ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College field hockey team ended Scranton's six-game winning streak with a 1-0 overtime victory at Higgins Stadium on September 27. Ithaca, which is now 6-3 on the season, earned the hard-fought win just over three minutes into the first overtime sessions.
The Bombers opened the game with an aggressive attack, as they recorded four shots with one on target, but were unable to score. IC drew a corner attempt just over two minutes into the game to set up the first scoring chance.
Scranton was unable to record a shot over the first 15 minutes of action as the game went into the second period deadlocked at 0-0.
It was much of the same in the second quarter as neither team could sustain possession to create many offensive changes and the game went into intermission scoreless.
The Bombers came in the third quarter and earned three corners in a 15-second span and took three shot off those opportunities, but two were blocked by Scranton defenders. Scranton produced one shot in the period as the contest entered the final 15 minutes of regulation still at 0-0.
Scranton stepped up the offensive pressure in the middle stages of the fourth quarter as a short cross looked destined to find the back of the net with a striker waiting with an open chance, but the Royals were whistled for a foul and IC regained possession.
Ithaca drew a corner with 1:53 left in regulation, but could not take a shot off that chance. About 40 seconds later, the Bombers sent a cross into space and the deflection by
Catherine Papa went out of bounds after a Royal defender batted it away and the game went to overtime.
IC ended the game just over three minutes into the first overtime as the Bombers earned a corner attempt.
Meara Bury inserted a pass to
Emma Garver, who then sent the ball over to
Natalie Descalso for the initial shot and
Juliana Valli redirected the attempt past Scranton's goalkeeper for the game-winning goal and her sixth goal of the season.
Alex Clough earned her third straight shutout victory as she stopped one shot.
The Bombers outshot Scranton, 12-5, and held an 8-0 advantage in corner attempts.
Ithaca will head to Skidmore College on Saturday, September 30 for a 2 p.m. Liberty League matchup.
