CORTLAND, N.Y. – The nationally top-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team closed the first half with a 6-0 run to break open a tight game and went onto a 21-7 victory versus Pomona-Pitzer Saturday afternoon in the third round of the NCAA Div. III Women's Lacrosse Tournament. The Red Dragons improved to 20-0 and advanced to the regional final to face the winner of Springfield versus Catholic on Sunday at 1 p.m., while the Sagehens finished their season at 16-4.

Senior Ashley Gentile (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led the Cortland offense with five goals and one assist to become the 17th player in program history to reach 200 career points (177-23-200). Junior Kristen Ohberg (Brewster) tallied a game-high eight points on four goals and four assists. Senior Tara Monaghan (Stony Point/North Rockland) recorded three goals and one assist, senior Elizabeth LaComb (Syracuse/West Genesee) also netted three goals and sophomore Hannah Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) scored five points on two goals and three assists.

Senior Nicole Bello (Camillus/West Genesee) tallied one goal and two assists, junior Makenzie Annable (Navarino/Onondaga) and sophomore Katie Wolfe (East Amherst/Williamsville North) each contributed one goal and one assist and sophomore Megan Gonzalez (Miller Place) added a goal for the Red Dragons.

Junior goalie Jaclyn Beshlian (Wantagh) made nine saves and allowed seven goals in 52:32 before giving way to senior Liz Ingalls (Centerport/St. Anthony's), who did not face a shot on goal over the final 7:28. Ohberg won four draw controls and Gentile secured three draws and caused two turnovers, while Monaghan and Bello each recorded two caused turnovers and Elmer and junior Hilary O'Neil (Fayetteville/Fayetteville-Manlius) scooped up four ground balls apiece.

Freshman Lilly Thomey (Edina, MN/Minnehaha Academy) netted three goals for Pomona-Pitzer. Junior Rebecca Long (Seattle, WA/Lakeside) scored twice, senior Sarah Markowitz (Pacific Palisades, CA/Harvard-Westlake) scored a team-high five points on one goal and four assists, senior Katie Savino (Portland, OR/Oregon Episcopal) tallied a goal and senior Aubrey Douglass (Piedmont, CA) and freshman Amelia Miller (London, England/The Lady Eleanor Holles School) each contributed an assist.

Sophomore goalie Mckenzie Scott (Seattle, WA/Bainbridge) stopped six shots in 28:59. Junior goalie Gaby Fukumura (Seal Beach, CA/Los Alamitos) turned aside seven shots in 31:01. Thomey won six draws, senior Ally McLaughlin (Wynnewood, PA/Harriton) caused two turnovers and sophomore Sallie Marx (Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge) collected three ground balls.

Cortland broke out on top, 4-1, just over five minutes into the game and held a 6-2 lead at the 22:01 mark before the Sagehens scored three of the next four goals to pull to within 7-5 with 15:29 left in the opening half. The Red Dragons responded with six straight goals to end the half, two each from Ohberg and LaComb, to build a 13-5 advantage at the break.

In the second half, Cortland gradually extended its lead to 19-6 as Gentile notched three of her goals. Thomey's third goal of the game at 10:58 made it a 19-7 game before Gonzalez and Wolfe closed the scoring with goals at 5:02 and 3:21, respectively.

Cortland 21, Pomona-Pitzer 7

GAME SUMMARY:

Team                    1-2     Final
Pomona-Pitzer     5-2         7
Cortland              13-8      21

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Pomona-Pitzer: Lilly Thomey 3-0, Rebecca Long 2-0, Sarah Markowitz 1-4, Katie Savino 1-0, Amelia Miller 0-1, Aubrey Douglass 0-1
Cortland: Ashley Gentile 5-1, Kristen Ohberg 4-4, Tara Monaghan 3-1, Elizabeth LaComb 3-0, Hannah Elmer 2-3, Nicole Bello 1-2, Makenzie Annable 1-1, Katie Wolfe 1-1, Megan Gonzalez 1-0, Carly Stone 0-1 

Goalkeepers:
Pomona-Pitzer: Mckenzie Scott, 6 saves (11 GA in 28:59), Gaby Fukumura, 7 saves (10 GA in 31:01)
Cortland: Jaclyn Beshlian, 9 saves (7 GA in 52:32),Liz Ingalls, 0 saves (0 GA in 7:28)

Shots: Cortland 43, Pomona-Pitzer 21 
Ground Balls: Cortland 29, Pomona-Pitzer 15
Clears: Cortland 13-of-15, Pomona-Pitzer 11-of-21
Draw Controls: Cortland 17, Pomona-Pitzer 13
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 12, Pomona-Pitzer 7
Turnovers: Pomona-Pitzer 20, Cortland 12

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 20-0 (ranked 1st nationally in Div. III); Pomona-Pitzer (Sagehens) 16-4