Tracy Rivas '13 posted three goals and two assists to lead Ithaca College to a 9-8 win over nationally ranked No. 19 Hamilton College in a non-conference game at Hamilton's Steuben Field on April 24.
Ithaca (11-3 overall) has won eight straight games. It was the Bombers' first win over Hamilton since an 11-8 victory in 2005. Hamilton had won the previous six games against Ithaca. It was the Continentals' fifth one-goal loss of the season.
Rivas leads Ithaca with 43 goals and 23 assists. Nicole Borisenok '12 added two goals and an assist, and Nikki Dahl '13 scored twice. Michelle Avery '13 chipped in one goal and one assist, and Becky Guzzo '14 scored the other goal. Kaitlyn Hoffay '13 was credited with an assist. Dahl won four draw controls and caused three turnovers. Kim Armbruster '13 won three draw controls and Siobhan Sullivan '12 collected three ground balls. Jess Worthman '13 made five saves in goal.
Rachel Friedman '13 paced the Continentals' offense with two goals and one assist. Friedman leads Hamilton with 34 goals and is tied for the team lead with 47 points. Emily Brodsky '14 scored twice and Madison Beres '15 added one goal and one assist. Libby Schultz '12 scored a goal for her 47th point, and Katie D'Antonio '14 and Ashley Allen '12 scored the other Hamilton goals. Kathryn Maiorano '14 was credited with an assist.
Meg Pengue '12 recorded season highs with six caused turnovers and five ground balls. Friedman won a game-high five draw controls and Julia Beaty '13 scooped up three ground balls. Dewi Caswell '14 started in goal and made three saves in the first half. Kari Koga '15 replaced Caswell at halftime and made two saves the rest of the way.
Hamilton (6-9) trailed 8-6 midway through the second half, but Friedman tallied a pair of unassisted goals to pull the Continentals even. Her first goal came with 16:37 to play and the equalizer came with 11:52 on the clock.
Rivas found the back of the net with 6:11 remaining to put the Bombers ahead 9-8. Maiorano forced an Ithaca turnover with 2:28 remaining, but the Continentals were unable to score the game-tying goal. Worthman saved a shot by Brodsky with 28 seconds left, and Ithaca ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Brodsky's free-position goal 2 minutes, 2 seconds into the first half gave Hamilton its only lead at 1-0. The Bombers responded with three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead. Borisenok scored off an assist from Hoffay, Dahl added an unassisted goal and Borisenok found Guzzo for a goal with 20:57 remaining in the half.
Maiorano fed Brodsky for a goal at 17:12 to make it 3-2, and the Continentals pulled even when Schultz scored off an assist from Beres with 11:20 left in the half.
Rivas had a hand in each of the next three goals as Ithaca took a 6-3 lead heading into halftime. Rivas fed Avery for a goal at 8:24, scored an unasssited goal at 6:55 and found Borisenok for a goal with 3:13 left in the half.
Hamilton cut its deficit to 6-5 with a pair of free-position goals to open the second half. D'Antonio scored with 27:06 to play and Beres found the back of the net with 26:18 on the clock.
Dahl scored off an assist from Avery to give the Bombers a 7-5 lead with 24:59 left. Allen's goal pulled the Continentals within 7-6 with 20:06 to play, but an unassisted goal by Rivas restored Ithaca's two-goal lead.
Hamilton held an 18-17 shot advantage and scooped up 16 ground balls to Ithaca's 13. The Bombers held a big 13-6 advantage in draw controls.
No. 7 seed Hamilton travels to No. 2 Colby College for a NESCAC Championship quarterfinal on Saturday, April 28, at noon.
