It was an ice cold afternoon on Higgins Field when the No. 21 Ithaca College women’s lacrosse team took on the No. 23 St. John Fisher University Cardinals in a tough, nail-biting 13–11 win
The first half was filled with back and forth action. With five turnovers for the Cardinals and seven for the Bombers, both teams started out ready to play, as the Cardinals made their first goal in the first two minutes of the first quarter by a free possession goal. The Cardinals showed their speed and agility as they were able to score another four goals for the half.
With snow and ice all over the gridiron, there was slipping and sliding but that did not stop the game from being canceled. The Bombers came out rusty in the first half, having trouble picking up ground balls and not being able to get through the Cardinals’ defense.
Going into the locker, the game was tied 5–5, but the Bombers gained momentum coming back on the field. They came out stronger and had the crowd going wild.
Sophomore defender Phoebe Hosford said head coach Karrie Moore’s words of encouragement during halftime helped lead them.
“[Coach Moore] said it’s gonna be a battle,” Hosford said. “We need to embrace the battle.”
The battle for the win got more intense until sophomore attacker Lily Cody scored three goals in the second half, helping the Bombers get to their win.
Cody has been a key piece in the Bombers’ success this season scoring 13 goals and has started five of six games. Cody said her teammates were able to allow her to have a hat-trick performance and that it was a crucial win in such an intense game.
“I think the game was a really high intensity game and a great team win for us,” Cody said. “My teammates set me up for the way I played and it was so fun to play alongside them today.”
However, that did not stop the Cardinals, as they scored another five goals, but again, the Bombers made a comeback with three goals scored by senior attacker Maizy Veitch to take a 13–11 win.
The defense came back as a brick wall, with senior goalkeeper Lexi Held having six saves in the second half, along with Hosford, senior defender Maggie Mandel and junior defender Kaitlyn Russell causing turnovers that eventually led to goals.
The Bombers have shown great play so far this season and hold a 5–1 record. This game was well deserved as they completely dominated the second half. With the competition being back and forth, the win ultimately went to the team who fought harder.
The Bombers are heading up north to play the University of Rochester Yellowjackets at 4 p.m. March 27 in Rochester, NY.
