CLINTON, N.Y. - Sarah Bray scored the final two goals of the game to lift the nationally second-ranked and defending Div. III national champion Hamilton women's lacrosse team to a 12-11 win versus 14th-ranked Cortland Tuesday afternoon. The Red Dragons fell to 2-3 with the loss, and the Continentals improved to 4-1.

Senior Danielle Torre (Massapequa) and freshman Lindsay Abbott (South Onondaga/Onondaga Central) led Cortland with three goals and one assist each. Sophomore Megan Clare (Shirley/William Floyd) scored twice, junior Jess Fritz (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) contributed one goal and one assist and sophomore Brianna Shost (Mahopac) and freshman Jordan Miller (Liverpool) added one goal apiece. Freshman goalie Amanda Caloia (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) recorded five saves.

Bray paced the Hamilton offense with three goals and two assists. Kriti Dave and Anne Graveley had two goals and an assist and Josie Jones and Liz Rave tallied two goals each. Hilary Savin chipped in with one goal and one assist and goalie Katie Fowler stopped five shots.

The Red Dragons jumped out to a 3-1 lead less than eight minutes into the game as Torre connected twice and Fritz netted a goal. Bray scored her first of the game at the 20 minute, 15 second mark to make it a 3-2 game, but Cortland answered with goals from Abbott and Shost to take a 5-2 lead with 16:25 on the clock. The Continentals responded by scoring seven of the next eight goals -- two each from Graveley, Dave and Rave -- to grab a 9-6 edge at intermission.

Cortland made a run of its own to open the second half, pulling ahead 10-9 with 17:21 remaining on the strength of four straight goals, including two from Clare and one each from Miller and Abbott. Saverin knotted the game with an unassisted goal at 13:12, but Abbott's third goal of the game put Cortland back on top, 11-10, with 10:54 left in regulation. Bray tallied the tying goal at 6:05 and scored the game-winner at 4:19.

The team statistics reflected the tightness of the game. Hamilton outshot Cortland, 24-20, and held a 13-12 edge in draw controls, while the Red Dragons won the battle of ground balls, 16-15.

GAME SUMMARY:
Team                                    1-2    Final
Cortland (2-3)                     6-5    11
Hamilton (4-1)                           9-3    12

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Lindsay Abbott 3-1, Danielle Torre 3-1, Megan Clare 2-0, Jess Fritz 1-1, Jordan Miller 1-0, Brianna Shost 1-0, Meghan Gallagher 0-1
Hamilton: Sarah Bray 3-2, Kriti Dave 2-1, Anne Graveley 2-1, Josie Jones 2-0, Liz Rave 2-0, Hilary Saverin 1-1, Kate Marek 0-1, Audrey Nebergall 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Cortland: Amanda Caloia, 5 saves (12 GA in 60:00)
Hamilton: Kate Fowler, 5 saves (11 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Hamilton 24, Cortland 20 
Ground Balls: Cortland 16, Hamilton 15
Clears: Hamilton 16-of-21, Cortland 14-of-16 
Draw Controls: Hamilton 13, Cortland 12
Caused Turnovers: Hamilton 7, Cortland 6
Turnovers: Cortland 18, Hamilton 17
Fouls: Cortland 22, Hamilton 16