On Sept. 4, the Ithaca College field hockey team maintained its perfect record. The Bombers extended their record to 3-0 with a 1-0 victory over the previously undefeated Misericordia University Cougars in a gritty non-conference matchup.
The Cougars’ defense was no match for the Bombers’ fast-paced ball movement, but junior goalkeeper Sarah Bogina was Misericordia’s anchor. Bogina faced 14 shots in the first half, but she managed to keep the Bombers scoreless despite their overwhelming offensive opportunities.
Among the Bombers’ shots in the first half, eight were a result of penalty corners. Senior midfielder Meara Bury was a key playmaker in the Bombers’ offense, notching three shots in the second quarter alone. Sophomore striker Toni Ierardi and sophomore midfielder Audrey McMahon also tallied two apiece.
The Bombers’ defense saw little action throughout the half but, when they did, it was senior defender Bella McCollister and junior defender Reese Abrahamson distributing the ball back into Cougar territory. Despite rattling shots off in the circle, the Bombers could not manage to convert, leaving the competition knotted at 0-0 for the entire 30 minutes.
The second half opened in a similar fashion to the first with the Bombers taking over complete control of the ball. Midway through the third frame, senior striker Juliana Valli found herself with time and room at the stroke line. She put a powerful shot across the goal line that brought the crowd to its feet — but the excitement was short-lived. A whistle wiped the point back off the board, crediting a foot penalty that put the ball back in Cougar possession.
Despite the setback, the Bombers were able to rattle off two more penalty corners, and the second proved successful. With 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter, sophomore midfielder Abby Hennessy found the boards; her second goal of the season left no room for questioning from the officials.
The Cougars would not find another opportunity to tie the score until the final 90 seconds of regulation, when they earned their second penalty corner of the competition that was quickly denied by the Bombers’ defense.
The Bombers’ 1-0 victory makes them 7-0 in their history against the Cougars. The Bombers took a lofty 26 shots throughout the competition, and head coach Kaitlyn Wahila credited Misericordia’s Bogina for not letting the South Hill squad off easy.
“She handled the pressure really well,” Wahila said. “We’ll take a look at the film and see how we can adjust our shot selection, but their goalkeeper was lights out. She was making some great saves, but I would like to see us find more options from the stroke line and capitalize on those opportunities.”
The Bombers preserve their standing at the top of the Liberty League and will head back on the road at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 when they take on the SUNY New Paltz Hawks in another non-conference matchup.
