Winn Sets School Assists Record as Bombers Clinch Spot in E8 Title Game
ITHACA, N.Y. – The #8/9 Ithaca College women’s soccer team (17-1-1) blanked St. John Fisher (8-7-4), 2-0, on Saturday at Carp Wood field in the semifinal round of the Empire 8 Championship Tournament. The top-seeded Bombers, who advance to the championship game for the fourth time in six years, will play third-seeded Nazareth. Ithaca has seven Empire 8 titles to its name and Nazareth has eight.
Senior Julie Winn snapped the school record for assists with her feed on the game’s second score. She has 27 career assists, passing Chelsey Feldman’s ’09 previous record of 26.
Winn has posted a team-best 10 assists this season to tie for second-most season assists in program history.
The Bombers held a potent 26-8 advantage in shots and a 9-5 edge in corner kicks.
Ithaca threatened in the first, owning a 10-4 advantage in shots. Passes from junior Jackie Rodabaugh and senior Rachael Palladino found a charging Ellyn Grant-Keane in the 33rd minute for a shot that floated just high of the cross bar.
Following a scoreless first half that resembled the 0-0 regular-season meeting between the squads in Pittsford, Palladino netted the eventual game-winner in the 54th minute. She has six game winners on the season. Junior Anna Gray booted a long through ball downfield to Palladino who dribbled in for the score.
Palladino looked to record another in the 79th minute. Freshman Kelsey King found the feet of Palladino who connected with the left post.
Winn assisted Grant-Keane at 81:04 to finalize all scoring with a 2-0 Blue & Gold gap.
Senior Becca Salant recorded her ninth complete shutout of the season making five saves.
Sydney DeVitto made nine saves for the Cardinals, with seven coming in the second half. Both of her saves in the first half came from point-blank range. Laura Burgstrom led the Cardinals in shooting, as she tallied three shots on the day
Fisher, who will wait to see if it earns a spot in the ECAC Championship, falls to 8-7-4 overall. Ithaca moves on to the Empire 8 Championship, facing Nazareth on Sunday at 12pm.