CORTLAND, N.Y. – The nationally third-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team outscored Union, 10-2, in the second half to pull away from a tight game at intermission and earned a 19-10 win in the season-opening games for both teams Tuesday afternoon at the Stadium Complex.
Junior
Tara Monaghan (Stony Point/North Rockland) led the Red Dragons offensively with a career-high six goals. Sophomore
Kristen Ohberg (Brewster) tallied four goals and one assist, while senior
Emma Hayes-Hurley (Huntington), junior
Ashley Gentile (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) and freshman
Hannah Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) each recorded two goals and one assist. Junior
Elise Bennett (Webster/Webster Thomas) netted two goals, and senior
Marilyn Farrell (Fayetteville/Fayetteville-Manlius) contributed one goal and one assist.
Junior goalie
Liz Ingalls (Centerport/St. Anthony's) registered eight saves for Cortland. Hayes-Hurley won eight draw controls, Monaghan added five draws, three ground balls and three caused turnovers and Gentile chipped in with four draws and two caused turnovers.
Junior Maggie Comiskey (Garden City/Sacred Heart Academy) paced the Dutchwomen's offense with two goals and three assists. Senior Emily McGrail (Westwood, MA) and sophomores Jackie Hagopian (Wakefield, RI/The Gunnery) and Natalie Sullivan (Byfield, MA/Governor's Academy) notched two goals apiece. Junior Jessica Farland (Fiskdale, MA/Tanatasqua) recorded one goal and one assist, and junior Kate Kurchena (Rutland, VT) contributed an assist.
Senior goalie Kim Grinhaus (Scarsdale) turned aside 11 shots for Union, including seven in the first half. Sullivan won three draws, McGrail recorded four ground balls and three caused turnovers, and Kurchena and Grinhaus each collected three ground balls.
The first half featured plenty of offense as Cortland took a 9-8 lead into the break. The Red Dragons broke out early, grabbing a 3-0 lead 2:32 into the contest as three different players scored. The teams traded the next four goals and Cortland held a 5-2 lead with 22:44 to play in the half. The Dutchwomen put together a three-goal run in just over three minutes to pull even at 5-5. The Red Dragons went ahead 7-5 as Elmer and Ohberg scored 23 seconds apart, but Union tallied three of the next four goals to knot the game at 8-8. Cortland took the lead for good with 1:58 remaining in the opening half on a goal from Hayes-Hurley.
The Red Dragons dominated the second half in pulling away for the win. Cortland scored the first three goals of the second 30 minutes in 5:40 to build a 12-8 lead. After Sullivan stopped the run with a free-position goal at 23:51, the Red Dragons seized control with a seven-goal burst, including three consecutive from Monaghan, to make it a 19-9 game in the final minute. Comiskey completed the scoring off Kurchena's assist with 23 seconds on the clock.
Cortland outshot Union, 19-6, in the second half and won 11-of-13 draws. For the game, the Red Dragons held a 38-19 advantage in shots, a 21-16 edge in ground balls and secured 20-of-31 draws.
Cortland returns to action with a game at nationally top-ranked Gettysburg on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Cortland 19, Union 10
Team 1-2 Final
Union 8-2 10
Cortland 9-10 19
Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Union: Maggie Comiskey 2-3, Jackie Hagopian 2-0, Emily McGrail 2-0, Natalie Sullivan 2-0, Jessica Farland 1-1, Cailin Pandolfi 1-0, Kate Kurchena 0-1
Cortland:
Tara Monaghan 6-0,
Kristen Ohberg 4-1,
Emma Hayes-Hurley 2-1,
Ashley Gentile 2-1,
Hannah Elmer 2-1,
Elise Bennett 2-0,
Marilyn Farrell 1-1
Goalkeepers:
Union: Kim Grinhaus, 11 saves (19 GA in 60:00)
Cortland:
Liz Ingalls, 8 saves (10 GA in 60:00)
Shots: Cortland 38, Union 19
Ground Balls: Cortland 21, Union 16
Clears: Cortland 14-of-18, Union 13-of-18
Draw Controls: Cortland 20, Union 11
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 13, Union 9
Turnovers: Union 19, Cortland 16
Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 1-0 (ranked 3rd nationally in Div. III); Union (Dutchwomen) 0-1
