GENEVA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's soccer team fell 4-1 to the Hobart College Statesmen on the road Tuesday afternoon. The Bombers now hold a 4-3 record for the season and are 0-1 in Liberty League play.
Despite battling the rain throughout the game, the Statesmen dominated possession. Ithaca struggled to create quality chances, and when opportunities arose, their shots were often off target.
Nine minutes into the game, Hobart had two consecutive chances that required saves from Brayden Milbrandt. Ithaca's first chance came from a free kick just outside the box, but Connor Tierney's shot was blocked. Shortly after, Milbrandt made a crucial save on a hard shot from Griffin Patterson.
In the 18th minute, Landon Hellwig capitalized on sloppy defending by the Statesmen, scoring the first goal for the Bombers with a powerful shot past Thomas Chyzowych. However, Hobart quickly equalized at the 18:42 mark with a header from Quinn Phillips.
Tierney nearly regained the lead for Ithaca but was forced wide by a Hobart defender. In the 29th minute, Hobart's La Zai Outerbridge was tripped up by the Ithaca defense after getting past Milbrandt, and the Bombers cleared the ball. Andrew Kusek missed a golden opportunity in the 38th minute, sending a free kick high and wide.
Just before halftime, Phillips scored his second goal, giving Hobart a 2-1 lead with a shot from outside the 18-yard box. The Statesmen outshot Ithaca 8-7 in the first half, with Ithaca's lone goal being their only shot on target.
Milbrandt made a key save early in the second half, denying Matheus Souza. Hobart continued to press, with Brian Sheehan's header off a corner kick just missing the net. Ithaca nearly equalized in the 55th minute, but Joshua Bourdoulous' attempt was blocked.
In the 60th minute, a free kick from the top of the box left Milbrandt out of position, allowing Luke Ryan to extend Hobart's lead to 3-1. The Statesmen sealed the game in the 77th minute with a breakaway goal from Outerbridge.
At the final whistle, both teams had the same number of shots, but Hobart placed eight on goal compared to Ithaca's four.
Ithaca's next game is on Saturday at 2 p.m. as they continue Liberty League play on the road against Bard College.
