ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca College wrapped up the number two seed for the Liberty League field hockey playoffs by posting a 2-1 victory over the University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon.
 
The result means that the same two teams will play again – returning to Ithaca – on November 5 in the league semifinals. The other semi will pair fourth-seeded Vassar College at top-seeded Skidmore. Winners will play on November 9 to determine which team earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
 
Rochester is 12-6 overall, 5-2 in the Liberty League. Ithaca is 11-6 overall, 6-1 in league play.
 
The two Ithaca goals were scored on rebounds. With just over four minutes left in the first half, Ithaca took three shots in sequence after a penalty corner. Kate Kujawa stopped shots by Victoria Sestito and Kendall Keil. The rebound of the Keil shot fell on the stick of Jacqueline Mirable and she rapped it into the low right corner.
 
About five minutes before that, Catherine Hauser made a nice hustle play to keep the ball from going over the goalline. She got it to Colleen Maillie who tried to play it in to Kira Ozer in the center of the circle. The pass slipped through an opening and went over the end line.
 
UR began to step up the pressure in the middle two periods. Three minutes into the second quarter, Ozer's shot was saved and landed back in the center circle. No white shirts could get to the rebound.
 

Ozer scored the equalizer five minutes into the third period. Amanda Strenk made a long run down the left sideline. She cut towards the circle and pushed the ball across the face of goal where Ozer was there to tip it in.
 
The Ithaca defenders made two nice individual plays in this quarter, denying Rochester the chance for a good shot. Ozer was lining up a shot and Arleigh Rodgers swatted the ball away. Minutes later, UR made a deep pass to Nikki Mercer in the circle but Sesito was able to poke it away.
 
Ithaca's gamewinner came one minute into the fourth quarter. Meghana Caron took a shot that Kujawa parried. Rafferty got to the loose ball first and turned the rebound into the wood for a 2-1 lead.
 
Kujawa made 10 saves on 15 Ithaca shots. Savanna Lenker made two saves for Ithaca. UR had 16 shots, but a series of blocks and attempts just off target left only three on goal.