ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Two first half goals from 24th-ranked Ithaca College downed the Bard College men's soccer team Saturday afternoon in a Liberty League match.
The Raptors opened the game in control, taking the edge in possession and chances during the first 30 minutes.
Naka O'Connor had shots go just wide during the ninth and 29th minutes, while
Tristan Bevan's shot in the 26th minute was a tad too high. As play progressed, Bard continued to push the visitors, but failed to find the back of the net.
That allowed the guests to remain in the game, as Ithaca was finally able to turn the tide in the 31st minute. The Bombers jumped in front, thanks to Theo Scott's (Amherst, Mass.) blast from 20 yards out into the bottom left corner. Scott used a turnover in the midfield and quick transition to setup the shot, which left
Logan Leppo with no chance to stop the shot.
Nine minutes later, Scott doubled the Bombers' advantage, as he again used a quick transition to beat the Bard defense, this time into the bottom right corner.
Over the rest of the match, the Raptors pushed hard looking for goals. In the 73rd minute, off a corner kick scramble in the box,
Sid Subramani had his shot pushed away at the last second, while
Denton Lane had a promising shot sail high in the 82nd minute.
Alex Meci sent in a wonderful ground cross in the 85th minute, that got past the Ithaca keeper, but was just too strong for a streaking O'Connor.
In the end, the Bombers were able to pull out the win, 2-0, as they finished with 22 shots. Bard tallied 11 shots in the effort, while winning the corner kick battle, 7-2.
Leppo finished with 10 saves for Bard. The sophomore goalie has now had 10 or more saves in four contests this season. For Ithaca, Tyler Lewin (Severna Park, MD) collected three saves and the win.
With the result, the Raptors dropped to 3-8-1 overall and 0-4 in Liberty League play. Meanwhile, Ithaca is now 8-1-3 and 1-1-2.
Up next for Bard is a road match at St. Lawrence University on October 12th. That game is set to begin at 4 p.m. and you can follow it here.
