Members of the women’s soccer team arrive early for practice and stand in a circle. They juggle a ball back and forth, and they communicate with each other to try to keep it in the air, anticipating each players’ next move.

This camaraderie the Bombers have developed has helped them outscore their opponents 49–15.

Graduate student defender Lauren Koppel, who is tied for second on the team in goals with 10, said the team getting early leads has helped the Bombers put games away.

“Once we start scoring, we don’t stop,” she said. “We just need that first goal to get that initial push that motivates us for the rest of the game.”

Koppel is one of three Bombers to register double-digit totals in goals and points.

Freshman midfielder Julie Winn said versatility and depth are what helps the Bombers’ offense.

“Our scoring is drawn from a lot of different players,” she said. “So when teams play us, they cannot focus on only one player.”

Junior forward Kelly Gannon said the short, quick passes over the top help to build offensive continuity during the course of a game.

“Our quick style of play forces the other team to adjust to us rather than us adjusting to them,” she said.

A big reason for the Bombers’ offensive success has been the ability to maintain possession in the opponent’s zone. Head Coach Mindy Quigg said the team also looks to penetrate each time its opponent has the ball and not surface long balls.

Quigg said she was impressed by the offensive power the Bombers brought to their two 6–0 home blowout victories over Alfred University and Stevens Institute of Technology.

“When we’re playing a team that is considered by some to be a lesser opponent, they start to get demoralized, and we attack them again,” she said. “It’s a good sign of character to show that we’re not letting up.”

The Bombers also have a tendency to score in bunches, which was especially evident in their 4–2 win over Utica College at Carp Wood Field on Oct. 21, in which all four Ithaca goals came in the second half. All-American senior forward Winnie Adrien, who recently added to the Bombers’ offensive depth after returning from an ankle injury, said the team always looks to put in extra goals.

“No matter if we’re up or down, we’re always looking to put a few more in the back of the net, so even when we’re up by two, we’re still looking to score up until the last second,” she said.

The Bombers are looking to continue this offensive dominance in the postseason as they host the Empire 8 Championship tournament beginning Nov. 7 at Carp Wood Field.

Senior forward and midfielder Amy Scheffer leads the team in goals with 13 and said she hopes to develop more chemistry with her teammates as the Bombers look to score early and often in their final regular season match.

“Once we get [freshman forward Rachael Palladino] and Winnie working together, we’ll hopefully be able to put away more goals before we go into the playoffs,” she said.

Box Score - #22 Ithaca vs Oneonta (10/27/09 at Oneonta, N.Y.)