Sixth-Ranked Bombers To Host NCAA Sectionals, Face Misericordia

11/16/2012 10:57:00 AM

2012 NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Bracket

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College women's soccer team (19-1-2) has advanced to the sectional round of the NCAA playoffs for the fifth time in six years. The Bombers will host the sweet sixteen/elite eight rounds of the tournament, with two sectional semifinal matches on Saturday, Nov. 17 and the sectional final scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 18. Ithaca will face Misericordia (19-2-1) at 11 a.m. in Saturday's first semifinal match, with Cortland (12-4-6) meeting Brandeis (15-4-2) at 1:30 p.m. The two winners advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. final with a berth in the final four in San Antonio at stake.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available for purchase at the site of competition: $6 general admission, $3 students, $3 senior citizens, $2 children under 12.

NCAA PROGRAM: The NCAA has discontinued printing programs for Division III women's soccer, only digital versions are being made available.

SERIES RESULTS: Ithaca holds a 4-1 series record over Misericordia. The teams first met in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament with Ithaca claiming a 4-1 win over the Cougars. Most recently the Bombers defeated Misericordia, 1-0, on Oct. 2. Ithaca owns a 17-9-10 all-time record over the Red Dragons in a series dating back to 1981. Ithaca, who has lost just once in the last 14 meetings, is 7-5-8 against the local rival on Carp Wood Field. The Bombers are 2-0-2 against Cortland in the NCAA playoffs, with their wins coming in the 1990 national title game and the 2011 elite eight. The Blue & Gold won a 1-0 contest over Cortland on Sept. 18. Ithaca and Brandeis have met once in the first round of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. The Bombers defeated the Judges, 1-0.

ITHACA VS. 2012 NCAA PLAYOFF FIELD: The Bombers faced five NCAA playoff teams this fall, going 4-1-0. Ithaca beat Scranton 3-2 in double overtime, defeated Cortland 1-0, blanked Misericordia 1-0 and posted a 3-0 victory over Farmingdale. Ithaca dropped their regular-season finale to Rochester Institute of Technology 1-0.

ITHACA IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS: The Bombers are making their 23rd appearance, and 10th straight, in the NCAA playoffs. No school has made more; William Smith also made its 23rd appearance this season. The last 16 playoff bids have come under the direction of head coachMindy Quigg. Ithaca is 36-17-5 in NCAA playoff competition, two of the five ties resulted in the Bombers advancing on penalty kicks – in the other three, Ithaca was eliminated in penalty kicks. The program's four straight trips to the NCAA semifinals from 1988 through 1991 were highlighted by consecutive national titles in 1990 and 1991. In 2011, Ithaca reached the final four for the sixth time in program history. Ithaca fell to Wheaton (Ill.), 2-0.

THE 2012 NCAA PLAYOFFS: The Division III championship provides for a 64-team, single-elimination tournament that includes 43 winners of conferences whose champions earn automatic qualification (including Empire 8 titlist Ithaca) and 21 teams from those conferences who did not win their conference title. Following last weekend's regional round, four schools will host four-team sectionals, to be held Nov. 16-18. The four sectional winners advance to the semifinals and final, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. All games will be played on the campuses of participating institutions until the “final four”, which will be held at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.

ITHACA LEADERS: The #6 Bombers are ranked in top 10 in the nation in four categories: third with a .910 save percentage, sixth with a .354 goals-against average, sixth with a .909 win-loss-tie percentage and eighth with a .682 shutout percentage. Outscoring opponents 59-8, Ithaca is led by senior Rachael Palladino (Lansing/Lansing), who set school records for career goals and points. She has 36 points on 16 goals and four assists this season. Junior Ellyn Grant-Keane(Lansing/Lansing) and senior Julie Winn (Sutton, Mass./Sutton) chip in 27 and 20 points, respectively. Grant-Keane has eight goals and 11 assists Junior Amanda Callanan (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) adds seven scores. Winn, who has a school-record 29 career assists, has a team-best 12 this season. She has scored four goals. Senior Becca Salant (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) ranks fifth in the nation with a .901 save percentage and 10th with a 0.391 goals-against average. She has made 73 saves this season.