ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College field hockey team is gearing up for an exciting 2024 season, kicking off this Friday with a trip to Union, New Jersey. The Bombers are set to face off against No. 12 Kean University on August 30th at 1 p.m.
 
Coming off an impressive 15-7 campaign last fall, the Bombers dominated Liberty League regular season play but narrowly missed out on the championship, falling to William Smith. However, their journey didn't end there, as Ithaca secured one of the eight at-large bids to the NCAA Championship. Their historic season concluded in the Round of 16, where they faced No. 2 Johns Hopkins.
 
Entering this season, Ithaca is ranked first in the Liberty League preseason poll and 23rd in the NFHCA top 25 preseason poll. IC shares the spotlight with four of their 2024 opponents also making the rankings—Kean (12th), York (11th), Cortland (15th), and William Smith (24th). Notably, Cortland, William Smith, and York all advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of last year's NCAA Championship, while Kean made it to the Final Four.
 
Head coach Kaitlyn Wahila and associate head coach Mo Ordnung have assembled a roster this year featuring 29 student-athletes, including seven seniors, four juniors, 12 sophomores, and six first-years.

"This season we are looking forward to competing against some of the best Division III field hockey programs in the country," said Wahila. "Last season was an incredible run, we worked hard to earn the experience we had competing in the sweet sixteen. As we prepare for an exciting 2024 campaign it will be important for our team to stay focused on the process and the journey of a season. This is a group of student athletes who want to put the work in, we will work hard and have fun doing it!"
 
The senior class — comprised of Natalie Descalso, Catherine Papa, Emma Garver, Juliana Valli, Bella McCollister, Madeleine Goodman, and Meara Bury - brings a wealth of experience and skill, poised to lead the team to another historic season.
 
Returners Bury, Descalso, McCollister and Valli were recognized to the All-Liberty League team in 2023. McCollister earned both first team All-Liberty League honors and was named Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year. Descalso also received first team honors, Bury was named to the second team, and Valli earned an Honorable Mention.
 
Descalso and McCollister also secured spots on the All-Region first team, while Bury was named to the second team. McCollister's outstanding performance earned her a spot as a second team All-American by the NFHCA, marking her as the 31st All-American in the program's history.

Bury, Descalso and McCollister were all named to the 2024 NFHCA Watchlist.
 
The junior class, led by returners Anne Leach, Brenna Schoenfeld, Eliza Ballaro, and Reese Abrahamson, is expected to take on significant leadership roles. Schoenfeld was a key contributor to last season's offense, racking up 11 points from four goals and three assists. Abrahamson, Ballaro, and Leach will be sharing their defensive expertise as upperclassmen on the field.

"The experience we are bringing back this season is impressive," Wahila stated. "Our senior class has been a part of many high moments and has helped us grow through the challenging ones over the past three seasons. I can see their determination both on and off the field, they are ready to lead this team to greatness. They bring a poise, a confidence, and an overall hype that we will lean on. Our juniors and sophomores are a highly skilled and competitive group who will help us raise the bar and meet the moment this season."
 
The sophomore class includes Abby Cannon, Ainsley Grant, Breeah Shaw, Caroline Folan, Brady Sullivan, Brooke Snider, Nicole Kornweiss, Audrey McMahon and Payton Yahner with the addition of transfer students Abby Hennessy, Maeve Clark and Toni Ierardi. The first years - Delaney Szwast, Ella Carwile, Ellie Gipe, Emma Hudson, Mia Woodard and Taylor McKinnon- round out the squad.

"Our nine newcomers have adjusted nicely to our tactical game plan as well as our off-field team culture," said Wahila. "Preseason is a busy time, but they have jumped right into the mix with great attitudes and bring a high level of effort to our training. We are looking forward to their development as students and athletes here at Ithaca."
 
This season, the Bombers will navigate an 18-game schedule. After their season opener at Kean, they will host St. John Fisher for their home opener on Sunday, September 1. The team remains at home to face Misericordia (September 4), before hitting the road for matchups against New Paltz (September 7) and No. 15 Cortland (September 11).
 
The Bombers will then return to South Hill to challenge No. 11 York on September 14. A quick turnaround sees Ithaca back on the road to face SUNY Brockport on September 18 and Scranton on September 24.
 
Liberty League play begins at home on September 28 with a matchup against Union. Following that, the Bombers will alternate between home and away games, including contests at Geneseo (October 2), home against No. 24 William Smith (October 5), at Rochester (October 12), at RPI (October 18), home against Vassar (October 20), and home against Skidmore (October 25).
 
The regular season wraps up with road games at St. Lawrence (October 27) and Oswego (October 30,) before concluding with a home Senior Day matchup against Ursinus (November 2). The Liberty League Championship is set for November 5, 8, and 10, where Ithaca will aim to make another deep postseason run.