MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Ithaca College women's soccer team defeated Rochester on Saturday afternoon to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bombers move on to play host team Middlebury on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
 
The Bombers scored in the 53^rd minute to take a lead over the Yellowjackets. Alex Epifani had a breakaway and got around Rochester goalkeeper Emma Schecter before centering the ball. Ultimately, a Rochester defender ended up knocking it in off Epifani's cross.
 
With the win, IC improves to 14-2-3 overall while Rochester ends its season with a 9-8-1 mark.
 
Following IC's goal, Rochester put together several offensive pushes, but Ithaca's defense and senior goalkeeper Stacey DiGiorgio held strong.
 
DiGiorgio came up with two huge saves in the final twenty minutes, first on a header from Cesca Sheppard in the 80^th minute. Her biggest save of the game was on another Sheppard shot with just 4:06 left to left.
 
Both teams had chances throughout the first half, but neither could overcome the opposition's defense to put away any goals.
 
The Bombers dominated offensively in the first half, registering eight shots and allowing the Yellowjackets just one, which came with 46 seconds left to play.
 
Senior Reid Garner put a shot on goal just 1:49 in, which was saved by Schecter, followed by a another attempt from junior Elise Leavitt, which was also stopped. Leavitt tested Schecter in goal again in the 23^rd minute, but she made the play to send things the other way.
 
Garner and junior Gabriella Mihale ripped back-to-back shots towards Schecter in the 33^rd and 37^th minutes, but the goalkeeper stayed solid, making the play.
 
With just 46 seconds left, Rochester registered its first shot and DiGiorgio made her first save of the game, stopping a Carolyn Richards shot.
 
Rochester picked things up on the offensive end in the second half, putting a shot on goal just 3:52 in, which DiGiorgio stopped.
 
Following an unsuccessful Yellowjackets' corner kick in the 51^st minute, Ithaca gained control of the ball, leading to the eventual game-winner.
 
The Bombers continued to pressure Rochester's defense, looking for another insurance goal.
 
A Mihale shot in the 55^th minute was high before Sarah Pirnie's shot in the 57^th minute was knocked away by Schecter. Pirnie controlled the rebound and fired off another shot, but it sailed wide.
 
Junior Ally Christman's shot in the 62^nd minute was stopped by Schecter before a Jenny Lidwin attempted the following minute was too wide.
 
The Bombers got two more shots off before Rochester put another shot on goal, in the 74^th minute. DiGiorgio made the stop on Emily Henry's ball to send things the other way. That led to a shot from first-year Megan O'Reilly on the Bombers' end, which was saved.
 
O'Reilly's was the final shot of the game for the Bombers, but IC's defense held strong, clearing multiple balls but DiGiorgio made several saves.
 
Ithaca's 14^th win of the season marks the most victories for the program since 2014, when the Bombers won 15 games.
 
The winner of tomorrow's game will move on to the Sweet 16 and play the winner of Swarthmore and NYU/Virginia Wesleyan.