SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team hit the road for the second time in six days when the Bombers traveled to Saratoga Springs on Friday afternoon for a huge clash against Skidmore. Unfortunately, the Bombers were unable to remain unbeaten in league action, falling at the wire in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the Thoroughbreds. The loss drops IC's record to 8-5 on the year and 3-1 in Liberty League play.
 
Coming off the program's biggest victory in years this past weekend, a 3-0 shutout on the road at then fifth-ranked Vassar, IC knew it had another monumental matchup on its hands on Friday. A perennial contender in the Liberty League, Skidmore represented quite possibly the Bombers toughest test remaining on the regular-season slate. With both squads entering the day as the lone remaining unbeaten teams in Liberty League play, the winner not only gained the inside track to the regular-season crown, but also likely hosting rights to the upcoming Liberty League Tournament. For nearly 50-minutes it looked as though it would be Ithaca that would gain that leverage; however, a Skidmore tallied a goal late in regulation time and again late in the ensuing overtime session to deal the Bombers a crushing defeat.
 
Three Bombers found their way on the scoresheet on Friday. Sophomore striker Morgan Mullen kept her scoring streak going with her 11^th goal of the season to open the scoring for the visitors. First-year midfielder Brianna Lennon also tallied her second goal of the campaign, while sophomore back Victoria Sestito picked up her fifth assist of the year on Lennon's scoring tally.
 
In goal, senior keeper Savanna Lenker posted a strong outing against Skidmore's potent attack. She finished with eight saves on the day, holding the Thoroughbreds in check for much of the day until the late surge by the hosts. Adding defensive saves for the Bombers were junior midfielder Arleigh Rodgers and sophomore back Allison Egan.
 
Fast starts have been a hallmark of Ithaca's success throughout the first-half of the Liberty League slate. That trend continued on Friday, as the Bombers notched a first-quarter goal for the fourth consecutive game to gain the early leg-up. Mullen delivered the Bombers the early lead just under 10-minutes into the game. It was a display of excellent attacking pressure for IC, which was finally rewarded. Mullen and sophomore midfielder Grace Ziehnert were initially denied on point-blank shot attempts by Skidmore keeper Maddy Carre during the sequence. Mullen made good on IC's third opportunity in the succession, whipping home the slap-shot to lift IC to the 1-0 advantage.
 
Ithaca took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission, but Skidmore clearly began to assert its territorial dominance to begin the second period. The Thoroughbreds held the lion's share of the ball during the frame, firing six shot attempts to none for the Bombers, as well as earning four penalty corner chances. Lenker shown brightly during the quarter, making two excellent stops on penalty corner chances, while Arleigh Rodgers notched a key defensive save that helped IC maintain the one-goal advantage into halftime.
 
Matters looked even better for the visitors during the early portions of the third quarter. IC came out on the front-foot to begin the second half, rallying well after being hemmed in for much of the previous 15-minutes. IC earned two penalty corners in the first five-minutes of the quarter. On the first, Sestito was stymied on a big defensive save by Skidmore's Madeleine Michaels. However, IC kept the Thoroughbreds from clearing the zone and forced a second chance. Ithaca made good on that opportunity to double the advantage to 2-0 on a penalty corner play that has been working for the Bombers to perfection over recent weeks. Sophomore midfielder Jacqueline Mirabile started the play with the insert, while possession was eventually worked back to Sestito on the left wing. Her slap-shot was redirected on the way to the cage by Lennon, sending the ball perfectly into the corner in the 36^th-minute of play.
 
Now nursing a two-goal advantage, IC admittedly absorbed some attacking pressure during the mid-point of the period and were finally burned when Skidmore's Gabrielle Vaccaro beat Lenker and the IC defense for the host's opening goal with just under five-minutes left in the third quarter.
 
Mullen nearly advanced Ithaca's lead back to two goals before the horn, but her would-be goal was cleared off the goal line by Madeleine Michaels to keep the IC lead just 2-1 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
The fourth quarter was all about absorbing pressure for the Bombers, as Skidmore pushed the pace in search of an equalizer. Ithaca weathered the surge deep into regulation with the defense holding firm and Lenker making two big stops when called upon. Unfortunately, things slipped away late when Mariah Redler scored on a net-front scrum on a penalty corner chance with 3:45 to play in regulation.
 
The contest went to overtime, but it was clear that Ithaca's tenacious defending throughout much of the game was beginning to catch up with the exhausted unit. Riding the surge of momentum, the Thoroughbreds controlled the entirety of the session, racking up five penalty corner chances in the period. Ithaca held off the hosts almost to the bitter end, but Redler finally broke through with just 31-seconds left in the period to lift Skidmore to the win.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Sunday, October 20, when the Bombers return to Higgins Stadium to face St. Lawrence in a 2:00 p.m. start. Ithaca can clinch a Liberty League Tournament berth with a victory.