The No. 13 Ithaca College women’s lacrosse team has done it yet again. The Bombers rained dominant over the Vassar College Brewers in a Liberty League matchup April 19 with a score of 18–3.
The first quarter set the tone for the game as senior attacker Maizy Veitch scored the first goal of the game within 40 seconds of gameplay. The Bombers’ offense was on fire as goals were scored by senior captain midfielder Sydney Phillips, senior captain midfielder Caroline Wise and sophomore attacker Leigh Naturale.
With the quarter ending with a Bombers’ 4–1 lead, the defense also played a vital role in this quarter. The defense was communicating loud throughout the half, making sure every opponent was marked. Junior defender Kaitlyn Russel had a strong performance, not letting any of the Brewers get past her and get a shot off.
It was nonstop scoring for the Bombers in the second quarter. The Bombers racked up another eight goals, ending the half with a 13–1 lead.
The Brewers were starting to give up at this point. They became less tight with the ball and were missing passes and not running after ground balls. This made it easier for the Bombers to get through them and score those eight goals.
As the second half started, the Brewers were getting frustrated and they started to receive green and yellow cards for shoving. Phillips scored a hat trick for the game as well.
However, the fourth quarter was memorable as the Bombers displayed new faces on the field. Sophomore goalkeeper Jocelyn Cote made her debut on the field and acquired four saves for the Bombers. Cote only played in one game last season against Bard College, so her time on the field has been long awaited.
Cote said it was a little nerve wracking going into the game for the first time this season, but her defensive teammates made it easier for her.
“Our defense played really solid and kept them on the outside. It made my saves really easy and predictable so [I] got to give credit where credit’s due,” Cote said. “Happy with how I did. Definitely kind of scary to go in, I wasn’t expecting it, so I am happy I was able to stay calm.”
With Cote’s entrance, first-year midfielder Sydney Smith made her collegiate lacrosse debut as she played the last ten minutes of the game. Smith came in with adrenaline and energy and got a turnover for the Bombers.
Following the victory, the South Hill squad advances their season record to 12–1, with an 8–0 conference record. The Bombers play their next game, another Liberty League matchup against Bard College at 2 p.m. April 20 at Higgins Stadium.
