UTICA, NY – Ithaca College's Morgan Cadwell netted a free position goal with 18 seconds left in regulation to lift the Bombers to a 10-9 victory over host Utica College in Empire 8 Conference action Wednesday afternoon. 

A loss to Ithaca erased Utica's hopes of an Empire 8 Conference Tournament bid.  The Pioneers are now 8-6 overall and 3-4 in the Empire 8 headed into their final game of the season on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Houghton College.

The Pioneers trailed 9-7 in the fourth quarter until netting two consecutive goals to tie the game up heading down the stretch. Tewasherake Barnes (Akwesasne, NY/Salmon River) made it a 9-8 game with 9:53 left before Utica's Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) knotted the score at 9-9 with 3:19 left in the contest.

The game featured five ties and three lead changes as the Bombers' record improved to 10-7 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) finished the night with a team-high four goals and she now has 44 on the season.  Kane's 57 points this season are tied for the sixth most points in single season in program-history. Kane also added seven draw controls and eight ground balls. Barnes added two goals for UC while Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) each added one goal and one assist.

The Pioneers won 13-of-21 draw controls and they also won the ground ball battle 23-18 over the Bombers.

Emily Peters finished with a team-best three goals for Ithaca.  Riley Marion added two goals and one assist.

Utica jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead behind goals from Barnes and Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville).  The Bombers answered with three consecutive goals to take a 3-2 lead with 16:22 to go in the first half of play.

Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) and Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) then added consecutive goals in a span of 3:17 to hand the Pioneers a 4-3 lead with 10:38 to go in the first half.

Ithaca outscored the Pioneers 3-1 in the final 9:05 of the first half to take a 6-5 lead into the intermission.

The Pioneers tied the score at 6-6 early in the second half after Miller scored her lone goal of the contest off an assist from Rebecca Plunkett (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park).

Ithaca then scored three of the game's next four goals to take a 9-7 lead with 12:10 remaining on the clock.  All three of the Bomber goals came off of free position shots. Ithaca finished the day going 5-for-6 on free position attempts.

Ithaca goalie Emily Ross was stellar in net all afternoon as she stopped 11 shots in the victory.  Utica goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) made two saves in the loss.

Morgan DuPont (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) also added one assist for the Pioneers.