BROCKPORT, N.Y. - In a midweek road matchup, the No. 18 Ithaca College field hockey team blanked the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles in a 2-0 victory Sept. 18. The win improves the Bombers' record to 5-2 as Ithaca has won 10 of its last 11 games against Brockport.

Ithaca dominated possession time from the first whistle, immediately taking offensive control and keeping the ball in Golden Eagle territory. Senior midfielder Catherine Papa was the first to test Brockport's goalkeeper but, despite eight shots, the Bombers failed to convert in the first quarter. 

The second frame was a defensive stalemate with neither team seeing much scoring action. When the Bombers found shots, however, they made them count. Only 41 seconds into action, sophomore striker Ainsley Grant was able to put the first point on the board. Her goal, assisted by senior striker Juliana Valli, marked the first of her collegiate career and put the Bombers in the lead, 1-0. 

Five minutes later after a Brockport penalty corner, the Bombers decided to tack on one more. After missing the first three games of the season while recovering from a knee injury, senior striker Natalie Descalso made her 2024 scoring debut. Off a flat pass from sophomore midfielder Brooke Snider, Descalso buried her 19th career goal in the back of the cage. 

Halftime came and went with the Bombers holding a 2-0 lead. Although the Ithaca offense rattled off two more shots in the third quarter and three in the fourth, the Bombers failed to extend their lead any further. Despite the stalemate, the competition closed out with a Bomber victory.

The Bombers out-shot the Golden Eagles 16-2, nine of which were on goal. Chippy midfield play resulted in Brockport out-fouling the Bombers 40-36. Sophomore goalkeeper Abby Cannon tallied one save from Brockport's only shot on goal. 

The Bombers will look to extend their win streak when they travel to Pennsylvania to take on the University of Scranton Royals at 7 p.m. Sept. 24.