ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team hit the road for the fourth time in its first five contests on Tuesday afternoon when it traveled to Oneonta, N.Y., to face old Empire 8 rival Hartwick in a non-league contest. The Bombers kept the momentum right on rolling, posting a goal in each half, while holding the Hawks scoreless in a 2-0 shutout at Wright Stadium. The victory improved IC's record to 4-1 on the year, while Hartwick falls for the first time this season to sit at 3-1.
 
It was Ithaca's play on set pieces that proved to be the difference. The visitors capitalized on two of their eight penalty corner opportunities on the day, netting a goal in each half to provide all the scoring on Tuesday. Senior striker Maria McGloin was the beneficiary on both tallies, showcasing adept stick skills in tight quarters in front of the cage on both goals. The scores were her second and third goals of the campaign. She is already more than halfway towards reaching her career high of five scoring tallies, which she achieved as a junior last season.
 
Adding points on the afternoon were senior back Kimmy Briscoe and freshman striker Jacqueline Mirabile. Briscoe registered her first point of the 2018 season on IC's first scoring tally in the 12^th-minute of play. Mirabile's helper was her first collegiate assist, helping the Bombers extend the lead in the 43^rd-minute.
 
Once again, Ithaca's defense was smothering. Behind the strong play of IC's backline and more confident work in goal from junior keeper Savanna Lenker, the Bombers marked their second consecutive clean sheet and third shutout on the young season. With the effort, Lenker and the team have now not allowed a goal in 208-minutes and 57-seconds of game action dating back to the second minute of IC's 2-1 overtime win against Utica.
 
Unlike that contest against the Pioneers, the Bombers registered the early lead in this one with more aggressive play in the opening minutes. Ithaca earned a penalty corner just over one-minute into this afternoon's contest. Although the scoring chance was stymied when McGloin's shot from in tight was blocked by a Hartwick defender, the early score set the tone for how the afternoon would go for the visitors.
 
Roughly 10-minutes later Ithaca earned its second penalty corner opportunity of the day and wasted little time cashing in on the chance. Mirabile started the play by inserting the ball to Briscoe who was stationed at the near side on the left point of the scoring arc. She settled the possession of the ball and lifted an arcing shot towards the cage. With excellent hand-eye coordination, McGloin swatted the ball out of the mid-air to redirect Briscoe's shot past Hartwick goalie Allyson Osborne and into the netting of the cage.
 
The middle portion of the first half was dominated by the Bombers; however, the territorial advantage did not translate into a drastic advantage in shot attempts. Hartwick did well to absorb the pressure, only allowing one shot on goal by senior midfielder Maddy Ryan, which was denied by Osborne with the blocker.
 
The Hawks punched back with under five minutes remaining in the half, but Lenker continued her stellar play from the opening weeks of the season. She denied scoring chances by Hartwick's Perry Willett and Katie Meuse roughly three minutes apart. In the waning moments of the half, the Hawks earned a final penalty corner opportunity, which nearly resulted in the tying goal if not for the reaction of Lenker. Gina Cozetti had the ball ricochet to her for a wide-open chance at cage from just off the left post; however, Lenker quickly flashed over to kick the shot away with her pad to end the threat and maintain the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
 
Again it was the Bombers who started out fast when play resumed following halftime. Mirabile was denied on a pair of chances less than four minutes into the half, but the pressure ultimately resulted in a 43^rd-minute penalty corner chance. Ithaca cashed in on the opportunity. Although IC may have been guilty of almost over passing during the chance, Mirabile was able to shuffle a pass to McGloin at the right post and the senior made no mistakes in flicking the ball into the cage to double IC's lead.
 
The lead was more than enough for the Ithaca defense and the sharp work of Lenker in cage. The Bombers neutralized four penalty corner opportunities over the final 12-minutes of play, while Lenker made three additional stops down the stretch to preserve the shutout.
 
Lenker finished the game with nine saves to improve her record to 4-1. It was her third shutout of the campaign.
 
Ithaca will make its anticipated return home on Saturday, September 15, when it continues non-league play with a challenging test against Susquehanna University at Higgins Stadium. Start time for the contest is 2:00 p.m.