Women's Soccer Plays St. John Fisher to Scoreless Draw

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's soccer team battled to a 0-0 draw with St. John Fisher on Tuesday evening at Growney Stadium. The draw pushes the Bombers – who received votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll – to 7-0-2 on the season while the Cardinals are now 4-1-2. There was no lack of offense for Ithaca, as the Bombers outshot St. John Fisher 23-6, with six shots on goal, but none were successful in finding the back of the net. Ithaca maintained control from the jump, taking the first eight shots of the game before Fisher made an attempt. The Bombers first promising chance was in the seventh minute, but Fisher's goalkeeper Melissa McGowan came up with the save. Three ensuing shots all were high or wide and a Sarah Pirnie shot in the 26th minute was blocked by a Cardinals' defender. Ithaca tested McGowan in goal once again in the 38thminute, but she saved Alex Epifani's shot to keep the Bombers off the board. With nearly 17 minutes left in the first half, Ithaca had a promising chance when Epifani went on a breakaway up the left sideline, but her cross was not reached in time to get off a shot. Fisher registered its first shot of the game, from Kerri Orbach, in the 40th minute but an Ithaca defender blocked it, sending it the other way. Ithaca's final shot of the half, from first-year Megan O'Reilly, went high, sending the teams into the break in a deadlock. Things started out more evenly matched in the second half with Fisher registering its first shot seven minutes in. Tara Marcello's attempt sailed wide before the Cardinals' next two shots from Carli Kovarik and Isabelle Destefano were wide and blocked by an IC defender, respectively. The Bomber registered the next four shots of the game, but the first three from Sam Robinson, Gabriella Mihale and Epifani were all wide of the goal. In the 75th minute, junior Elise Leavitt tested McGowan with a shot on frame, but McGowan once again came up with the save. Less than two minutes later, first-year Molly MacFarland's shot was also saved by McGowan, before Leavitt registered one of Ithaca's best chances of the game. Leavitt drilled a ball just past McGowan in goal, but the shot hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced to the ground, giving the goalkeeper enough time to regroup and send it the other way. The Bombers continued to generate offense, recording back-to-back shots in the 84th minute. Mihale's first shot was high before McGowan made the play on her second ball. Junior goalkeeper Sara Jakobsze made her first save of the day in the 86th minute on a Marcello shot, keeping the Cardinals off the board. Ithaca got off two more shots in the final minute of regulation. The first shot from O'Reilly was saved by McGowan, before Pirnie's shot went high. The Bombers and the Cardinals each took just one shot in the first overtime period, neither of which were on goal. MacFarland took Ithaca's lone shot just 3:12 in, but it was wide of the goal while Shiane Irwin registered Fisher's, but that too sailed wide. The Bombers generated more offense in the second overtime period. Following a corner kick in the 106th minute of play, Reid Garner sent in a shot, but it was blocked by a Fisher defender. Kate Kohler took the final shot of the game, following a corner, but it was high over the net. There were no more shots in the final three minutes and 43 seconds of the game. In addition to outshooting the Cardinals, Ithaca also recorded nine corner kicks to Fisher's zero. Jakobsze finished the day with one save while McGowan had six for the Cardinals. The Bombers are back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. against St. Lawrence on Carp Wood Field. The game marks the first of a three-game homestand, which is followed by games against William Smith on October 3 and Bard on October 6.