The No. 22 Ithaca College men’s lacrosse suffered a grueling loss to non-conference rivals the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons on April 15 at Higgins Stadium. The Bombers could not keep up with the physicality of the Red Dragons, struggling to deliver the ball to the back of the net and win the one-on-one matchups.
The Bombers looked for redemption following the double overtime loss to Cortland in 2025, but came up short, also breaking their four-game winning streak.
Head coach Tommy Pearce said Cortland took advantage of the off-ball defense and overall just had some very strong players.
“We really just need[ed] to buckle down and make sure that off-ball, we’re keeping our head on a swivel and not losing our guys off-ball and taking better approach angles,” Pearce said.
Although senior attacker Brendan Occhino opened up the game, scoring 23 seconds into the clock, Cortland held possession of the ball nearly the entire first quarter. By the eight–minute mark in the first and down 4-2, the Bombers already looked bleak and did not score again until the middle of the third period, being held scoreless for over 30 minutes.
The Bombers were uncharacteristically on the logo of the field. The best team in the Liberty League for draw control with a 70.8% control rate prior, secured the ball for just 11 out of the 24 opportunities. In the draw following Cortland’s first goal of the game, the Red Dragons’ faceoff specialist cleanly scooped the ball directly into the stick before the defense got a chance to get set and immediately made a run for it down the field. Within seconds, he passed it to an attackman ready to fire it into the cage.
Despite the momentum constantly weighing on Cortland’s side, the Bombers created 29 shots at the goal, just one less than Cortland. However, they struggled to deliver the ball between the pipes, with just 17 on goal versus Cortland’s 26. Junior Charlie Falowski, the Red Dragons’ goalkeeper, made several highlight saves and recorded 12 total.
The Bombers were fairly conservative with the clear defense, rather focusing on prioritizing the setup of the one-on-one.
In the fourth quarter, the Bombers, down 15-4, junior attacker/midfielder Lucas Proctor tried to cut a defender, but buckled down holding his left leg. He stayed down for several minutes before being helped off the field with assistance from trainers and a limp. He later stood under his power but post-game, Pearce had little word on his status.
“He’s got to see the trainers and see how he’s feeling and everything,” Pearce said.
Walking up the stairs to the locker room, Cortland had many things to say to the IC fans waiting for members of the Bombers.
The Bombers will look to revive their usual selves and will have a chance to clinch a Liberty League playoff berth, before the final regular season game April 25 against No. 15 Skidmore College.
