CORTLAND, N.Y. – Sophomore Jess Gibaldi (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) scored early in the first half and the goal held up as the Cortland field hockey team defeated Utica College, 1-0, in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at the Stadium Complex.

Junior Megan O'Brien (Holmes/Carmel) assisted on the game-winning score for the Red Dragons (10-3). Senior goalie Mairead Hourihan (Yorktown Heights/Lakeland) turned aside seven shots in posting the shutout.

Junior goalie Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich) registered eight saves for the Pioneers (4-11). Junior Jordan Noga (Marcy/Whitesboro) recorded a defensive save in the second half.

Gibaldi's goal came 5:05 into the game. O'Brien carried the ball on the right side close to the end line and fed a pass across. Gibaldi one timed a shot that snuck through Whitehouse's pads for her seventh goal of the season.

Utica's best chance to answer came 13 minutes into the game, but Hourihan came up with three consecutive saves on shots by junior Melissa Koch (Syracuse/East Syracuse Minoa). The Pioneers pressured late but could not create a quality scoring opportunity as Cortland held on for the 1-0 victory.
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Cortland 1, Utica 0

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Utica: no scoring
Cortland: Jess Gibaldi 1-0, Megan O'Brien 0-1

Halftime: Cortland 1, Utica 0
Shots: Cortland 15, Utica 8
Penalty Corners: Cortland 11, Utica 2
Saves: Samantha Whitehouse (Utica) 8 (1 GA in 70:00); Mairead Hourihan (Cortland) 7 (0 GA in 70:00)

Record after game: Utica (Pioneers) 4-11; Cortland (Red Dragons) 10-3