After a 4–0 shutout against Empire 8 conference opponent Elmira College on Oct. 10, the Bombers came out ready in their following conference match-up against Stevens Institute of Technology on Oct. 11. In a back-and-forth affair, the Bombers ultimately defeated the Ducks 3–2. With the win, the Blue and Gold are now 9–3 overall and 5–1 in conference play.
The Bombers controlled the play for most of the first half, tallying 15 shots on goal. Stevens’ goalie Emily Stukenborg made impressive save after impressive save to keep the score notched at 0–0. On a breakaway, Stevens’ midfielder Regan Littell, assisted by forward Taylor Welch, lured goalie Katie Lass outside the goal and pounded her with three shots, ultimately scoring on the last shot at 4:49 to go in the half. The first half ended with Stevens leading the Bombers 1–0.
Head coach Tracey Houk said her message to the squad after the first half was to keep the communication strong among teammates.
“My message was for the girls to pretty much settle, to believe, to be confident in what they are doing and to play as a team,” Houk said. “Communicating [with their teammates], the team’s mental composure, and the belief that they will score goals is also important.”
Houk’s peptalk proved to work, and the Bombers came out charging at the beginning of the second half. Junior forward Colleen Keegan-Twombly scored her 10th goal of the season on a corner three minutes into the second half, tying the score 1–1.
“Scoring my 10th goal was an awesome feeling. I’ve been really lucky to get such great passes from good players on the post,” Keegan-Twombly said. “[My ability] to create space in the circle allows me to get these shots off.”
Stevens took back the lead by scoring four minutes later thanks to midfielder Katti Thomasian. Forward Michaela Donohue then answered with a goal of her own, which tied the score at 2–2 when she scored on a corner in the 11th minute of the second half, with an assist from senior midfielder and captain Olivia Salindong.
Senior back and captain Caitlin O’Brien then scored on yet another corner in the 55th minute of play, giving the Bombers the 3–2 advantage.
This game had an impressive 17 corners, with eight of them for the Bombers. The Blue and Gold scored all three of their goals on corners. Houk said the team uses time during practices to work on corners, which came in handy during the contest.
O’Brien said one of the main goals of the team is to stay consistent throughout the season and focus on the fundamentals.
Down by just one, Stevens was not giving up. The Ducks continued to play hard until time ran out, but ultimately could not score and the Bombers ended up defeating the Ducks 3–2.
The Bombers play next against Houghton College at 1 p.m. Oct.17 in Houghton, New York.
