SUNY Cortland Athletics

CORTLAND, N.Y. - The nationally second-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team built a 9-2 lead at the half and held off a second-half rally by Catholic University to earn a 13-12 victory Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Div. III Women's Lacrosse Quarterfinals at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. The Red Dragons won their 67th consecutive home game dating back to 2010, improving to 20-1 on the season, and advanced to their fifth consecutive NCAA Div. III final four. The Cardinals had their season end at 16-4.

Sophomore Kristen Ohberg (Brewster) led the Cortland offense with five goals. Sophomore Nicolette Tortorici (Deer Park) contributed two goals and one assist, and juniors Tara Monaghan (Stony Point/North Rockland) and Elizabeth LaComb (Syracuse/West Genesee) each netted a pair of goals. Senior Emma Hayes-Hurley (Huntington) added one goal and one assist and eight draw controls. Freshman Hannah Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) scored a goal and senior Marilyn Farrell (Fayetteville/Fayetteville-Manlius) chipped in with two assists.

Sophomore goalie Jaclyn Beshlian (Wantagh) made nine saves for the Red Dragons. Monaghan won three draws, and senior Melissa Halstead (Miller Place) and junior Nicole Bello (Camillus/West Genesee) caused two turnovers apiece. Junior Colleen Wright (Huntington Station/Huntington) collected seven ground balls.

Freshman Nicolette Crisalli (Silver Spring, MD/St. John's College) paced Catholic with five goals. Senior Madeline Wilson (Pearl River) scored a game-high six points on two goals and four assists. Sophomore Anna Stumme (Millersville, MD/Seton Keough) scored twice, sophomore Alexis Bosilovic (Gibsonia, PA/Sewickley Academy) recorded one goal and one assist and senior Lindsay Brophy (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) and sophomore Clair Schmitzer (Sparta, NJ) each netted a goal.
 

Senior goalie Tricia Pehnke (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor Plainsboro North) registered 10 saves for the Cardinals. Schmitzer controlled six draws, and Bosilovic and Stumme each secured three. Senior Kathryn Burton (Falmouth, MA) caused three turnovers.

After Catholic took a 2-1 lead at 19:41 of the first half, the Red Dragons closed the half on an 8-0 run for a 9-2 lead. Ohberg scored three times and LaComb and Tortorici each tallied two goals during the run. Stumme struck for two quick goals to start the second half, scoring at 29:37 and 27:45, respectively, to make it a 9-4 game, but Cortland answered with goals from Monaghan and Hayes-Hurley to regain a seven-goal lead at 11-4 with 21:39 remaining.

The Cardinals responded with three goals in a 52-second span, one from Wilson and two from Crisalli, to get to within 11-7, and Bosilovic made it an 11-8 game at the 14:17 mark. Ohberg stopped the Catholic run with her fifth goal of the game at 12:54, but Crisalli and Brophy scored back-to-back to pull the Cardinals to within 12-10 with 4:54 on the clock.

Monaghan won the ensuing draw control and Elmer netted what proved to the game-winning goal at 3:58, putting the Red Dragons ahead, 13-10. After Cortland won the following draw control, Pehnke made a save and a Cortland turnover led to a good clear by Catholic. Wilson scored at 1:24 to make it 13-11. After a Cardinal timeout, Tortorici won the next draw but Cortland quickly turned the ball over, which led to Crisalli's fifth goal of the game with 54 seconds remaining and Cortland held a 13-12 advantage. Hayes-Hurley secured the ensuing draw, and Cortland attempted to run out the clock. Cortland turned the ball over with 10 seconds remaining and Catholic worked a good clear, but a pass across the crease in the closing seconds was off target and Cortland held on for the 13-12 win.

The Red Dragons will face the winner of York (Pa.) versus Middlebury College in the national semifinals on Saturday, May 23, at PPL Park in Philadelphia, Pa.

Cortland 13, Catholic 12

GAME SUMMARY:

Team 1-2 Final
Catholic    2-10  12
Cortland    9-4    13

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Catholic: Nicolette Crisalli 5-0, Madeline Wilson 2-4, Anna Stumme 2-0, Alexis Bosilovic 1-1, Clair Schmitzer 1-0, Lindsay Brophy 1-0, Laura Dunn 0-1
Cortland: Kristen Ohberg 5-0, Nicolette Tortorici 2-1, Tara Monaghan 2-0, Elizabeth LaComb 2-0, Emma Hayes-Hurley 1-1, Hannah Elmer 1-0, Marilyn Farrell 0-2

Goalkeepers:
Catholic: Tricia Pehnke, 10 saves (13 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Jaclyn Beshlian, 9 saves (12 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 33, Catholic 26
Ground Balls: Cortland 20, Catholic 14
Clears: Cortland 18-of-20, Catholic 19-of-22
Draw Controls: Cortland 15, Catholic 12
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 8, Catholic 8
Turnovers: Catholic 14, Cortland 13

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 20-1 (ranked 2nd nationally in Div. III); Catholic (Cardinals) 16-4 (tied for 10th nationally in Div. III)