CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Karly Vdoviak (Johnstown) scored with 13 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in regulation to give the nationally 16th-ranked Cortland field hockey team a dramatic 3-2 win versus New Paltz Friday afternoon in SUNYAC action at the Stadium Complex. With the win, the Red Dragons improved to 10-2 overall and 5-0 in the conference and clinched the top seed in the upcoming four-team SUNYAC Tournament. The Hawks dropped to 9-7 and 3-2 and can secure the third seed in the tournament with a win at Oswego on Saturday.

Freshman Shelby Underwood (Marathon) also scored a goal for Cortland, while the team was awarded an "onw goal." Senior Erin Smith (Greene) and sophomore Jillian Vogl (Cazenovia) recorded assists. Freshman goalie Mairead Hourihan (Yorktown Heights/Lakeland) made five saves in her first collegiate start.

Senior Lauren Link (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) and freshman Kayla McKeveny (Holbrook/Sachem East) each tallied a goal for New Paltz with seniors Danielle Conklin (Suffern) and Alyssa Stock (Morris Plains, NJ/Whippany Park) recording one assist. Senior goalie Antonija Pjetri (Suffern) stopped four shots.

Cortland opened up the scoring at the 4:25 mark on an unusual goal. Sophomore Amber Czaja (Cheektowaga/West Seneca East) sent a restart into play from 25 yards out on the right side. The ball bounced into the circle where it deflected off a New Paltz player and past Pjetri. The Hawks sent the game to halftime tied at 1-1 when McKeveny tucked a shot inside the left post from six yards out with 3:11 on the clock.

The Red Dragons reclaimed the lead at 39:03 when Underwood made a diving effort to knock in a loose ball put into play by Smith at the left post on a penalty corner. New Paltz, however, again evened the game on Link's one-time shot through traffic at 47:16. Vdoviak scored the game-winner, her eighth goal of the season, just under nine minutes later, deflecting Vogl's pass into an open goal after Vogl negotiated a long carry into the top of the circle.

The Hawks pressed for the tying goal in the closing minutes, receiving two penalty corners with under 90 seconds remaining. After the second corner, Hourihan made her biggest save of the game when she denied sophomore Dani Ackerman's (Nesconset/Smithtown East) bid right in front with 35 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Cortland 3, New Paltz 2

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
New Paltz: Kayla McKeveny 1-0, Lauren Link 1-0, Danielle Conklin 0-1, Alyssa Stock 0-1
Cortland: Shelby Underwood 1-0, Karly Vdoviak 1-0, Team 1-0, Erin Smith 0-1, Jillian Vogl 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, New Paltz 1
Shots: New Paltz 14, Cortland 13
Penalty Corners: New Paltz 7, Cortland 6
Saves: Antonija Pjetri (New Paltz) 4 (3 GA in 70:00); Mairead Hourihan (Cortland) 5 (2 GA in 70:00)

Record after game: New Paltz (Hawks) 9-7, 3-2 SUNYAC; Cortland (Red Dragons) 10-2, 5-0 SUNYAC (ranked 16th nationally in Div. III)