ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's soccer team took it down to the wire on Sunday afternoon, defeating Wells in an exciting 2-1 overtime victory.
 
It was ultimately Nate Mansfield who found the back of the net to give the Bombers the win in the 94^th minute of play against the Express.
 
Senior Nate Schoen crossed the ball into the box and Mansfield dove for the header, but the ball was blocked by Wells' goalkeeper Colton Jaquith. Jack Monnes secured the rebound and attempted a shot of his own, but once again, Jaquith was there to stop it.
 
Mansfield once again found himself with possession of the ball following the rebound on Monnes' shot and sent a cross into the left side of the net for the win. It marks Mansfield's first goal of the season and seventh since he transferred to Ithaca a season ago.
 
"I was very proud of the guys in the second half and overtime," said Head Coach Kyle Dezotell. "I felt like our chances were always going to come and it was just going to take a moment of execution which, thankfully, Nate Mansfield provided."
 
Ithaca's first goal was also the first of the game, coming in the 70^th minute, was off a Mansfield throw in. The ball went off the head of a Wells defender before bouncing off Jaquith's hands into goal to give IC a 1-0 lead.
 
It did not take long for the Express to score the game-tying goal in the 80^th minute. Christian Garavito moved around his IC defender and knocked the ball in above Ithaca goalkeeper Max Lichtenstein's head.
 
The Bomber had their fair share of chances throughout the entire game, as IC controlled much of the play on the pitch. Ithaca registered a total of 28 shots with 12 on goal while Wells only recorded seven total and five on frame.
 
Mansfield took Ithaca's first shot of the game just 2:32 in, but Jaquith saved it. Ithaca's first corner kick at the 7:13 mark generated a header from first-year Kyle Sicke, which went wide. Tom Dillmann followed that up with another shot, but Jaquith was there once again to make the save.
 
The Bombers continued to keep the ball in their offensive side, taking a total of 13 shots in the first half. In a span of four minutes, starting at the 19:14 mark, IC took three shots and forced a corner kick.
 
Jon Kyriakidis took back-to-back shots for Ithaca, but the first was blocked and the second was saved by Jaquith. Quatresols then sent a header in, but it sailed wide of the net.
 
One of Ithaca's best opportunities in the first half was from Monnes in the 27^th minute as he sent a hard shot to goal, but it ricocheted off the cross bar.
 
The beginning of the second half proved to be more of the same for the Bombers, as they controlled the pace once again but could not capitalize.
 
In the first five minutes of the second half, IC registered three shots, but Jaquith was there to make all three saves.
 
Just under six minutes in, Ben Quatresols crossed the ball and Dillmann had a beautiful shot past Jaquith, but it was called back because the Bombers were offsides.
 
Ithaca continued to generate offensive chances before finally scoring. A shot from Dillmann in the 61^st minute hit the cross bar before another of his shots went wide.
 
Well's also started to gain more chances on the offensive end. Dylan Wagstaff and Justin Butler had back-to-back shots for the Express, testing Lichtenstein who made both saves.
 
Ithaca sent into two more shots following Well's game-tying goal, but both shots from Kyriakidis and Monnes went wide.
 
"Games like this are difficult when the tempo becomes a bit unnatural with having so much of the possession," said Dezotell. "It's important to take your chances early in a game like this, otherwise it can become frustrating when you've had so much of the ball and so many chances that you've been unable to convert."
 
Statistically, Monnes registered five shots, three of which were on goal, while also adding an assist on the game-winner. Mansfield was three-for-three in shots on goal, including his overtime goal. Kyriakidis also recorded four shots with two on goal.
 
In the net, Lichtenstein earned his second win of the season, making four saves. Wells' Jaquith saved 10 shots on the day.
 
Ithaca is back in action on Tuesday evening at 7:30 in a road game at No. 23 Cortland.
 
"We are looking forward to playing one of the best teams in the country on Tuesday," said Dezotell. "We are going in there 2-0, as we hoped we could be and with nothing to lose. We know it'll be a difficult game, but we are going there to give Cortland all we've got at the end of this this three-games-in-five-day stretch."