Cortland Athletics - The Week Ahead
Sept. 1-4, 2016

Seven Cortland fall teams open their 2016 seasons, beginning with three contests on Thursday, September 1. Here's a look at the upcoming week's contests:


Men's Soccer

The Red Dragons, under fifth-year head coach Steve Axtell, kick off their season at home versus Elmira College on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Stadium Complex. The Red Dragons finished 12-5-2 last fall, including a season-opening 6-2 win at Elmira after overcoming a 2-0 halftime deficit. Cortland will travel to Skidmore College Saturday evening to face a Thoroughbreds team that finished 11-6-1 and lost in the Liberty League finals last season.

Cortland returns its top three scorers from last season in seniors Nick Tata (Rochester/Aquinas Institute) (10 goals, four assists), Tyler Kirschner (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills East) (nine goals, four assists) and Daniel Friend (Deer Park) (six goals, four assists). Senior goalie Joe Brandofino (East Northport/Commack) started all 19 games in goal last season and recorded eight shutouts and a 0.94 goals-against average.


Field Hockey

Head coach Tiffany Hubbard makes her Red Dragon debut on Thursday, Sept. 1, when Cortland travels to Nazareth College. Hubbard, from nearby Marathon, was a former standout player at the University of Maryland and was the head coach for seven seasons at Georgetown University from 2007-13.

Cortland finished 14-5 last season, won the SUNYAC regular-season title with a 6-0 mark, and advanced to the SUNYAC tournament championship game. Cortland brings back its top three scorers in senior Gabby Stein (Endwell/Maine-Endwell) (15 goals, five assists), sophomore Jessica Welsh (Hamilton) (13 goals) and junior Megan O'Brien (Holmes/Carmel) (six goals, one assist). Sophomore goalie Kailynne Reinoehl (Lititz, PA/Warwick) was the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year after posting a 0.93 goals-against average and seven solo shutouts.

Cortland's home opener will be on Sunday versus Elmira at 1 p.m.


Women's Tennis

Cortland starts its 2016 season with a non-league dual match at Oswego Thursday afternoon. The Red Dragons finished 6-6 last fall, 1-2 in the SUNYAC Eastern Division, and tied for fifth at the SUNYAC tournament with a 1-1 mark.

Head coach Tom Spanbauer's squad returns five of its top six players. Sophomores Mia Hayes (Binghamton/Chenango Forks) and Nikaylah Williams (Wheatley Heights/Half Hollow Hills West) played in the top two singles slots, respectively, and teamed to finish 6-6 at first doubles. Senior Katie Fineman (Croton-on-Hudson/Croton-Harmon) played third singles and second doubles last fall, while Michelle Coffey (West Sayville/Sayville) and junior Daria Bystry (West Islip) were the Red Dragons' fifth and sixth singles players, respectively, and the third doubles unit.


Women's Volleyball

The Cortland women's volleyball team, under 12th-year head coach Pam Hoerup, will host the 32nd Annual Cortland Red Dragon Volleyball Classic on Friday and Saturday, September 2-3 at Corey Gymnasium. The 12-team tournament features a predetermined schedule, with Cortland facing Misericordia and Rochester Friday at 3 and 5 p.m., and Stockton and Alfred Saturday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Junior middle hitter Amanda May (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led the 20-17 Red Dragons last fall with a .267 attack percentage and 78 blocks and was third with 292 kills. Senior Samantha Czeczotka (Elwood/John H. Glenn) is the team's returning leader in digs (431) and kills (364) - she'll move this season from a front row spot to a defensive specialist role.

Other returning leaders include junior sisters Courtney and Nicole Silberer (Centereach). Courtney finished last season with 294 kills, 151 digs and 69 blocks, while Nicole registered 249 kills and a .166 attack percentage.


Women's Soccer

Cortland opens its season at the Kean University Tournament in Union, N.J., on Friday and Saturday, September 2-3. The Red Dragons, under 13th-year head coach Heidi Axtell, will play a pair of neutral-site games at the predetermined tournament. They open Friday versus St. John Fisher at 4 p.m. and will face Scranton Saturday at 1 p.m.

Senior midfielder Mersadiz Hayes (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) returns after earning third team All-East honors as a defender last season. As a unit, Cortland's defense allowed only 21 goals in 17 games, including one goal or less 11 times. Sophomore midfielder Brenna Conover (Hauppauge) led the Red Dragons with five goals and one assist for 11 points.


Football

Cortland, ranked 17th nationally in the preseason by D3football.com, opens its season with a non-league game at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, on Saturday, September 3 at noon. The Red Dragons and the Student Princes played in Cortland to open last season, with Cortland pulling out a 26-24 win on a game-ending Hail Mary pass from Steven Ferreira (West Sayville/Sayville) to Jon Mannix (East Northport/John H. Glenn).
Game Notes


Women's Golf

Fifth-year head coach Joe Tesori, Jr. leads Cortland into the season-opening St. Lawrence Invitational Saturday and Sunday, September 3-4, with six returning players. The Red Dragons won the ECAC Division II/III title last fall in addition to the Ithaca Invitational last spring, and they finished second at St. Lawrence and their own Martin/Wallace Invitational.

Sophomore Tiffany Schapira (Valley Stream/Valley Stream South) and junior Taylor O'Halloran (Staten Island/Notre Dame Academy) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, at the ECAC Championships. Junior Anna Haley (Drexel Hill, PA/Bonner & Prendergast) was Cortland's top finisher at St. Lawrence last September with a tie for eighth place.

COMPLETE WEEKLY SCHEDULE
(Home Games in CAPS)

Thursday, September 1
MEN'S SOCCER vs. Elmira, 7:30 p.m.
Women's Tennis at Oswego, 4 p.m.
Field Hockey at Nazareth, 4 p.m.

Friday, September 2
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Misericordia (PA), 3 p.m. (Red Dragon Classic)
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Rochester, 5 p.m. (Red Dragon Classic)
Women's Soccer vs. St. John Fisher, 4 p.m. (Kean (NJ) Tournament)

Saturday, September 3
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Stockton (NJ), 11 a.m. (Red Dragon Classic)
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Alfred, 4 p.m. (Red Dragon Classic)
Football at Heidelberg (OH), 12 p.m.
Women's Soccer vs. Scranton (PA), 1 p.m. (Kean (NJ) Tournament)
Men's Soccer at Skidmore, 6:30 p.m.
Women's Golf at St. Lawrence Invitational, TBA

Sunday, September 4
FIELD HOCKEY vs. Elmira, 1 p.m.
Women's Golf at St. Lawrence Invitational, TBA