MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Ithaca College field hockey team returned to action on Saturday afternoon when it wrapped up its opening weekend road swing with a tilt against No. 10 Montclair State. Although the Bombers hung tough against one of the most talented programs in the country, they suffered their first defeat of the 2018 campaign in a hard-fought 2-1 loss at Sprague Field in Montclair, N.J.
 
It was the defense that really shined on this day, weathering repeated waves of Red Hawks attacks throughout the day. Although the home side held a stark advantage in attacking possession, the Bombers did well to keep Montclair to the periphery. The 10^th-ranked team in the country outshot IC 22-to-1 in the game, while it held a 12-to-4 advantage in penalty corner chances; however, the Red Hawks were held to just 10 shot attempts on cage.
 
Junior keeper Savanna Lenker played a strong game in the IC cage, collecting seven saves in 70 minutes of action. She took the tough-luck loss to fall to 1-1 on the year. Senior back Maddie Keppel also picked up a defensive save, the Bombers' first of the 2018 campaign.
 
IC showed some serious grit as time wound down in the second half. Trailing 2-0, Ithaca battled back within a goal, as senior striker Meg Dowd scored for the second time in as many days. Working on a counter attack, Dowd got behind the backs and charged down the right flank on a clear break away. She picked her spot and drilled a hard shot along the ground into the corner of the cage with 4:06 remaining in the game.
 
Unfortunately, the goal came too late for IC, as the team was unable to generate an attacking zone chance in the final minutes. However, the poise and effort that Ithaca put into the contest certainly will serve as a strong foundation moving forward this season.
 
With the opening weekend in the rearview mirror, the Bombers will return home to Higgins Stadium for their 2018 home opener on Wednesday, September 5. Ithaca will play old Empire 8 rival Utica under the lights in a 7:00 p.m. contest.