ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's soccer team lost a hard-fought battle against Hamilton on Wednesday night.
 
Ultimately, the Continentals came out on top with a 3-2 victory under the lights at Higgins Stadium.
 
The Bombers got on the board first, early, at the 4:00 minute mark on a Nate Mansfield goal. Zack Lichtman sent the ball towards the goal where it was deflected and hit off the post, but Mansfield was there to finish the job. The goal was Mansfield's second of the season.
 
Ithaca's 1-0 lead would carry into the halftime break.
 
The Bombers had several other opportunities in the first half. A Lichtman shot in the ninth minute was saved by Hamilton goalkeeper Linds Caldwel. A Nate Schoen header went wide in the 21^st minute before Caldwell made another save on a Jack Ochs shot.
 
A Max Barish shot in the 27^th minute went wide before an Alexander Brosnihan shot in the 38^th minute was block by a Hamilton defender.
 
Less than four minutes into the second half, Hamilton scored the equalizer to make the score 1-1. Jeffrey Plump played a ball into the middle of the box where Matt Cassadei made a diving header to pull things even.
 
Ithaca took back the lead in the 58^th minute of play. Jack Ochs ripped a shot which was deflected and found its way into the right side of the goal, making the score 2-1.
 
Just one minute and 10 seconds later, Hamilton's Aidan Wood found the back of the net to even things up, 2-2.
 
The game-winner came in the 65^th minute on a shot from Jefri Schmidt, off an assist from Luke Eckels.
 
Quatresols came up with a big a play with 8:57 left in the game, executing a slide tackle to stop a Hamilton breakaway.
 
The Bombers got off several shots following Hamilton's goal, but none were the equalizer that was needed.
 
A Lichtman shot in the 67^th minute was saved by goalkeeper Caldwell before a Ben Quatresols header went high over the goal in the 83^rd minute.
 
Tom Dillman got off the last shot for Ithaca in the 88^th minute following a corner, but it was too high.
 
The Bombers tallied 11 shots on the day while Hamilton registered eight. Ithaca goalies Max Lichtenstein and Dan Hinckley each finished with one save while Caldwell ended the day with four saves.
 
Ithaca is on the road for the next two games before coming home again. On Tuesday, September 19, the Bombers head to Wells College for their final non-conference contest before starting conference play. On Saturday, September 23, Ithaca plays its first-ever Liberty League game at Clarkson.
 
The Bombers are back home again on September 30 when they host St Lawrence at 2 p.m.