FIELD HOCKEY

Ithaca is looking for a ninth consecutive berth in the NCAA playoffs. The Bombers, one of four teams to have participated in every NCAA tournament this decade, will count on six returning starters.

Senior backs Megan Dimond and Nicole Sgobbo have been regulars the past three years. Dimond scored a career-high six points last fall. Juniors Becky Karver, Jessica Kennedy, and Lindsey Steingart return as starters. Ithaca’s top returning scorer, Kennedy finished with 12 points last fall.

Ithaca’s schedule includes five NCAA playoff teams, four others that were nationally ranked, and Division II runner-up Lock Haven. The New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Asso-ciation semifinals and championship will be held at Ithaca’s Yavits Field for the fourth time this decade; the Bombers also hosted the 1990, 1992, and 1994 state tournaments. The 1990 team won the NYSWCAA title with three overtime victories.

Photo: Becky Karver (18) and Mindy Pistacchio (10). Photo by Tim McKinney.