Year after year, the team has dominated regular-season competition en route to not only the Empire 8 playoffs but the Division III NCAA championship playoffs, as well. The 2007 team advanced into the Elite Eight, and the 2008 squad is looking to top that performance.

After finishing 12–2–2 overall and 7–1 in Empire 8 play, the Bombers gained the top seed in the Empire 8 tournament this coming weekend, meaning they will host. While those regular season records may be extremely similar to the 2007 team’s numbers, senior forward Chelsey Feldman said this team is much different and people will need to step up in every facet of the game.

“We have a lot of new players in key roles, so we will stress the importance of the playoffs,” she said. “I am hoping everyone recognizes the importance of each game.”

This time of year, every game proves to be vital, as it can be the difference between the continuation and ending of a season.

The playoff format reinforces this fact, as the games in both the Empire 8 and NCAA tournaments are scheduled only on the weekends, giving the team a full week to prepare for its opponents.

The Bombers are now focused on Stevens Institute of Technology, who they already defeated 2–0 in Hoboken, N.J., this season. Stevens finished the season fourth in the conference at 5–3.  Seeing opponents for the second time in a season makes the games more competitive, giving the week of preparation even more meaning.

“Now everyone has seen each other before,” junior Winnie Adrien said. “That makes it a little more competitive, which means it will take a lot more preparation during the week.”

Though the Bombers won’t be looking too far ahead, they still need to prepare for their potential championship game on Sunday. If the Bombers can defeat Stevens, they will play the winner of the other semifinal game between Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology. Both teams had strong seasons, but like Ithaca, Nazareth also finished tied at the top of the standings with a 7–1 record in the conference. The Bombers earned the top seed in the Empire 8 title by defeating Nazareth 2–1 in double overtime Oct. 25.

While winning the Empire 8 tournament and getting an NCAA tournament automatic bid is Ithaca’s main goal at the moment, it still could reach the NCAA tournament if it lost via an at-large bid.

The Bombers head into the month of November with the realistic vision of a NCAA national championship on their minds. After an Elite Eight appearance in 2007, this group is hungry for more.

“The bar is set high and there is added pressure this year going into playoffs because of our success last year,” junior Amy Scheffer said. “We will handle it confidently and come out on top.”