ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Ithaca College women's soccer team came back from a two-goal deficit on Wednesday evening at Judson Stadium, scoring three times in the second half to beat RIT 3-2 in a Liberty League matchup.
Mia Medearis scored twice, including the winner in the 89th minute. Ithaca is now 6-3-4 overall and 2-2-2 in conference play. RIT falls to 5-5-3 and 3-3-1 in the league.
RIT controlled most of the first half and struck early. Bella Coccio fired twice in the opening two minutes, and Ithaca goalkeeper
Katrina Varnum saved her low shot in the 2nd minute.
Lilyana Baldi gave the Bombers their first look in the 5th minute, but RIT goalkeeper Ashton Anderson made the stop.
Kyra Lynch sent a shot just wide in the 8th minute after back-to-back Ithaca corners.
The Tigers broke through in the 10th minute, when Valeria Luzio finished a low shot into the bottom right corner from in front of goal, assisted by Coccio.
Varnum kept the deficit at one with saves in the 16th and 18th minutes, the second on Emma Pedro. RIT earned five corner kicks between the 16th and 26th minutes but couldn't add to its lead.
Ithaca's best stretch of the half came just past the half-hour mark.
Jayne Bogle forced a save from Anderson in the 33rd minute, and Baldi had a shot blocked in the 35th. RIT took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Tigers doubled their lead less than three minutes into the second half. Coccio stole the ball from a defender and finished from 15 yards out in the 48th minute.
The Bombers answered quickly. In the 52nd minute, Medearis tapped in a shot from in front of goal off a Bogle assist. Eighty-three seconds later,
Julia Gilgar tied the game, curling a shot from the upper left corner of the box into the upper right corner, with Medearis assisting.
Both goalkeepers kept it level from there. Anderson stopped Baldi in the 64th minute and turned away another Ithaca shot in the 85th. Varnum saved a low shot from Lindsay Ford in the 74th minute.
Ithaca took the lead for good in the 89th minute, when Baldi fed Medearis from near the left goal line and Medearis finished from 10 yards out for her second goal of the night.
Ithaca outshot RIT 12-11, and both teams put seven shots on goal. After trailing 7-5 in shots in the first half, the Bombers outshot the Tigers 7-4 after halftime, with a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.
Medearis finished with two goals and an assist, and Baldi led added four shots and an assist. In goal, Varnum played all 90 minutes and made five saves.
Anderson also went the distance for RIT with four saves. RIT had an 11-7 advantage in corner kicks.
The Bombers return home to Carp Wood Field on Saturday to host Clarkson University at 2 p.m. in Liberty League play and to celebrate Senior Day.
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