ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The 19^th-ranked Ithaca College women's lacrosse team continued its ferociously difficult start to the 2019 season on Saturday afternoon when it hit the road to face No. 16 St. John Fisher – the team's fifth nationally-ranked opponent in seven games thus far this season. The contest was competitive throughout, but ultimately IC could not keep pace with the Cardinals in the waning minutes as St. John Fisher was able to pull away over the final seven minutes for a 12-8 victory. The loss drops Ithaca's record to 4-3 on the year and 2-3 against ranked opponents.
 
The second half decided matters in today's contest, as the Cardinals outscored the Bombers 7-to-3 after the break with the team's entering halftime deadlocked at 6-6. It was the final minutes that proved to be the difference. An unassisted goal by sophomore transfer Megan Motkowski brought IC within a single goal at a 9-8 deficit with 9:32 remaining in regulation. However, Fisher scored two goals in a span of 58-seconds on strikes from Logan Chase and Mary Grace Doyle with 7:48 and 6:50 left in the game, respectively. Sydney DeGirolamo put the exclamation mark on the game for the home side, slotting in a final goal with five seconds to go.
 
Ithaca had three players record multi-goal efforts on the afternoon, while five different Bombers registered multi-point performances on the day. Senior attacker Elizabeth Rice paced IC with three points, scoring two goals and adding one assist. It marked Rice's fifth consecutive multi-goal outing, bringing her total to a team-best 18 for the season.
 
Senior attacker Danika Wagener, as well as sophomore midfielder Megan Motkowski, joined Rice in the multi-goal department. Both players posted a pair of scoring strikes on the day. Senior attacker Allie Panara and sophomore midfielder Indira Varma both added multi-point efforts. Panara scored one goal and added on assists, while Varma finished with two apples on the day. Junior attacker Bailey Herr polished off the IC scoring chart with one goal on the day.
 
Defensively, Ithaca was paced by junior Becky Mehorter and sophomore Molly Nodiff. Both players recorded two caused turnovers and two ground-balls in the game. Sophomores Samantha Marsh, Motkowski and Caroline Paquin, as well as junior Katie Welch also added one caused turnover apiece. Senior Reid Simoncini also figured prominently with one caused turnover, one ground-ball and a team-best five draw controls on the day. Unfortunately, turnovers were a contributing factor in limiting IC's shot attempt numbers to a season-low 14. The Cardinals held a 26-to-14 advantage in shot attempts with IC committing 23 turnovers compared to Fisher's 14.
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Schade turned in one of her best efforts of the season in the loss. She made eight saves to keep Ithaca within striking distance throughout the game. Unfortunately, it would not be enough with her record falling to 4-3 as a starter this season.
 
Fisher got on the front foot in the game with two goals in the opening 2:55 of the game. Sydney DeGirolamo and Mallory Eymer found the back of the net for the home side in the opening stretch. However, the Bombers seemed to find their legs as the half continued and pushed back with a nice surge of their own. Herr, Wagener, Rice and Panara all scored as part of a 4-1 scoring run over a nine-plus minute stretch through the midway of the half. The two sides traded scores over the final 15-minutes of the opening half, as a goal by Rice was sandwiched between Fisher goals by Eymer and Emily Thompson, the latter of which came with the Cardinals working with a player advantage. The teams would head to the half tied at 6-6.
 
Although Ithaca would go back up by a goal after Varma picked out Wagener on a great pass with the latter rifling one into the cage 1:31 into the half, the first of two three-goal runs by the Cardinals in the second half put the hosts in front ultimately for good. DeGirolamo and Eymer continued to do the heavy lifting for Fisher with goals 1:35 apart to push the hosts ahead with 26:02 to play. DeGirolamo would add another 7:41 later to gain some breathing room at 8-6.
 
Motkowski twice brought IC back within a goal, scoring with 16:36 to play and a second goal with 9:32 left. The goals sandwiched a back-breaking goal by Fisher's Eymer that came a woman down, as IC was working with the player advantage seeking an equalizer. The Cardinals put things away with the late scores by Chase and Doyle.
 
Ithaca will be back in action on Tuesday, March 26, when it begins the meat of the Liberty League schedule with a 4:00 p.m. home date against University of Rochester.