CORTLAND, N.Y. – The nationally top-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team opened up a 12-0 lead at the half and earned an 18-4 victory versus Ithaca Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at the Stadium Complex. The Red Dragons improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Bombers fell to 1-1.

Senior Ashley Gentile (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led nine Cortland goal scorers with four. Junior Kristen Ohberg (Brewster) tallied a game-high five points on three goals and two assists. Senior Nicole Bello (Camillus/West Genesee) and freshman Carly Stone (Syracuse/Jamesville-DeWitt) each recorded two goals and one assist, and senior Tara Monaghan (Stony Point/North Rockland) and sophomore Megan Gonzalez (Miller Place) also scored twice with Gonzalez's being the first of her career.

Junior Makenzie Annable (Navarino/Onondaga) and sophomore Hannah Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) each registered a goal and an assist for the Red Dragons. Junior Allyson McNerney (Tully) netted a goal and junior Kaitlin Antelmi (Bridgeport/Chittenango) contributed two assists.

Junior goalie Jaclyn Beshlian (Wantagh) made six saves for Cortland. Gentile won seven draw controls, Bello caused six turnovers and sophomore Sydney Oshinsky (Oceanside) collected three ground balls.

Senior Riley Marion (Dartmouth, MA) led Ithaca with a goal and an assist. Juniors Morgan Racicot (Geneva) and Morgan Cadwell (Watertown) and freshman Allison Panara (Pittsford/Pittsford Sutherland) each scored a goal.

Junior Emily Ross (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) started in goal, making three saves in 23:50. Sophomore Kimberly Presuto (Woodbury/Syosset) played the final 36:10 and turned aside seven shots. Sophomore Elizabeth Sauer (Pittsford/Pittsford Mendon) recorded four caused turnovers and three ground balls.

Cortland took control of the game early, building a 6-0 lead just 8:35 into the game as Ohberg and Gentile each scored twice and Monaghan and Annable netted one goal apiece. The Red Dragons pushed the lead to 9-0 at the 14:13 mark with a three-goal burst in 2:05 on scores from Bello, Gentile and Ohberg. Stone then netted back-to-back goals at 6:46 and 3:28 before Gonzalez closed the half with her first career goal 38 seconds before intermission.

Three straight goals to open the second half, one each from Gentile, Elmer and Monaghan, made it a 15-0 score with 24:29 remaining. The Bombers finally broke through at 22:02 as Cadwell scored. Marion netted her goal at 15:34, and the teams then traded the last five goals for the 18-4 final. 
 
Cortland 18, Ithaca 4

GAME SUMMARY:

Team                    1-2     Final
Ithaca                    0-4        4
Cortland                12-6     18

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Ithaca: Riley Marion 1-1, Morgan Racicot 1-0, Allison Panara 1-0, Morgan Cadwell 1-0
Cortland: Ashley Gentile 4-0, Kristen Ohberg 3-2, Nicole Bello 2-1, Carly Stone 2-1, Tara Monaghan 2-0, Megan Gonzalez 2-0, Hannah Elmer 1-1, Makenzie Annable 1-1, Allyson McNerney 1-0, Kaitlin Antelmi 0-2

Goalkeepers:
Ithaca: Emily Ross, 3 saves (10 GA in 23:50), Kimberly Presuto, 7 saves (8 GA in 36:10)
Cortland: Jaclyn Beshlian, 6 saves (4 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 35, Ithaca 16
Ground Balls: Cortland 22, Ithaca 11
Clears: Cortland 12-of-15, Ithaca 8-of-17
Draw Controls: Cortland 15, Ithaca 8
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 13, Ithaca 9
Turnovers: Ithaca 18, Cortland 14

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 2-0 (ranked 1st nationally in Div. III); Ithaca (Bombers) 1-1