CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women's soccer team scored four goals in less than 25 minutes spanning the first and second halves to defeat Oswego, 4-0, Saturday afternoon in the SUNYAC finale for both teams. The Red Dragons won their eighth straight game, improving to 11-4-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference, and clinched the SUNYAC regular-season title for the first time since the conference went to a single division in 1995. The Lakers fell to 9-8 and 2-7 with the loss.

Senior Jackie De Luise (Schenectady/Guilderland) led the Cortland offense with two goals. Freshman Amanda Margolis (Oceanside) contributed a goal and an assist, while freshman Allie Maguire (Ballston Lake/Shenendehowa) added a goal. Sophomore Kelly Knight (Rochester/Greece Olympia) and freshmen Emma Whittle (East Moriches/Center Moriches) and Caitlin Guerra (Highland Falls/James I. O'Neill) each recorded an assist.

Cortland graduate student Pam Monnier (East Northport/Northport) started in goal and made three saves in 61 minutes, 28 seconds before giving way to freshman Taylor Hudson (Victor), who stopped one shot over the final 28:32. Junior goalie Emily Varonier (Miller Place) registered seven saves for Oswego.

The Lakers generated the first two quality scoring chances in the game but couldn't capitalize. In the 12th minute, sophomore Nikki Liadka (Liverpool) touched a pass to senior Laura Ambron (Fishkill/John Jay) deep on the left side of the box. Ambron one-touched a shot that caromed off the left post and out of danger. In the 26th minute, Oswego junior Kassie Kleine (Cazenovia) was sent alone into the box on a through pass, but Monnier charged off her line and made a spawling save to keep Oswego off the scoreboard.

The Red Dragons broke through less than four minutes later to grab a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute. Whittle blocked an attempted clearing pass by an Oswego defender and Maguire cleaned up the loose ball with a shot inside the left post for what proved to be her third game-winning goal of the season. De Luise made it a 2-0 game with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. Guerra served a long pass to De Luise down the left side. De Luise dribbled into the box and put a shot off Varonier's hands for her seventh goal of the season.

De Luise struck again just 4:20 into the second half. Margolis fed a pass to the right side of the box where De Luise ran onto the ball, cut inside a defender and rocketed a shot off the left post and into the goal. Margolis then completed the scoring in the 54th minute when she chested in a cross from the right by Knight to tie De Luise for the team lead with her eighth goal of the season. Oswego's best chance to break up the shutout came in the 62nd minute, but freshman Georgia Traynor's (Tomkins Cove/North Rockland) 25-yard direct kick barely sailed over the crossbar.

The Red Dragons wrap up their regular season with a home game versus Wilkes on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m. Cortland earned a bye in the SUNYAC Tournament and will host a semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. 

Cortland 4, Oswego 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Oswego: no scoring
Cortland: Jackie De Luise 2-0, Amanda Margolis 1-1, Allie Maguire 1-0, Emma Whittle 0-1, Caitlin Guerra 0-1, Kelly Knight 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 2, Oswego 0
Shots: Cortland 22, Oswego 10
Corner Kicks: Cortland 1, Oswego 0
Fouls: Oswego 7, Cortland 4
Saves: Emily Varonier (Oswego) 7 (4 GA in 90:00); Pam Monnier (Cortland) 3 (0 GA in 61:28), Taylor Hudson (Cortland) 1 (0 GA in 28:32)

Record after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 11-4-1, 8-1 SUNYAC, Oswego (Lakers) 9-8, 2-7 SUNYAC