Landspurg marked his first of the season. Senior John Januszkiewicz and junior Kaelan Fitzpatrick also posted two-point efforts. Januszkiewicz netted two goals, while Fitzpatrick dished out a pair of helpers.
 
Freshman Matt Montgomery and sophomore Brendan King both added goals for IC. Owen Smith, Conner Crosson, Winston Wenham and Grant Osadchey rounded out the point scoring for Ithaca, each recording a lone assist in the game. Osadchey also had a great bounce-back game in the faceoff circle, finishing 12-for-15 in faceoff wins.
 
Senior goalie Justin Isaacs got the start in the Ithaca cage and performed solidly in taking over for usual starter Jack Deragon who was not available on Saturday. He made seven saves and allowed just five goals in 45 minutes of action, before turning over the net for the fourth quarter. Freshman Robby Atwood made four saves in 7:50 of game action, while sophomore Davis Bird stopped two shots in the final 7:10 of the contest. Isaacs picked up the victory, which was his first of the 2017 season.
 
Although the Saxons got on the board first when Derek Bishopp fired home his first of three goals on the afternoon 1:32 into the game, Ithaca dominated the opening period. IC outscored Alfred 6-1 in the frame, while it went on to score eight straight following the opening tally by the visitors to take firm control of the contest.
 
After Januszkiewicz tied the game with 11:11 to go in the first, Cotton scored goals 40-seconds apart to lift Ithaca into a lead it would not relinquish for the duration. Landspurg scored off the rush with 4:28 left in the frame, while Shumway and Della Puca tacked on goals in the final 26-seconds to help IC to the 6-1 lead through 15 minutes. Della Puca's goal came from roughly 30-yards out, as he bested Alfred goalie Drew Gardner with a shot that traveled through a maze of bodies and through the legs of the keeper just before the horn to end the quarter.
 
Drillock and King capped the eight-goal scoring run in the first 4:14 of the second quarter, but the Saxons buckled down for the remainder of the half. A three-goal run by the visitors closed the gap to 8-4 with 2:14 remaining in the half. Della Puca scored his second of the game to send IC into the half with a 9-4 lead.
 
Ithaca pulled away in the game thanks to a dominant third quarter, which resulted in 10 goals. Another late goal, this time scored by Shumway with 2.4-seconds left capped the prolific scoring period. IC took a 19-5 lead in the final frame. Montgomery tallied Ithaca's 20^th goal with 11:16 left in the game, setting a new high-water mark for the season.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Wednesday, April 26, when it welcomes Elmira College for a 4:00 p.m. start at Higgins Stadium. The Bombers' will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, April 29, when Hartwick College comes calling for a 3:00 p.m. start at Higgins.