ITHACA, NY – A pair of goals from Ithaca's Morgan Mullen was all that the Bombers needed to put away the Hartwick field hockey team on Wednesday afternoon, as the hosts grabbed a 2-0 win in an early season battle of unbeatens. Ithaca moves to 5-0 for their best start since 2013, while Hartwick drops to 3-1, matching their record at this point in 2018.
The Hawks had the first chance of the day on a Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) corner, but Brooke Singer (Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell) sent the ensuing shot wide at 2:58. Ithaca responded with their own corner just past five minutes in, which also fell short of the mark as Grace Ziehnert's shot was blocked. Another penalty corner from the Bombers at 13:18 resulted in a scramble; Katie Dick got two shots on target, both of which were stopped by Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco). After one, the game remained scoreless.
Ithaca broke through in the second quarter at the 20:27 mark, when Mullen deflected a ball off the stick of Arleigh Rodgers into the bottom left corner of the cage for the first tally of the game. The next significant chance came in the 26th minute, this time for 'Wick. After a Bella Wheeler (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) shot was blocked, the Hawks earned a corner at 25:29. Peakes took it, and the ball eventually found Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central), whose shot was also blocked. Hartwick then earned another corner, and Peakes again got one to Gagnon. This time the reigning Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week was able to get it to the cage, but Savanna Lenker made the stop. Aside from another Ithaca penalty corner early in the 28th minute, the rest of the half went uneventfully, and the Bombers took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The third quarter went relatively quietly. Each team had one corner and two shots; Ithaca's shots were blocked and wide, respectively, while both of Hartwick's required saves. The Bombers doubled their lead just 33 seconds into the fourth on Mullen's second of the day. Dick shot one from outside the circle, which Mullen tipped in at the right post for the insurance goal. Hartwick tried to get one back in the 51st minute on another Peakes corner, but yet again Lenker saved a Gagnon shot. That was the last chance for 'Wick on the night as the final eight-plus minutes ran out with just an Ithaca shot and penalty corner.
As she has for three of the first four games, Gagnon led all players in shots, with four (three on goal). Tegan Robinson (Mechanicville, NY/Shenendehowa) also had a shot on net, and Singer and Wheeler had the other 'Wick shots. Osborne played all 60 minutes in net, making three saves on five shots.
Kristen Rafferty led the Bombers with three shots (one on net), although Mullen's two shots both found the back of the cage. Dick had two shots to go with her assist, Rodgers had one shot (and a helper), and Kendall Keil, Victoria Sestito, and Ziehnert had the other shots Lenker put up her third clean sheet of the season, making all four saves required of her.
Ithaca had an 11-7 advantage on shots, and a 5-4 lead in shots on target. They also had a modest lead on corners, with eight penalty corners to Hartwick's five.
'Wick looks to right the ship next time out, as they travel to Brockport on Saturday, September 14 for a 5 p.m. matchup.
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