ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team made its much-anticipated return home to Higgins Stadium on Thursday evening, kicking off a season-long three-game homestand when it welcomed Nazareth College for a non-league tilt. Although it did not come easy, the Bombers earned the result they were hoping for, snapping a two-game losing skid by dispatching the Golden Flyers in overtime by a 1-0 score to improve to 8-3 on the season.
 
Looking to shake off their first true adversity of the season, the Bombers hoped that returning to the friendly confines of Higgins Stadium would provide the spark it was missing in back-to-back road shutout defeats at St. John Fisher and eighth-ranked Rochester. Persistent drizzle throughout the day gave way to sunshine as play got underway on Thursday, making for a perfect evening for field hockey on South Hill. The home side seemed poised for a big breakout several times throughout the day; however, the final shot or deflection in the attacking zone just would not find the mark through 70-minutes of regulation setting up a thrilling back-and-forth first overtime session that finally resulted in the game's only goal.
 
Holding the better of the play throughout the majority of the game, Ithaca hoped to finally seal the deal in the extra session, coming out aggressively when play resumed seven-on-seven. The Bombers began with possession, but were held to the periphery during the opening minutes of the frame. IC's first major incursion in the attacking zone came down the right flank just over three-minutes into the overtime period.
 
Sophomore striker Kristen Rafferty got on the end of a ball near the right corner marker, but the ball was played out for a reset at the top of the attacking third. Things nearly turned disastrous for Ithaca, as a turnover just outside the arc turned into a potential odd-woman break for the Golden Flyers with Jennifer Hilts charging into IC's zone. Senior back Kimmy Briscoe made a phenomenal play to stymie Nazareth's run, stopping the visitor's stick-handle at the top of Ithaca's defensive third and launching a counter attack for the home side. Possession was moved to senior midfielder Maddy Ryan, who did well to keep the play moving forward, eventually upping a pass to senior striker Maria McGloin just inside the attacking third. IC's leading scorer was marked closely by the final player in the Nazareth defense, but McGloin did excellently to win the one-on-one battle, shielding the ball and whipping a reverse-chip pass to Rafferty who was streaking towards the cage unmarked. Although Nazareth goalie Kimber Nourse, who was sensational throughout the game, came out to challenge, Rafferty was too quick, winning the race to the pass by McGloin and slapping a one-timer into the vacated cage to put the finishing touches on a big momentum building win.
 
The score was Rafferty's fifth of the season, snapping a string of three straight contests in which the team was unable to score in regulation. McGloin's assist was her 18^th-point of the year and sixth helper of the campaign, adding on to her career highs in both statistics.
 
On the flipside, junior goalkeeper Savanna Lenker turned in an excellent effort to improve her record to 8-3 on the year. She finished the contest with just five saves; however, every single one of those stops was on a high-quality scoring opportunity for Nazareth. The contest was Lenker's sixth shutout of the season.
 
The first-half of the contest was largely dominated by the Bombers. Ithaca amassed a 15-to-1 shot advantage in the first 35-minutes, which included a 10-to-1 edge in shots on target. Behind the strong goalkeeping by Nourse and a pesky Nazareth defense the game went scoreless into the halftime break.
 
IC's first chance came in the sixth-minute of play, as senior striker Meg Dowd got behind the Nazareth defense on a breakaway down the left flank. Nourse started her strong game with textbook work, charging off her line in aggressive fashion to not even allow Dowd to get a shot off. Despite the missed chance, Ithaca had plenty others as the half continued.
 
Just over three minutes following that Dowd break McGloin was denied on the doorstep by Nourse, while sophomore midfielder Arleigh Rodgers got two cracks on target shortly thereafter. The first was stopped by Nourse, while Nazareth's back Emily Prescott swept away the follow up chance from the goal line to end the threat.
 
The final 10-minutes witness Ithaca repeatedly peppering the Nazareth cage, but Nourse continued to hold strong to keep the game a scoreless deadlock. In the 27^th-minute of play McGloin and first-year midfielder Grace Ziehnert were both stymied by Nourse on consecutive shot attempts. Three minutes later Dowd and McGloin fired three shots in quick succession that were again turned away by the senior keeper. The final and closest chance of the half came with just under three-minutes left, but Ziehnert's shot off a penalty corner chance deflected off the crossbar and out, before play was whistled to a stop for an IC foul in the arc on the battle for the loose ball.
 
The second half was much more even between the two teams with both sides earning several glorious scoring opportunities. The Golden Flyers actually held a 10-to-7 advantage in shot attempts during the final 35-minutes of regulation. However, just like the first half, neither side could best the respective keepers who duked it out in one of the best goalie battles of the season.
 
Nazareth probably had the best two chances of the second half. Both opportunities came on the counter, as the Golden Flyers really started to create some success with some quick counterattacking play in the second session. Both times Jessica Livesey found herself behind the IC backline on partial breakaways, but Lenker was up to the task with two carbon-copy saves that saw her sliding and sprawling to the turf for highlight-reel stops.
 
Ithaca got one final chance as regulation expired, earning a penalty corner opportunity that was untimed. The play was well setup, but Briscoe's shot from the left wing made it all the way through the traffic in front untouched and slipped just wide of the far right post to send the game to overtime. The scoreless deadlock went on to be decided by IC's outstanding sophomore, Rafferty, who continued her breakout campaign with her second game-winning goal of the year 3:33 into the overtime period.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Saturday, October 6, when it continues the homestand against Liberty League rival William Smith in a crucial contest that will have serious postseason implications. Start time for the contest is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.