PHOTO GALLERY
ITHACA, N.Y. – The #8/9 Ithaca College women’s soccer team (17-1-2) played to a scoreless tie with Nazareth (9-5-6) as the teams were named co-champions of the 2012 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Sunday afternoon at Carp Wood Field. The Bombers earned the Empire 8’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-2 advantage in penalty kicks.
The Bombers, who are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season, won their eighth Empire 8 title and Nazareth tallied its ninth. The two teams have shared the title five times: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012.
Junior Amanda Callanan was named MVP of the tournament, while seniors Megan Palladino, Rachael Palladino and Julie Winn also earned spots on the all-tournament team.
Senior Becca Lewis made four saves during the 110 minutes of play before junior Becca Lewis took to goal for the shootout. Both teams netted their first two penalty kicks, with Ithaca’s coming from the feet of
Winn and
R. Palladino. Neither the Bombers nor the Golden Flyers could convert on their third, but
Callanan’s conversion and another two
Lewis saves sealed the deal for the Blue & Gold.
Ithaca owned an 18-6 advantage in shots and an 11-2 edge in corner kicks.
The Bombers had several opportunitiesto score throughout the contest. In the 18th minute of play,
Callanan collected the ball served into the box by
Winn on a corner kick and laced a shot from eight yards out. The Nazareth defense blocked the shot and cleared the ball.
On another Bomber corner kick, freshman Kelsey King gathered a loose ball amidst a scramble in the box and fired on goal only to have her shot saved by the Nazareth keeper in the 34th minute.
In the second stint, junior Jackie Rodabaugh sent a cross from the lower right corner of the box.
R. Palladino dove to head the ball on goal and bring the energetic crowd to its feet, but the Golden Flyers recorded a save on the play.
Another chance for Ithaca presented itself in the 58th minute when
Callanan forced the Nazareth keeper to make a diving save to maintain the 0-0 deadlock.
Ithaca and Nazareth recorded two shots each during the OT periods. The lone Nazareth save in extra-time was on a shot from junior Ellyn Grant-Keane on a pass from
Winn in the 97th minute.
The NCAA will announce the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament bracket on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
Empire 8 Women's Soccer All Tournament Team
#22 Amanda Callanan, Ithaca MVP
#7 Julie Winn, Ithaca
#13 Rachael Palladino, Ithaca
#14 Megan Palladino, Ithaca
#1 Abbie Carey, Nazareth
#5 Amanda Sudore, Nazareth
#23 Olivia Derleth, Nazareth
#20 Bella Romano, Stevens
#33 Bridgette Barden, Stevens
#7 Caley Manuel, St. John Fisher
#20 Alexandra Rohloff, St. John Fisher