SUNY Cortland Athletics

EWING, N.J. – Union College midfielder Keri Messa recorded four goals and two assists, including what proved to be the game-winning goal with 5:15 remaining, as the nationally eighth-ranked Dutchwomen held off 18th-ranked Cortland, 13-12, in the NCAA Division III tournament second round.

Sophomore Jessie Fritz (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) scored four goals and junior Danielle Torre (Massapequa) added three goals and two assists for Cortland. The Red Dragons (14-6), who were making their 10th straight NCAA appearance, finished the season the same way they started it - with a one-goal loss to Union. Cortland lost 9-8 at Union in early March.

Chelsea Charette added four goals and one assist and Kristin Joyce scored three times for Union (15-3), which advances to face the host school, The College of New Jersey, in the national quarterfinals Sunday at 1 p.m. Union goalie Cat Ruggiero finished with eight saves.

Senior Beth Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) contributed two goals and two assists and sophomore goalie Deanne Abell (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley) made seven saves for Cortland.

Union jumped out to a 3-0 lead just over five minutes into the game on a goal by Joyce and two by Messa. The Red Dragons responded by scoring five of the next six goals to take a 5-4 lead with 13:19 left in the half. Five different Cortland players - senior Rachel Cornwell (Fairport), freshman Megan Clare (Shirley/William Floyd), senior Elizabeth Acee (Syracuse/Henninger), Torre and Fritz - scored during that stretch, with Elmer assisting on two of the goals.

Charette scored the next two goals for Union and, following an Elmer tally, the Dutchwomen used goals by Messa and Emily Bryson to grab an 8-6 lead. Torre, however, found the back of the net off a free position with 1:41 left and Cortland trailed 8-7 at halftime.

Union never trailed in the second half, but each mini-run by the Dutchwomen was answered by the Red Dragons. Charette scored twice in the first five minutes to give Union a 10-7 lead, but Fritz and Torre each scored to close the margin back to one with 19:21 left. Another Union two-goal stretch, this time by Joyce and Steph Egizi, pushed the lead back to three at 12-9. Fritz responded at the 10:34 mark and Elmer, off a Torre feed, with 6:30 left and Cortland was back within one again at 12-11.

Union responded on Messa's goal with 5:15 left to go ahead by two, and the Dutchwomen won the ensuing draw control. Cortland junior Lindsay Bakker (Sloatsburg/Suffern), however, forced a turnover with 3:59 left and Fritz scored off a free position with 3:40 remaining to pull Cortland within 13-12. The goal was Fritz's team-high 65th of the year, matching the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.

Union won the next draw control, but Abell made a save with 2:49 left to give the ball back to the Red Dragons. Cortland cleared the ball, but Union's Melissa Hine caused a turnover with 2:07 left. Union managed to run most of the remaining time off the clock, but Cortland got the ball back one last time with 14 seconds remaining. Union was whistled for a foul with about six seconds left, and on the re-start, the Red Dragons quickly worked the ball to Acee, whose shot sailed wide right just before the buzzer sounded.

FINAL SCORE: Union 13, Cortland 12

GAME SUMMARY:

Team    1-2    Final   
Union (15-3)    8-5    13
Cortland (14-6)    7-5    12   

Scoring (Goals-Assists):

Union: Keri Messa 4-2, Chelsea Charette 4-1, Kristin Joyce 3-0, Emily Bryson 1-1, Steph Egizi 1-0, Allie Cuozzo 0-2, Melissa Hine 0-1, Caitlin Cuozzo 0-1
Cortland: Jessie Fritz 4-0, Danielle Torre 3-2, Beth Elmer 2-2, Rachel Cornwell 1-1, Elizabeth Acee 1-0, Megan Clare 1-0

Goalkeepers:
Union: Cat Ruggiero, 8 saves (12 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Deanne Abell, 7 saves (13 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 26, Union 23
Ground Balls: Cortland 17, Union 12
Draw Controls: Union 15, Cortland 12
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 7, Union 3
Turnovers: Union 20, Cortland 14