ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 17 Ithaca College field hockey team lost its first game in Liberty League play on Oct. 10 against the Vassar College Brewers during Senior Day as the Bombers fell in a penalty shootout. Ithaca is now 10-3 on the season, 3-1 in the Liberty League, and suffered its first home loss in 14 games.
The Bombers would own most of the first quarter putting up two shots and having three corners. Vassar would post the most fouls in the first frame having 14 in just the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Bombers' offense would dominate putting Vassar on its heels but the Bombers failed to capitalize. IC would post five shots with three finding their way to the cage. But more importantly Ithaca would have four straight corner chances but none would find the back of the net.
The Brewers goalkeeper Grace Wiley stood on her head being a strong backbone for Vassars' defense.
The second half would open and be all Vassar posting six shots and having six penalty corners. But Bombers' goalkeeper
Maeve Clark stood tall on her senior day kicking aside multiple chances and kickstarting IC's transition game. Clark notched 9 total saves on the day.
But in the fourth quarter, IC had its best opportunity of the game in the 47th minute the Bombers had a corner opportunity, and
Brooke Snider would have a shot that just got blocked by a Vassar defender.
Sixty minutes wouldn't solve anything as the Bombers were forced to overtime. Just two minutes in,
Ainsley Grant took a green card and would be forced to sit out of play for two minutes. No real opportunities would occur for the Brewers but once that advantage for IC concluded
Payton Yahner also was forced to sit out, taking another green card.
Vassar had multiple opportunities on this advantage, but IC's defense shut the Brewers down.
One more overtime period would be played but this didn't solve a thing, forcing a penalty shootout.
The Bombers and Brewers traded misses until Vassar's Sydney Yu scored on Clark off the left post. Yahner knotted the shootout at 1-1, however, Autumn Dowiak pulled off a spin move pushing Clark out of position and banked it low off the post to give Vassar the 1-0 (2-1) shootout victory.
The Bombers travel to Rochester on Oct. 16 to take on the Yellowjackets at 4 P.M.
