The Ithaca College field hockey team extended its winning streak to five with an evenly matched, 1–0, victory over the SUNY Geneseo Knights on Oct. 4 at Higgins Stadium. The uncharacteristically 80 degrees and sunny afternoon improved the Bombers’ overall record to 8–3.
Both teams entered the competition with evenly matched resumes, with each of their only three losses coming from nationally ranked squads. The skill-riddled matchup proved to be a battle in the midfield, but the Knights were able to generate the majority of the quarter’s scoring opportunities. After outshooting the Bombers, 5–0, senior goalkeeper Alex Clough dominated in the cage, shutting out the Knights to complete the quarter without score.
In a complete turnaround from the previous frame, the Bombers entered the second quarter with more aggression and urgency in their play. Sophomore striker Brenna Schoenfeld led the offense in a playmaking role, distributing the ball into the striking circle and notching two shots of her own.
The Bombers earned their first penalty corner of the frame with 7:42 remaining on the clock. Off Schoenfeld’s injection, the ball pinballed between senior and junior strikers Avery Moses and Natalie Descalso, respectively, tripping up the Knights’ defense before junior defender Madeleine Goodman fired a drive just wide of the cage.
The close opportunity fueled some momentum for the Bombers, drawing more scoring plays in Knight territory. With 6:14 remaining in the quarter, Schoenfeld received a cross pass at the top of the circle that left her 1-on-1 with graduate student goalkeeper Sarah Quinlan. Launching a shot to the opposite pipe, Quinlan’s diving save denied the Bombers their final scoring opportunity of the half.
Entering the second half in a 0–0 stalemate, both teams were hungry to put a point on the board. The Bombers’ past two competitions against the University of Scranton on Sept. 27 and Skidmore College on Sept. 30 resulted in intense overtime victories — the latter resorting to a best-of-5 shootout.
The Bombers continued to nurture their control over offensive possession throughout the third quarter, but the Knights’ stifling defense forced them to get creative. Following a penalty corner 8:20 into the quarter, senior striker Sarah DeVito took a diving shot attempt off Descalso’s rebound. Quinlan denied the effort once again, and the scoreboard saw no change.
The Bombers opened the final quarter with two early penalty corners to set the offensive tone, but the frame was a back-and-forth battle until the five-minute mark. Assisted by a high cross from Descalso, junior midfielder Catherine Papa batted the ball past Quinlan’s opposite hip to earn the first lead of the competition. The remaining five minutes would go without any additional scoring, securing the Bombers’ 1–0 victory.
Following two consecutive high-stakes overtime competitions, Papa said the sound of the regulation buzzer was a weight off the team’s shoulders.
“It’s so exciting,” Papa said. “Those overtime games are so super exciting, but your adrenaline is on high. To win in regular time is so relieving and so relaxing — to say we did that and to say ‘Yeah, we are better than them,’ is so awesome.”
Head coach Kaitlyn Wahila said the Bombers’ experience with post-regulation play over the past week ensured that her athletes were well-prepared for the tenuous battle against the Knights.
“There was a moment where I was thinking, ‘Are we doing it again for the third time in a row?’” Wahila said. “Oddly enough, I think we would have been prepared for that, but I’m very pleased that we were able to finish that game off in regulation. … I’m really pumped that [Papa] was able to finish on that, and literally take the ball out of the air to finish it. It was a super fun goal to finish on.”
The Bombers will resume conference play when they take on the St. Lawrence University Saints at 3 p.m. Oct. 7 at Higgins Stadium.
