ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team celebrated its five seniors prior to a 2–0 win over William Smith College. The victory clinched the second seed in the upcoming Liberty League tournament.
 
The Bombers bounced back to improve to 13–3 overall and 6–1 in Liberty League play. Before the game began, seniors Amberly Christiansen, Nicole Fortunato, Arla Davis, Elizabeth Pillow, and Brianna Lennon were honored at midfield. Sophomore striker Natalie Descalso, fresh off winning NFHCA Player of the Week and Liberty League Field Hockey Offensive Performer of the Week, dished out assists on both goals for the Bombers. Christiansen scored her first goal of the season in the first quarter, and senior Morgan Mullen doubled the Bombers lead in the third. Graduate student goalkeeper Macy Brandwein recorded her fifth shutout of the season, stopping all five shots on goal for the Herons. 
 
The Herons began the game with possession and controlled the pace of play and most of the chances early on. Brandwein and the defense was tested, but the goalkeeper stood tall and the defense bent but never broke. Brandwein was forced to make a save a minute in, and the Herons kept the Bombers on their heels for the majority of the frame. It took until the final minute of the first quarter for the Bombers to get their first registered shot of the game, but they made it count. Descalso possessed the ball down the right side of the field and attempted to send a pass to the goalmouth, but it was caught up in traffic. Descalso got the ball back and sent another pass that found Christiansen to put the Bombers up 1–0.
 
Ithaca kept up the pressure in the second quarter, not allowing William Smith to record a shot attempt in the frame. The Bombers flipped the field, keeping the Herons in their own defensive zone, and nearly extended their lead twice after shots from Mullen were saved and went wide around halfway through the quarter. Those attempts would be the only shots of the quarter, as the game would go to halftime with the Bombers still defending a 1–0 lead.
 
Out of the break, the Bombers sent the ball deep into the Herons defensive zone and forced them to clear it. Descalso was able to intercept a pass and quickly move it to Mullen, who was open in front and doubled Ithaca's lead just a minute into the second half. The Herons fought back to try and get on the board, forcing Brandwein to make two saves around five minutes later. The Bombers defense weathered the pushback from William Smith and would have their own chance to extend their lead with four minutes left in the quarter. Graduate student midfielder Jacqueline Mirabile sent a pass up top off a corner, and Pillow redirected a shot on goal but was stopped. Mirabile was first to the rebound but sent it wide. 
 
With 15 minutes left, the Bombers locked down defensively, not allowing William Smith to record a shot. The Bombers had the best chances of the quarter, despite being down a player for a green card. A shot from Mullen was saved early in, and a pair of shots from sophomore striker Emma Garver were saved and blocked. 
 
The Bombers outshot the Herons 11–7 and led in shots on goal 6–5 and penalty corners 4–6. The win secured the second seed in the Liberty League tournament and the Bombers will host a semifinals game in a rematch against William Smith College on Friday Nov. 4 at Higgins Stadium. Ithaca wraps up its regular season with a home game against Nazareth College at 4 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 26 at Higgins Stadium.