ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 20 Ithaca College field hockey team got its 2025 season off to a tremendous start with a 3-0 shutout win over Kean University at Higgins Stadium on August 29. The victory marks the second straight season in which the Bombers shutout the Cougars.
It took Ithaca just 30 seconds into the season to score a goal as
Eliza Ballaro scored off a centering pass from
Payton Yahner. The play started off a corner, which was inserted by
Brenna Schoenfeld and sent to the top of the circle to
Abby Hennessy, who tapped the ball over to Yahner and she found a wide open Ballaro in the middle of the circle. It was the first career goal for Ballaro.
The Bombers would earn three more corners in the period and took two more shots, but one was wide and the other rang off a post.
The second quarter was almost identical to the first as the Bombers picked up a corner just over 30 seconds in. On the ensuing insert, Hennessy sent a shot towards target and a deflection by
Toni Ierardi struck the post.
IC had another chance to add to its lead late in the second quarter as
Caroline Folan put a shot on target, but a defensive save by the Cougars kept the score at 1-0 with less than a minute remaining in the half.
In the third quarter, Ithaca once again applied offensive pressure and drew another corner in the opening seconds. Ballaro sent a hard shot towards goal, and it was kicked away.
Kean countered with an offensive chance and picked up its first corner of the contest. Meave Clark turned away the ensuing shot with a diving save. With just under two minutes left in the quarter, Clark made another miraculous save on a solid strike from the top of the circle to maintain the Bombers' 1-0 lead. Clark made six saves in the victory.
The fourth period once again saw the Bombers with an early corner opportunity, but both shot attempts were unable to find the back of the cage. With just over 12 minutes left in regulation, IC's lead extended to 2-0 as Ierardi won a scramble in front of the cage and had an open shot on goal. That tally was Ierardi's first of her career.
IC's lead grew to 3-0 just under three minutes later as
Ainsley Grant, unmarked by a defender, put in a centering pass from Schoenfeld.
Ithaca outshot Kean, 17-9, and held an 11-5 edge in corners.
The Bombers travel to Ursinus College on Sunday for a 1 p.m. matchup in Collegeville, Pa.
