CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland field hockey team opened up a 4-0 lead at the half en route to a 5-2 win versus Utica in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at the Stadium Complex. The Red Dragons improved to 7-3 with the win, while the Pioneers dropped to 4-5.

Senior Jess Gibaldi (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) led Cortland with two goals and two assists. Junior Hannah Burchell (Whitney Point) tallied two goals and one assist. Junior Amanda Glaser (Huntington/Walt Whitman) netted a goal, and sophomore Valerie Brillaud (Nesconset/Smithtown East) recorded two assists.

Senior goalie Kailynn Reinoehl (Lititz, PA/Warwick) turned aside nine shots for the Red Dragons. Senior Dani Barto (Nichols/Tioga Central) registered a defensive save.

Senior Rylee Meelan (Clinton) and sophomore Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro) scored for Utica. Freshman Megan Chamberlain (Queensbury) started in goal, making one save in the first half. Senior goalie Carly Tebolt (Wappingers/Roy C. Ketcham) made three saves in the second half, and senior Madison Babicz (New Hartford) picked up a defensive save.

Gibaldi gave Cortland a 2-0 lead with goals at 4:50 and 9:35. The first came on a reverse-stick shot from the left side, and the second was a one-time shot after a penalty corner. Burchell then netted back-to-back goals at 28:38 and 30:04 to put Cortland ahead, 4-0. Her first score came with a shot inside the left post, and she followed with a long blast on a penalty corner.

Glaser pushed Cortland's lead to 5-0 just 1:58 into the second half with a right side blast inside the left post. Utica got on the scoreboard at 51:55 when Meelan converted a penalty stroke for her 10th goal of the season. Scaccia made it a 5-2 game on a rebound in front at 55:51.

Cortland 5, Utica 2

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Utica: Rylee Meelan 1-0, Sydney Scaccia 1-0
Cortland: Jess Gibaldi 2-2, Hannah Burchell 2-1, Amanda Glaser 1-0, Valerie Brillaud 0-2

Halftime: Cortland 4, Utica 0
Shots: Utica 17, Cortland 14
Penalty Corners: Cortland 10, Utica 8
Saves: Megan Chamberlain (Utica) 1 (4 GA in 35:00), Carly Tebolt (Utica) 3 (1 GA in 35:00); Kailynne Reinoehl (Cortland) 9 (2 GA in 70:00)

Record after game: Utica (Pioneers) 4-5; Cortland (Red Dragons) 7-3