ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's lacrosse team earned one of its biggest wins in recent memory on Saturday afternoon when it kicked off its Spring Break week against third-ranked Cabrini University. The Bombers sent shockwaves across the country, dispatching the defending 2019 National Champions in an 11-9 contest at Higgins Stadium. The win improves Ithaca's record to 2-2 on the year, while it marked the program's first win over a Top-5 ranked foe in the USILA Coaches Poll dating back to the 2016 season.
 
It has been a bit of a middling start for the Bombers coming into Saturday's anticipated clash against a Cabrini side that has established itself as one of the pre-eminent forces in Division III lacrosse over recent years. Although IC has been competitive during the early season, the Bombers entered the day with just a 1-2 mark after last weekend's one-goal road loss at upstart SUNY Geneseo. However, IC's homefield advantage at Higgins Stadium is one of the most dominant in Division III and the home turf continued to be friendly for the Bombers in this one. Behind a composed performance in all major phases of the contest, IC frustrated the Cavaliers throughout the day. IC took its first lead late in the third period and never looked back, holding off the ranked visitors for a huge victory that figures the spark the program to potentially even greater glory in the week's ahead. The win dealt Cabrini its first loss since the middle of last season in a March 27 non-league defeat to then-No. 1 Salisbury.
 
Leading the way offensively was junior midfielder Connor Till who posted a team-high four points on three goals and one assist. Till led a host of nine IC players who registered at least one point on the day. First-year Jake Erickson continued to excel in his distribution in the offensive zone, dishing out a game-high three assists in the win. Junior attacker Connor Brumfield and sophomore midfielder Jae Stuhlman both notched two goal games, while sophomore Drew Turner also added two points on one goal and one helper. Senior attacker Ryan Ozsvath, junior midfielder Dillon Fitzpatrick and sophomore attacker Blake Eischen each netted one goal on the day, while senior defender Aaron McCartney dished out one assist on the rush to make the scoresheet for the first time this season.
 
Senior keeper Robby Atwood had a career effort between the pipes against one of the most prolific attacking units in the country. He stymied the Cavaliers to their lowest goal total since registering just five goals in that aforementioned loss to Salisbury last spring. Atwood finished the day with 15 saves, representing a new career high for the senior keeper.
 
He was not without help on the backend, as the IC defense continued to deliver hard work in front of their experienced net-minder. McCartney continued to have a huge impact in the defensive statistical categories, finishing with a game-high four caused turnovers and eight ground-balls. Junior Jake Hall-Goldman also was a strong component in the back, posting two caused turnovers and three ground-balls. Sophomore Demetri Lowry, senior Sean Seaberg and Till each posted one caused turnover in the win, with Seaberg also amassing an impressive six ground-balls.
 
Another key improvement that was a focal point of Ithaca's win was a much better performance at the 'X', which had been an area of concern for the Bombers coming into play on Saturday. Ithaca finished in a dead head with Cabrini in faceoff wins on the day, each side winning 11 which was a drastic change for an IC squad that was hovering in the mid-30's in win percentage through three games this season. Junior Cameron MacNicol had an excellent day with five wins in seven attempts, while junior Matt Pagliaro returned to fold for IC after an injury absence earlier this season. He secured six wins in a larger workload of 15 total chances.
 
It took a little while for both teams to get in sync during the early portions of the game. Although IC broke the ice when Connor Till rifled home his third of the season just over three-minutes into the game, Cabrini netted back-to-back tallies a minute apart midway through the first quarter to take the visitor's first lead of the day with 5:57 to play in the quarter. Ithaca's defense and Atwood's sharp keeping kept the score line unchanged through the duration of the frame.
 
The second quarter again started with some IC fireworks on attack, this time coming off the rush. McCartney sparked the scoring play, stripping Cabrini's Corey Carver and launching a quick counter strike. He sprinted coast-to-coast for a successful clear, before dishing to a wide open Eischen on the wing. The sophomore fired a laser over the shoulder of Cabrini keeper Matt Nestler to level the game at 2-2 with 10:53 left in the half.
 
It looked as though Cabrini might start to pull away over the ensuing stretch following the Eischen equalizer. Although the visitors came up empty on an immediate extra-man opportunity following the Eischen score, the Cavaliers retook the lead just after the expiration of the slashing penalty to Pagliaro with Jake Klein besting Atwood. Cabrini followed with another score just under three minutes later, this time converting on an extra-man chance to secure the first multi-goal lead for either side on the day. However, where IC found the answer to staunch the Cabrini momentum as the quarter reached its latter stages. Ozsvath and Till netted scoring strikes on consecutive possession with just under five-minutes to play in the half to again the level the score at 4-4. Although Cabrini briefly retook the lead on Kohl Wenser's score at 1:58, Jae Stuhlman rifled home a slick feed from Erickson just 40-seconds later to once-again deadlock the score at 5-5. The score sent Ithaca riding high into the halftime intermission.
 
A two-goal run by the Bombers midway through the third quarter lifted IC to its first lead since Till's opening marker of the day, putting the seed of doubt into a Cabrini side that has not trailed often over the past calendar year. Stuhlman and Erickson once-again synced up the tying strike with 9:13 to play, while Connor Brumfield whipped home a shot from the wing at 6:19 of the third to send IC ahead 7-6. Cabrini would not lead again throughout the rest of regulation. Dillon Fitzpatrick sent Ithaca into the final 15-mintues with the lead after his point shot found the twine past Nestler with 2:25 left in the quarter.
 
Ithaca established multi-goal leads three times during the final 15-minutes of play, outscoring Cabrini 3-2 when it mattered most. Turner, Till and Brumfield each netted goals, the latter's opening up an 11-9 lead with 5:48 left in regulation. Strong team defense and keeping helped the Bombers see out the victory down the stretch. Atwood made two sharp saves on Cabrini standout Jake Klein in the waning minutes, while Cabrini was only able to muster two other shot attempts during the final stretch.
 
The road does not get any easier for the Bombers in their next contest as the squad continues Spring Break with a road tilt at sixth-ranked Tufts. The contest will be Ithaca's third ranked opponent in five games this season. The Bombers and Jumbos will square off under the lights in a 7:00 p.m. opening faceoff on Tuesday, March 10.