CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team kept on rolling on Wednesday night, as the team wrapped up its opening stretch of non-league play at No. 20 SUNY Cortland. Under the lights at the Red Dragon Stadium, the Bombers attack exploded for four goals to spring the road upset over 20^th-ranked Cortland, IC's first victory over its local rival in nearly two decades. With the 4-3 triumph on Wednesday night, Ithaca improved to 6-1 on the season, IC's best start to a season since 2013.
 
While rock solid defense and goalkeeping has carried IC through much of the early part of the season, it was the attack that headlined the night on Wednesday. A four-goal output by the visiting Bombers paved the way to victory. Ithaca was extremely sharp and clinical in its finishing on the evening, tallying goals on all four of its shots on goal. The offensive barrage lifted IC to its first victory over Cortland since a 1-0 triumph in 2000, snapping a string of 16 straight wins by its local rival.
 
Headlining the day for Ithaca was junior midfielder Kendall Keil. The third-year talent scored IC's final two goals, the first breaking a 2-2 tie late in the opening half and the latter with 8:45 remaining a huge insurance goal, which ended up being the game-winner.
 
Senior striker Maria McGloin extended her goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games, finishing the day with three points on one goal and one assist. She opened the scoring for Ithaca, netting her team-best sixth goal of the season, which is also a new career high for goals in a season by the senior striker. Sophomore striker Kristen Rafferty added her second goal of the campaign as well. Senior striker Meg Dowd finished with a pair of assists, while senior midfielder Emily Vallee added her first helper of the season.
 
In goal, junior Savanna Lenker faced one of her toughest challenges yet against a deep and talented Cortland attack. Although she had her shutout streak snapped at 284-minutes and 53-seconds, Lenker came up with several key stops throughout the evening to improve her record to 6-1 on the year. The junior finished the evening with three saves.
 
The Bombers continued their trend of fast starts on Wednesday evening, scoring within the first five minutes of play for the third time over their past four games. Once again it was senior striker Maria McGloin that continued to wield the red-hot stick for IC, cashing in for her sixth goal of the season and fifth over the past three contests.
 
Senior striker Meg Dowd started the scoring play, throwing an area pass towards the cage. Cortland goalie Kailynne Reinoehl came out to challenge, but was delayed in reading the play and late to come charging off her line. McGloin did excellently to win the race to the loose ball, as she found herself behind the Cortland defense that was caught napping in early in half. McGloin made a nifty stick play to shuffle the ball past Reinoehl and labeled the shot into the vacated cage to put Ithaca up 1-0 just 1:12 into the contest.
 
The middle portion of the half certainly favored the Red Dragons. The home side responded to IC's early tally in a big way, scoring back-to-back strikes with just under 20-minutes remaining to snap the Bombers' and Lenker's lengthy shutout streak. The two goals pushed the home side to a 2-1 lead.
 
On the first goal, Cortland's Jessica Welsh made a beautiful reverse shot on the run that beat Lenker five-hole to tie the game with 19:04 left in the half. The Red Dragons scored their first and only lead of the evening exactly one-minute later when Hannah Burchell received a great pass from Jess Gibaldi in the high slot. With lots of space she walked down the alley and labeled a slap shot into the bottom right corner.
 
Not fazed by the pair of quick strikes, the Bombers punched right back to level the score at 2-2 just 2:55 after the Burchell strike. Working on a penalty corner opportunity, Dowd started the play with the insert to the point. Possession was worked to Vallee at the left point and senior whipped the ball towards the cage. Rafferty made an excellent play to settle the ball, shielding it from the Cortland keeper, and in one motion turning and whipping a shot into the bottom right corner of the cage.
 
Using that surge of momentum, Ithaca held the lion's share of possession over the final 15-minutes of the opening half. That translated into a go-ahead-goal with 4:27 to play before the break. The play was equal bits hard work and bit of luck for the Bombers. The initial work came from McGloin, who did well to steal possession just outside the arc. She wound up for a hard strike, but did not catch the ball flush, sending an off-speed ball bouncing awkwardly towards goal. Two Cortland defenders looked to be in possession to cut off the ball, but the weird spin sent the ball eluding both and subtle stick tip by Dowd sent the ball to Kendall Keil at the back post. As the junior was tumbling to the turf in a diving attempt, she deflected the ball past Reinoehl into the cage to send IC back into the lead at 3-2. The score remained the same heading into the break.
 
In the second half, the Bombers came out aggressive early, but Cortland slowly began to ramp up the pressure as the half continued. With nearly 30-minutes left, senior back Kaylou Stoddard made an excellent play to stymie an odd-woman break by the Red Dragons who were looking to strike in transition off an IC penalty corner.
 
A few minutes later Lenker denied Jess Gibaldi on a hard shot to maintain the tenuous one-goal lead. Cortland nearly tied the game with 20-minutes remaining, but it was ruled that Gibaldi directed the shot in illegally, nullifying the apparent goal and keeping IC ahead 3-2. With 13-minutes left, Lenker again came up with a clutch save to deny Sara Reardon.
 
Ithaca scored huge insurance as the clock clicked just under nine minutes left. Again working on a penalty corner, senior Maddy Ryan directed a hard ball towards the cage. McGloin knocked down possession on the doorstep and quickly shuffled a perfect pass to Keil at the left post. The junior made no mistakes, slapping home the shot on a one-timer to stretch IC's advantage to 4-2 with 8:45 to play.
 
Cortland's late pressure was able to pull one back with 2:56 remaining when Valerie Brillaud beat Lenker from close quarters on a penalty corner chance. However, Ithaca's defense buckled down in the waning moments. IC held possession for the majority of the final three minutes to see out the historic victory.
 
Ithaca will look to translate this fast start into Liberty League play this weekend when it welcomes Union College to Higgins Stadium on Saturday, September 22. Start time for the contest is 1:00 p.m.