ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior
Walker Popko scored a game-high four goals to single-handedly match the team total for top-seeded and #17/18 Ithaca College as the fourth-seeded Garnet Chargers pulled off a 10-4 stunner over the Bombers in the semifinal round of the Liberty League Tournament on Friday afternoon at Higgins Stadium.
The victory advances Union (8-11) to the conference championship game for the first time in three years on Sunday, where the Garnet Chargers will face a familiar foe in #12/10 Rochester Institute of Technology, who knocked off second-seeded St. Lawrence University on Friday.
Popko had a big game with four tallies, moving him in fourth place on the school's single-season scoring list with 49 goals on the year. First-year
Garrett Salit had two goals and two assists to match the program single-season record for goals by a first-year with 33, while fellow first-year
Luke Allen had three points on a goal and two assists.
The Garnet Chargers came out strong on Friday, outshooting Ithaca (11-6) by a dominant 13-3 margin. Although the visitors only scored twice on the frame, the defense held strong before Salit got the scoring started with 6:42 left to go on the clock. Allen added a key goal in the waning seconds to double the lead.
Union kept going in the second, scoring three straight to built up a five-goal advantage with 6:28 left. Popko and sophomore
Mac McGovern scored 52 seconds apart to make it a 4-0 game 3:16 into the period, before Popko scored again for the five-goal edge. Ithaca got back into the game with three straight goals later in the quarter, but Union still led by two at the half.
The visitors again shut down the home team in the third quarter, with four saves by junior
Nick Lynch and goals by Salit and junior
Mike Wall helping Union bump its lead back up to three after 45 minutes. Popko scored just 10 seconds into the fourth to set the tone for the rest of the game, as the defense limited Ithaca to just seven shots. Goals by senior
Emmett Lyne and Popko and three more Lynch saves over the final seven minutes helped to seal the win.
Union outshot Ithaca by a slight 35-33 margin, but the visitors limited themselves to just 16 turnovers and held a 31-22 edge in ground balls. Lynch finished the day with 11 saves on 15 on-target attempts in a huge effort in goal for the Garnet Chargers.
Union and RIT will battle for the conference championship and the Liberty League's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Rochester.
