ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College field hockey team made its Liberty League home debut on Saturday afternoon when it faced off against RPI at a sun-splashed Higgins Stadium. The Bombers could not ask for a more thrilling contest in which IC would ultimately prevail in a wild 4-3 overtime winner. The win improves the Bombers record to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in Liberty League play.

Ithaca's series with RPI has become quite accustomed to going beyond regulation. The Bombers and Engineers had gone to overtime each of the past two seasons since IC joined league play. Each time RPI ended up prevailing in those previous contests, scoring wins of 2-1 in 2017 and 1-0 in 2018. However, third time definitely was the charm on Saturday. First-year midfielder Brianna Lennon fired home a laser from the left wing 1:10 into the overtime session to lift the Bombers to their first 2-0 start since joining the Liberty League.

The scoring play was a picture-perfect execution on Ithaca's 10th penalty corner of the day. Junior Arleigh Rodgers sparked the scoring play with a smooth and true insert to the point. Senior captain Kendall Keil controlled the insert at the center point and delivered a swift pass to Lennon on the left wing. IC's first-year talent loaded up a hard slap-shot that thudded into the lower left corner for her first ever collegiate goal to ice matters and lift IC to a thrilling triumph and a big win to remain in a tie atop the Liberty League standings through the early part of the league slate.

The winning goal by Lennon capped a wild see-saw battle that featured three ties and three lead changes through the course of the high-scoring tilt. Lennon finished the day with one goal and one assist. Also scoring for the Bombers were sophomores Grace Ziehnert and Jacqueline Mirabile, while first-year Meghana Caron joined Lennon in scoring her first career goal in today's contest. Sophomore Victoria Sestito added an assist on what would be the tying goal late in regulation that sent things to overtime.

Senior goalie Savanna Lenker finished the day with four saves in improving her record to 7-4 on the year.

It was Ithaca that jumped out on the front-foot just over two-minutes into the contest, picking right up where they left off after their four-goal barrage at Union one Saturday ago. The goal came off IC's first penalty corner of the day. Sestito nearly scored right off the insert, but the slap-shot struck off the post flush. The rebound fell right to the stick of Ziehnert, who quickly shuffled it into the semi-vacated cage for her second goal of the season just 2:10 into the contest.

The lead would last shortly over 10-minutes, before the Engineers bagged an equalizer before the end of the quarter. Lenker did all she could to prevent the goal, making excellent stops on Charisse Stakutis and Sydney Luke. Unfortunately, the Bombers were unable to clear the net-front from danger, resulting in Mikayla Berman punching home the rebound on third try to level things up at 1-1.

The Engineers pulled ahead for the first time in the contest 4:40 into the second quarter. RPI's Lauren Roy sent a cross-zone pass to Stakutis who one-timed a shot from the slot past Lenker who charged out to cut down the angle. The Engineers did little to threaten for the remainder of the quarter, but were able to thwart a late IC penalty corner chance to take a 2-1 lead to the half.

The Bombers pulled back onto level terms 9:08 into the third quarter with the first-year connection of Lennon an Caron stepping up in a big way. Lennon made a nice play to deliver a slick pass from left to right across the crease. Caron was there at the back door for the tap-in tally for her first career goal in the Ithaca College jersey. Unfortunately, the game remained tied for just 3:21, as Stakutis scored her second of the day on another hard-working rebound tally to again put the visitors in front late in the third frame.

Trailing the contest, Ithaca turned in a resounding comeback effort from the outset when play got underway in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Morgan Mullen was buzzing in the attacking zone from the jump, whipping two separate scoring chances on target that were padded away by RPI goalie Jen Richardson. The one-goal deficit remained deep into regulation, before Mirabile's goal brought Ithaca back to level terms at 3-3 with just 2:58 to play. It was the sophomore who started the play with the penalty corner insert, before making a bee-line to the net-front. Sestito would get possession on the left wing and fire a short towards the cage, which Mirabile redirected on the way in.

The late goal set the stage for Lennon's heroics in the overtime session. It was the first time that Ithaca had played a game beyond regulation this season.

Ithaca will be back in action on Saturday, October 12, when it travels to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to face nationally-ranked Vassar in a battle of league unbeatens. Start time is set for 1:00 p.m.