The Ithaca College men’s soccer team put up its second consecutive shutout in a 2–0 win against Wells College Sept. 13 at Carp Wood Field.

The Bombers shined throughout the game, dominating play and keeping the Wells Express in their half for a majority of the game. Wells College suffered its first loss of the season. The Bombers are now 2–3 on the season.

Head coach Patrick Ouckama said picking up two consecutive wins will give the team a boost for upcoming games.

“It’s good to get some momentum, especially after starting the season off a little bit slow and against some tough competition,” Ouckama said. “Two shutouts in a row and two games with multiple goals is nice, and that builds some momentum going into this weekend.”

The Bombers notched the first goal of the contest in the 10th minute with a perfectly executed corner set piece from senior Sam Boylan, allowing sophomore Nathan Schoen to get a head on the ball and score his third goal of the season.

Schoen said this was a new play the Bombers recently implemented.

“We actually just came up with that new play last practice,” Schoen said. “It was really good for our coaches to come up with that, and it worked out perfectly just like how we drew it up the first time.”

The Bombers continued to put pressure on the Wells squad but were held to just the one goal in the first half despite an 8–2 shot advantage. Senior goalkeeper Zach Jacobsen held the shutout well for the Bombers, making plenty of crucial saves, especially in the second half of the game.

In the second half, freshman midfielder Kevin Turi found himself some space outside the opponents’ 18-yard box, but was taken down by a Wells defender in the 62nd minute for a free kick. This set up Boylan for a fantastic chance to further the Bombers’ lead. Wells’ defenders were unable to set up in time as Boylan launched a perfect shot into the top corner of the net.

Boylan said he was able to take advantage of Wells for not being prepared in time for his free kick.

“They didn’t set up quickly enough,” Boylan said. “The goalie was out of position so I took it quick and got him.”

The rest of the game was dominated by the Bombers’ defensive line, keeping Wells attackers at bay. Jacobsen notched his second win of the season, making two saves and playing all 90 minutes of the game.

Ouckama said the Bombers still need to work on some defensive tactics after the win.

“I thought there were a few things we needed to clean up a bit. We gave them a couple chances and had they capitalized on those they would have been back in the match,” Ouckama said. “They didn’t so it stayed two nothing, but we gotta be a little bit cleaner and simpler in the back. That’s what we gotta work on right now.”

The Bombers’ offense was difference-making in the game, as they recorded a season-high 20 shots, while Wells could only manage seven.

The Blue and Gold look to extend their winning streak to three games as they begin Empire 8 play with a home game against Stevens Institute of Technology at 12 p.m. Sept. 18 at Carp Wood Field.