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HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Second-seeded Nazareth scored two goals in less than a two-minute span in the first half and then added a third goal in the second half Saturday as the Golden Flyers defeated third-seeded Ithaca in an Empire 8 Conference tournament match for women's soccer, 3-1.

The Golden Flyers improved to 10-3-4 overall after defeating the Bombers (11-3-3) for the first time since Nov. 2, 2006. Ithaca had gone 6-0-2 in the eight previous meetings with Nazareth, including a 0-0 tie at Nazareth on Oct. 22.

Nazareth will play Stevens Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for the E8 title. The Ducks defeated St. John Fisher, 3-1, in Saturday's other semifinal match. Sunday's game will be a rematch of last year's title game, in which the Ducks prevailed, 2-1, on a goal in the closing seconds of regulation.

In Saturday's game, Nazareth got first-half goals from junior Katie Wyant and freshman Elizabeth Howell less than two minutes apart to take a commanding advantage. Ithaca sliced the lead to 2-1 on a goal with 12 minutes left, before senior Kaylee Benz picked up an insurance goal for Nazareth with just under 10 minutes left.

Wyant's goal was her second of the season and came at 34:36 off a header that deflected off the hands of Ithaca keeper Becca Salant before settling into the goal. Senior Chelsea Rinere gained the assist -- her first point of the season -- as she booted the centering pass that resulted in Wyant's header.

Less than two minutes later, at 36:24, Howell scored her fourth goal of the season on a play that originated with a corner kick by Wyant. The kick settled at the feet of Benz, who redirected a pass to Howell for the goal.

The score went unchanged until the 78th minute when Ithaca's Amanda Callanan scored off a free kick. Just over two minutes later Nazareth answered as Benz netted her first goal of the season with an assist from junior Christine Belding.

Ithaca had a 14-13 edge in shots and a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks. Sophomore goalie Abbie Carey made four saves for Nazareth. Salant had five for the Bombers.

Nazareth, 9-1-2 in its last 12 games with just five goals yielded in that stretch, will be seeking its ninth Empire 8 Conference title, but the first since 2006. The Golden Flyers are also seeking their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008. Nazareth and Stevens played to a 1-1 draw Sept. 24 in Hoboken.