ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's soccer team defeated local rival Cortland, 2-1, on Wednesday afternoon to preserve its perfect record.
 
The win bumps the Bombers to 5-0 on the season and is the first win over the Red Dragons since 2014.
 
The Bombers struck first in the opening half, taking a 1-0 lead in the 15^th minute of play, which held through the remainder of the period.
 
Junior Elise Leavitt scored her first goal of the season and in an Ithaca jersey at the 14:!7 mark after taking a pass from Sarah Pirnie and sending it into the net from 25 yards out.
 
Goalkeeper Sara Jakobsze made a big save in the last 25 seconds of the first half on a Brenna Conover shot, preserving the Bombers' lead into the halftime break.
 
Cortland's Jaden Galluzzo had the chance to tie things up in the opening minutes of the second half on a breakaway, but once again Jakobsze came up with a huge save to keep the Red Dragons off the board.
 
However, Cortland would go on to score the game-tying goal just 10 minutes later in the 61^st minute. Vanessa Romero sent a ball from the right of the box, 20 yards out, into the left of the net passed a diving Jakobsze to even things up, 1-1.
 
The Bombers wasted no time grabbing the lead back less than one minute later. Junior Gabriella Mihale scored her second goal of the season in the 62^nd minute of play. Kate Kohler sent in a header which was saved by goalkeeper Danika Svendsen, but Mihale was there to corral the rebound and sent it into the back of the net for the 2-1 IC lead.
 
Ithaca registered just two shots in the first half, one of which was Leavitt's goal. Sophomore Alex Epifani also made a shot attempt in the 31^st minute, which went wide.
 
Cortland recorded three shots in the first half, starting with an Erin Valente shot in the 17^th minute which was blocked by an IC defender. Conover attempted a header in the 38^th minute which went left, before her shot in the final minute which was saved by Jakobsze.
 
The Red Dragon's opened up the second half with their breakaway chance that Jakobsze saved. Jakobsze then came up with another save in the 58^th minute on an Amanda Profera try.
 
Following their second goal, the Bombers registered a shot attempted in the 63^rd minute, but Reid Garner's ball sailed to the left.
 
Jakobsze recorded back-to-back saves for IC in the 68^th and 70^th minutes, first on a Valente shot and then on a Romero shot.
 
Ithaca's final offensive chances to add more to the board came in the 80^th minute when Mihale attempted a wide shot and in the 84^th minute when Jenny Lidwin's shot also sailed wide.
 
Cortland tested Jakobsze one final time in the 86^th minute, but she saved the attempt from Cecilia Martinez.
 
In total, Jakobsze finished with a career-high six saves on the day, including five in the second half.
 
Statistically, Cortland out-shot the Bombers 12-7 with four more shots on goal but IC registered five corner kicks to the Red Dragon's three.
 
Ithaca is back in action on Saturday at home against Nazareth at 12 p.m. as part of a double header with the men's team, which plays at 3 p.m. The Bombers are dedicating the game to Unite for HER, an organization that raises money to prove complementary therapies to men and women in the Ithaca community affected by breast cancer.