On Sept. 23, Carp Wood Field was the site of a wet, scrappy affair, with the homesteading Ithaca College men’s soccer team knocking off the unbeaten Bard College Raptors, 3–0, in the first conference matchup of the season. 

In the first game of Liberty League play, the Bombers came out strong, with first-year student Brandon Alchydefender Gustav Bauerle taking the first shot a little over one minute into the game. However, his attempt was blocked by Bard’s junior goalkeeper Gavin Hersey. The Bombers attempted two more shots after that, one by senior defender Conor Baird and another by senior midfielder Reefe Harrison that sailed to the right of the goal. 

Just 65 seconds later, Baird’s second shot found the back of the net. Baird was falling to the grass as his toe booted the ball and his body slid to the muddy grass. The shot was at the perfect angle and Hersey could not stop its blazing path. The goal put the Bombers in the lead, 1–0.

For the next 17 minutes, nearly the remainder of the first half, only the Bombers attempted shots. Bauerle’s second attempt on goal drifted high, while graduate student defender Brendan Lebitsch’s try was pushed high to the left and out of play. 

Bard’s first shot came over 33 minutes into the contest, with first-year student defender Mateo Betelu’s attempt rejected by Bombers’ senior goalkeeper Ian Whitfield. 40 minutes in, the Bombers scored again, with first-year student midfielder Jack Nelson assisted by sophomore forward Jared Krasnove. That goal made it a two-score advantage for the Bombers as the first half came to a close.

Halftime did not diminish Ithaca College’s intensity on the pitch. Following a yellow card issued to the Raptors’ first-year student midfielder Henry Skeltis, junior midfielder Connor Tierney responded seconds later with his first goal of the match. His score made it a commanding 3–0 lead for the Bombers as the rain fell incessantly. 

Bard continued to fight, but a shot by junior forward Reed Campbell was hooked wide. Hersey made a save 68 minutes in on sophomore midfielder Drew Warren’s boot on goal in the bottom right corner of the net. The final 20 minutes of play were scoreless as Whitfield logged a shutout for the home squad. 

The Bombers, now with a record of 3–1–2, will face Hobart College at 4 p.m. Sept. 27 on Carp Wood Field. The Statesmen are 2–4–1 on the year, having played a difficult non-conference slate.