After back-to-back home games resulted in two wins for the Ithaca College field hockey team, the Bombers dropped an away contest to the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks 2–1 Sept. 17.
Fueled by the home crowd, Stevens came running out of the gate, firing off the game’s first 2 shots, including one off the post by sophomore Regan Littell. The Ducks took more shots on goal in the half, but senior Bomber goalie Katie Lass kept the game at a tie for the Blue and Gold through the first 20 minutes.
Despite the solid start by Lass and the Bombers, Stevens struck first. With 21 minutes gone in the first half, freshman Michaela Thompson picked up a loose ball after a Stevens penalty corner and snuck it past Lass for a 1–0 Ducks lead.
The Bombers made a push at the end of the half, picking up two consecutive penalty corners, but could not convert on either. As the teams headed into the locker room at the end of the first period, Stevens held a 7–3 advantage in shots and a 1–0 advantage on the scoreboard.
In the second period, senior Lauren Delia recorded two more opportunities on penalty corners for the Bombers. Both missed the mark and the Ducks remained up by 1.
The Ducks continued to dominate the pace of play, forcing the Bombers to make quick decisions and get rid of the ball before an open passing lane appeared.
Suddenly, with 15 minutes remaining, sophomore Viktoria Schultz found herself with a feed from junior Michaela Donohue and an attempt at the net. Schultz ripped the shot and converted, with the one-timer beating senior goaltender Emily Stukenborg. Stevens, looking at a tie game despite controlling the action, immediately signaled for a timeout.
After both sides failed to break the stalemate following the timeout, the game seemed destined for overtime.
As time wound down in regulation, sophomore Regan Littell started the action with a penalty corner. Senior Nolie Prouty ended up with the ball on her stick and slipped her third goal of the year over the line with ten seconds remaining, ending the game with a 2–1 win for the Ducks.
The last-second defeat drops the college to 2–3 on the year, while Stevens improves to 4–2.
The Bombers will return to Higgins Stadium at 4 p.m. Sept. 21 for a game against Houghton College. The Bombers have won three straight games against the Highlanders.
