CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland field hockey team handed nationally 12th-ranked Rochester its first loss of the season with a 2-1 decision on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Red Dragons improved to 9-2 on the year, while the Yellowjackets fell to 11-1 on the season. 

Sophomore Shelby Underwood (Marathon) and junior Jillian Vogl (Cazenovia) tallied the goals for the Red Dragons, both unassisted efforts. Sophomore goalie Mairead Hourihan (Yorktown Heights/Lakeland), the defending SUNYAC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week, made one save in the cage en route to her third win of the season.

Junior Michelle Relin (Lititz, PA/Manheim Township) tallied the lone goal for the Yellowjackets, while junior goalie Tara Lamberti (Penfield) recorded 10 saves. Senior Allison Resnick (Mendon, VT/Rutland) recorded the lone defensive save of the game.

The first half was largely dominated by Cortland, with the Red Dragons outshooting the Yellowjackets, 9-0, and holding a 9-1 advantage in penalty corners. Underwood opened the scoring with her 10th goal of the season in the 30th minute, gathering the ball eight yards out and lifting a shot into the upper left corner of the cage past Lamberti.

The second half was much more evenly matched with Cortland holding a narrow 6-5 advantage in shots, while Rochester earned six penalty corners compared to the Red Dragons' four. Rochester was denied one of its best opportunities to score with just over 11 minutes left in the game when Hourihan made a sliding save to preserve the 1-0 lead at the time. Vogl opened the scoring in the second half with just under 10 minutes to play when she gathered the ball near the top of the shooting circle and hit a low driving shot on the ground through traffic into the lower left corner of the cage.

Less than two minutes later, Relin cut the lead in half with her 14th goal of the season when her shot from just inside the top of the shooting circle deflected off of a defender and into the back of the net. 

Cortland was able to hold off Rochester in the final minutes of the game, fending off a Yellowjacket penalty corner and shot with less than two minutes remaining.

The Red Dragons will return to action on Saturday, October 11, when they face The College at Brockport Golden Eagles at 1 p.m. in the second game of a six-game homestand.

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Rochester: Michelle Relin 1-0
Cortland: Shelby Underwood 1-0, Jillian Vogl 1-0

Halftime: Cortland 1, Rochester 0
Shots: Cortland 15, Rochester 5
Penalty Corners: Cortland 13, Rochester 7
Saves: Tara Lamberti (Rochester) 10 (2 GA in 70:00); Mairead Hourihan (Cortland) 1 (1 GA in 70:00)
 
Record after game: Rochester (Yellowjackets) 11-1 (ranked 12th nationally in Div. III); Cortland (Red Dragons) 9-2