In its 70th all-time matchup, the Ithaca College field hockey team dropped its fifth game of the season in a 3–1 loss against the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons during an under-the-lights matchup Sept. 13 at Higgins Stadium. The loss brings the Bombers’ overall season record to 3–2.
The Red Dragons took off on a strong start, dominating possession time and putting pressure on the Bombers’ senior goalkeeper Alex Clough. Following an early penalty corner and a clutch defensive save from junior striker Emma Garver, the Red Dragons earned a penalty stroke, allowing a free shot on Clough from 10 feet out.
Unlike penalty corners, penalty strokes are not a common occurrence during competition. They are the most severe penalties given, and are only awarded for a deliberate infringement by a defender or goalkeeper within the arc. Cortland’s junior striker Gianna Trunfio netted the opportunity, putting the Red Dragons in the lead, 1–0, with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Red Dragons would continue to find offensive opportunities, but the remainder of the frame went without score against the Bombers’ high-pressure defense.
Cortland continued to find holes in the Bombers’ defense early in the second period. Sophomore and junior defenders Reese Abrahamson and Bella McCollister led the Bombers’ defensive line, working to keep the ball outside of the arc and setting Clough up for successful saves.
However, Cortland’s junior striker Hanna Corrigan found time and room on a shifty play, uncorking a drive from the 16-yard arc and hitting the boards to put the Red Dragons up, 2–0, with 8:02 remaining in the first half. The opportunities did not stop there, as junior striker Keirra Ettere was next to add to the tally. Ettere snuck a cross shot past Clough less than four minutes later, and the first half closed with the Red Dragons leading 3–0.
Following the intermission, the first ten minutes of the third frame were spent in back-and-forth midfield play, with little possession on either side of the field. Electric energy from the Bombers’ bench fueled some momentum for the squad in blue, allowing more possession in Red Dragon territory than the Bombers had all game.
The Bombers earned their first penalty corner with five minutes on the clock in the third quarter. However, their first scoring opportunity of the competition was quickly shut down by Cortland’s stifling defense. A second opportunity presented itself to the Bombers less than a minute later. This time, finding the time and room to execute, Junior midfielder Meara Bury put the Bombers on the board with just over four minutes remaining in the frame.
The fourth and final quarter followed a similar pattern to the third, with increasingly chippy play for a large majority of the frame. The Bombers earned three consecutive penalty corners during the seventh minute, each of which proved unsuccessful to Cortland’s defense.
High-energy play kept the Bombers in Red Dragon territory for the remainder of the game, but the competition ultimately closed in a 3–1 defeat.
Senior striker Sarah DeVito — who was named the Liberty League Performer of the Week on Sept. 11 — said her team’s ability to gain momentum in the second half is a testament to the Bombers’ resilience and a core value for this year’s team.
“Something we’re really focusing on for Team 56 is momentum and never giving up,” DeVito said. “We’re always going to play until the very last minute regardless of what the scoreboard says. We came back at Misericordia [University] after being down, 2–0, at half. We knew we could come back from that and we applied the same mentality to this game.”
Head coach Kaitlyn Wahila said that when her athletes focus on themself and stick to their team values, they are capable of competing with and outplaying some of the best teams in the region.
“At halftime, we collected our team [and told them] we wanted them to be us, play with poise and play our game,” Wahila said. “I think we outplayed Cortland in the second half, and I think it’s because we brought it back to our own gameplan. We were awarded with more opportunities that came so close, so I’m really proud of our ability to be coachable and make those adjustments.”
The Bombers will next take on the No. 9 York College on Pennsylvania Spartans at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 in York, Pennsylvania.
