Ithaca Erupts for Five Second-Half Goals to Defeat Elmira
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The women's soccer team (6-2-0, 3-0-0), ranked 19th by the NSCAA and 24th by D3soccer.com, scored five second-half goals to beat Elmira (0-7-1, 0-3-1 Empire 8) 5-0 Wednesday to remain in first place in the Empire 8 standings.
The Bombers, who outshot the Soaring Eagles 13-2 during the scoreless first period, took the lead just six seconds into the second half, then netted four goals in a span of 6:37 to pull away. The win was their 15th straight over Empire 8 opposition, dating back to the 2008 conference playoff tournament.
Sophomore Caroline Jastremki (Notre Dame Academy/Staten Island) netted two goals and an assists, matching her career-high point total. She raised her season total to 14 points (five goals, four assists) and her career tally to 23 points (eight goals, seven assists).
Jastremski scored an unassisted goal in the 72nd minute, assisted on a goal by classmate Julie Winn (Sutton/Sutton, Mass.) in the 76th minute and converted a pass from freshman Ellyn Grant-Keane (Lansing/Lansing) less than a minute later. Grant-Keane sent a long pass to Jastremski, who split two defenders to get open.
Ithaca took a 1-0 lead when Elmira misplayed the second-half tip into an own goal. In the 71st minute, Winn and senior Kelley Hand (Valley Central/Walkill) assisted on the first career goal for sophomore Megan Palladino (Lansing/Groton). Winn brought the ball down the right sideline and sent a long pass to Hand, whose cross found Palladino open for a successful header.
Senior Alyssa Sotomayor (East Brunswick/East Brunswick, N.J.) made her only save in the first half; the Bomber defense held Elmira without a shot in the second half.