CORTLAND, N.Y. – Three different players scored goals and senior goalie Ashley Hughes (Selden/Comsewogue) turned aside eight shots as the nationally fifth-ranked Cortland field hockey team defeated 10th-ranked Skidmore, 3-0, Friday afternoon at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex White Field. The Red Dragons improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Thoroughbreds fell to 1-1.

Sophomore Sara Woodward (Pine Plains) and freshmen Mary Schilling (Sherrill/V-V-S) and Erin Smith (Greene) scored Cortland's goals. Senior Brenda Semit (Holland Patent) and sophomore Danielle Groneman (East Islip) recorded assists. The scores by Schilling and Smith were the firsts of their careers.

For Skidmore, senior goalie Liz Catinella (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury) made 12 saves. Freshman Kelly Blackhurst (North River/Johnsburg) led the Thoroughbreds with six shots.

Much of the play in the opening half was even as each team took turns with possessions and creating chances. Both goalies came up with big saves early to keep the game scoreless. The Red Dragons finally broke through at 22 minutes, 59 seconds of the opening half on a penalty corner. Semit sent a pass to the right side to Woodward, who blasted a long shot that deflected off a defender's stick and into the upper left corner of the cage.

The game remained 1-0 until the 51:06 mark when Schilling knocked her own rebound past Catinello right in front. Smith added an insurance goal with 18:35 remaining as she one-timed a shot off a cross from Groneman through Catinello's pads. Skidmore pressured late, and Hughes made an exceptional diving save on senior Christine Kemp's (Putnam Valley) bid right in front on a give-and-go set up on a penalty corner with 7:30 remaining. The Thoroughbreds continued to possess the ball in the final minutes but were unable to spoil the shutout bid. 

Cortland 3, Skidmore 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Skidmore: No scoring
Cortland: Sara Woodward 1-0, Mary Schilling 1-0, Erin Smith 1-0, Brenda Semit 0-1, Danielle Groneman 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, Skidmore 0
Shots: Cortland 17, Skidmore 13
Penalty Corners: Skidmore 13, Cortland 11
Saves: Liz Catinello (Skidmore) 12 (3 GA in 70:00); Ashley Hughes (Cortland) 8 (0 GA in 70:00)
Record after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 2-0 (ranked 5th in Div. III); Skidmore (Thoroughbreds) 1-1 (ranked 10th in Div. III)