ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team turned in its most impressive offensive performance of the season when it wrapped up its regular-season home schedule on Wednesday evening at frigid Higgins Stadium. The Bombers attack was relentless under the lights, blitzing SUNY Oneonta for a season-high six goals in a runaway 6-2 triumph over the Red Dragons. The win improves Ithaca's record to 11-6 on the year with one final regular season contest remaining this weekend.
 
Despite coming off a disappointing defeat at the hands of Skidmore that bumped IC out of contention for the Liberty League Tournament this past Sunday, there certainly were no lingering effects in this one. The Bombers came out confident, energetic and motivated, and translated those positive vibes into its largest margin of victory this season. Making the win even more impressive was the fact that Oneonta entered the matchup with a 10-6 record and was tied for first in the SUNYAC. The Red Dragons stood no chance on Wednesday, as IC tallied three goals in each half to easily pull away.
 
The scoring got started right from the outset, as it only took 3:03 of game action for Ithaca to get staked to the early lead. It was first-year midfielder Jacqueline Mirabile that provided lift-off for the Bombers, connecting for her third goal of her rookie campaign. The score came off from the team's second penalty corner chance of the opening stretch. Senior striker started the play with an insert to senior midfielder Maddy Ryan at the point. Ryan quickly bumped the ball to senior back Kimmy Briscoe at the left wing, who in turned loaded up a hard shot-pass to the far right post. Senior striker Maria McGloin did well to stop the ball and backhand it towards the slot, as a scrum of players crashed the cage. Mirabile got the final stick on it through the chaos in front, giving Ithaca the early advantage.
 
The Red Dragons had some hard luck on the play, as starting keeper Danell Jones was injured on the play, taking a nasty fall during the crazy scrum in front. She was unable to continue, as Carly Olsen stepped in for the remainder of the contest.
 
Ithaca never really let Oneonta's backup to ease into the contest. The home side kept the pressure on throughout the opening 35-minutes, widening the edge to 3-0 by the halftime break.
 
The second score of the game came in the 19^th-minute when sophomore striker Natalie Milliken made an excellent play to score her first goal of the season. Again, the play started with a penalty corner, although it was not a smooth insert and possession of the ball briefly jumped out of the attacking zone. IC did well to stick with the play and Milliken knocked an elevated backhand out of the air, fluttering through a screen in front, before nestling in the bottom right corner of the cage.
 
Ithaca tacked on a third score 42-seconds before the halftime horn when McGloin added a goal to her earlier assist. First-year striker Samantha Horowitz started the scoring play, whipping a shot towards cage that was denied by Olsen on a sharp angle. She followed up her shot and pushed the rebound through the legs of Olsen and past the stick of an Oneonta defender, finding McGloin wide-open on the left post for a tap-in.
 
The Red Dragons sustained their strongest pressure of the contest during the early moments of the second half, but junior keeper Savanna Lenker was up to the task. She denied one shot by the visitors, while senior back Shelby McDavid notched a defensive save for her second consecutive outing to maintain the lead at 3-0. Setting the stage for Ithaca to blow things open midway through the second half.
 
IC's fourth goal was a thing of beauty, as Dowd converted her first of two scores in the second half. Maddy Ryan started the play, launching a low hard shot from well outside the arc. Dowd made a deft play to get her stick into position, deflecting an arcing ball that went up over Olsen and into the left corner of the cage.
 
The Bombers added on another goal just 2:14 after the Dowd score to widen the gap to 5-0. This one was a more conventional score, but nonetheless a hard-working well-earned score by IC's rookie talent Horowitz. Working on a penalty corner, Briscoe unleashed a hard shot from the left wing that was stopped; however, the rebound settled in the slot. Sophomore striker Kristen Rafferty took a couple of swipes at the ball in an attempt to score, but could not get the ball all the way on target. After her final swipe the ball did make it as far as Horowitz on the right post, who easily slapped it in for the goal. With that tally, IC led 5-0 with 18:51 left in regulation.
 
Lenker dominated the ensuing stretch for the Bombers. She made two excellent stops during the next few minutes, which included a great save on Allyson Wells on a breakaway chance, where IC's junior keeper charged off her line to deny Wells. However, she was whistled for a foul when her follow-through momentum caused her to crash into Wells, with the official awarding Wells a penalty stroke chance. Lenker did not flinch on the second chance for Oneonta's dangerous scorer, as she went full extension to her right to knock away the stroke with her blocker to maintain the shutout. Lenker finished with nine saves and no goals-allowed in 60:12 of game action to collect her 11^th win of the campaign.
 
The Red Dragons finally solved the IC backline for a goal just after Ithaca turned to reserve net-minder Ariyahna Bernard with the contest well in hand. Catherine Soults briefly brought the visitors one-goal back when she scored on a sharp-angle shot with 7:18 remaining. The Bombers responded right back just 1:05 later when Dowd broke free down the left wing and bested Olsen for her second of the half.
 
Bernard played well over the final stretch, making three saves in quick succession; however, Oneonta would cap the scoring with a second goal in the half with 3:55 remaining in regulation.
 
Ithaca concludes the regular-seasons schedule on Saturday, October 27, when it travels to face Brockport. Start time is set for 2:30 p.m.