The Cortland women’s lacrosse team showcased an impressive display of offensive firepower as they opened their SUNYAC campaign with a 20-3 victory over the Fredonia Blue Devils on a cold and snowy Saturday afternoon at Grady Field. The win takes the Red Dragons to a 3-4 overall record, while the Blue Devils drop to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in SUNYAC play.
Ten different players contributed to Cortland’s scoring spree, highlighting the team’s depth and versatility on the field. Amy Hoeffner and Toni Cashman led the charge with four goals and two assists each, while Rachel Janis stood out with a game-high eight points, including two goals and a career-best six assists.
The Red Dragons wasted no time asserting their dominance, jumping to a commanding 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Fredonia managed to get on the scoreboard in the second quarter, but Cortland responded with eight consecutive goals to close out the half with a commanding 15-1 lead.
Cortland continued to dictate the pace of the game in the second half, adding two more goals in the third quarter and maintaining their defensive integrity to limit Fredonia to just two goals in the final quarter.
Emma Dempsey and Brooke Elizalde also contributed two goals and an assist, with Elizalde recording her first career goal. Gwen Lauksaitis netted her first two goals of the season, while Ashley Melillo, Nicole Lapoce, Chelsey Weber, and Natalie Bennett also found the back of the net for Cortland. Mackenzie Beck chipped in with an assist to round out the scoring for the Red Dragons.
Defensively, Cortland was equally as impressive, with Margaret Morgan and Trinity Parks combining for three saves in goal. Amanda Squillini and Julie Kadletz led the way in ground balls and caused turnovers, while Hoeffner and Rachel Rempe dominated in draw controls.
For Fredonia, Audrey Brown, Leah Kunisch, and Sydney Buchko each scored a goal, with Caitlin Karalus contributing an assist. Goalie Ashleigh Manns recorded seven saves in the contest.
Cortland’s commanding performance was reflected in the statistics, as they outshot Fredonia 36-10, scooped up 26 ground balls to Fredonia’s 14, and dominated in draw controls with 17 to Blue Devil’s 7. Cortland also displayed efficiency in clears, converting all 15 attempts, compared to Fredonia’s 11-of-22.
With this victory, Cortland sets the tone for their SUNYAC campaign, while Fredonia looks to regroup as they continue their season. Cortland will look to carry this momentum forward into their next game when they host another SUNYAC rival, SUNY Plattsburgh.