Ithaca Wins Fifth Straight, Edges William Smith

ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca College (8-3) won its fifth-straight game with a 12-11 decision over visiting William Smith (5-7) on Tuesday afternoon at Higgins Stadium.

After digging itself out of an early 4-1 deficit, Ithaca netted five of the final six goals of the first half to lead 6-5 at intermission. William Smith tied-up action, 6-6, to open the second, but three consecutive Bomber scores assured that Ithaca would never again trail. Two late goals brought the Herons within one at the 42-second mark, but Ithaca forced a turnover in the crease and returned to its offensive end to remain perfect on its home turf this season.

Junior Nikki Dahl (Columbus, Ohio/The Wellington School) posted a career-high six-point performance with four goals and two assists. Junior Tracy Rivas (East Meadow/East Meadow) also netted four for the Bombers, while junior Kaitlyn Hoffay (Ithaca/Ithaca) tallied twice and Kim Armbruster (Boonton, N.J./Montville) and Racquel Lividini (Mamaroneck/Mamaroneck) once.

Armbruster and senior Siobhan Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) each collected four ground balls and Sullivan forced a career-high four turnovers. Junior Jess Worthman (Commack/Hauppauge) improved to 8-2 on the season having made seven stops in cage for the Bombers. Ithaca held a slight 27-24 advantage in shots and a 26-25 edge in ground balls, while the Herons won 15 draw controls to the Bombers' 10.

Worthman cleared a save to Rivas who marched downfield and went right to goal to score the game's first, though William Smith rattled off four straight to power to a 4-1 lead at 17:08. Dahl twice went unassisted, broken up by a Rivas free position score, as the Bombers responded and knotted action at 4-4. William Smith claimed its final lead of the game at the eight-minute mark before Lividini and Armbruster each found the back of the net for a 6-5 Bomber advantage at the break.

The Herons brought the game to a 6-6 stalemate 46 seconds into the latter half, but Hoffay, Dahl and Rivas went on to lift Ithaca to a 9-6 gap at 22:50. The teams thrice exchanged goals as Ithaca maintained its three-goal gap, but two late Heron scores threatened overtime. Ithaca held off a surging visiting team to claim the victory.

The Bombers return to action Saturday, April 21 at Elmira.

2012-04-17