MEMPHIS, TENN. – The nationally 13th-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team raced out to an 11-3 lead at the half and never looked back in earning an 18-5 victory over Transylvania University Saturday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs. The Red Dragons won their 13th consecutive game, improving to 13-1 on the season, and advanced to face host Rhodes College (14-0) Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. CST time in the second round. The game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m., but the threat of inclement weather has shifted the schedule. The Pioneers ended their season at 11-5.

Junior Amy Hoeffner (Bay Shore) matched her season high with four goals to lead the Cortland offense. Senior Hannah Lorenzen (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) finished with three goals and one assist and has notched at least three goals in every game this season. Junior Hannah Keech (Penn Yan/Penn Yan Academy) and sophomore Kiki Meager (Syracuse/West Genesee) each added three goals. Senior Cecilia Procopio (Syracuse/West Genesee) totaled a game-high five points on two goals and three assists. Senior Hannah Tiso (Somers), junior Katie Goodrich (Jordan/Jordan-Elbridge) and freshman Toni Cashman (East Moriches/Westhampton Beach) each tallied one goal and one assist, and sophomore Chloe Loewenguth (DeWitt/Jamesville-DeWitt) chipped in with an assist.

Senior goalie Paige Potter (Cortland) registered seven saves for the Red Dragons. Lorenzen won eight draw controls, while Meager secured six draws. Senior Kayla Sweeney (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) collected three ground balls, and Hoeffner caused two turnovers.

Courtney Pontious led the Pioneers with two goals and one assist. Salem Carlow scored twice, and Mandi Rider added a goal. Goalie Abi Waldron stopped 16 shots and scooped up three ground balls. Pontious secured four ground balls and two draws, and Carlow contributed three draws.

The Pioneers opened the scoring 4:55 into the game on a goal from Pontious, but the Red Dragons responded with a four-goal run from four different players in less than a four-minute span to grab a 4-1 lead. Transylvania netted two of the next three goals and trailed just 5-3 at the 12:59 mark before Cortland closed the half with six straight goals for an 11-3 advantage to take control of the game. Meager scored once, Lorenzen strung together three goals and Hoeffner netted a pair of goals to close the half.

The Red Dragons tallied four of the first five goals of the second half, two from Keech and one each by Procopio and Hoeffner, to build a 15-4 lead with 18:18 to play. Rider scored at 14:11, but Tiso, Goodrich and Meager netted goals for the 18-5 final.

Cortland outshot Transylvania, 42-18, secured 18-of-24 draw controls and won the battle of ground balls, 17-10. The Red Dragons forced nine of the Pioneers' 16 turnovers, while turning the ball over only seven times as a team.

Cortland 18, Transylvania 5

Team                       1-2       Final
Transylvania            3-2           5
Cortland                  11-7        18

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Transylvania: Courtney Pontious 2-1, Salem Carlow 2-0, Mandi Rider 1-0
Cortland: Amy Hoeffner 4-0, Hannah Lorenzen 3-1, Kiki Meager 3-0, Hannah Keech 3-0, Cecilia Procopio 2-3, Toni Cashman 1-1, Hannah Tiso 1-1, Katie Goodrich 1-1, Chloe Loewenguth 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Transylvania: Abi Waldron, 16 saves (18 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Paige Potter, 7 saves, (5 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 42, Transylvania 18
Ground Balls: Cortland 17, Transylvania 10
Clears: Cortland 17-of-17, Transylvania 13-of-22
Draw Controls: Cortland 18, Transylvania 6
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 9, Transylvania 2
Turnovers: Transylvania 16, Cortland 7

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 13-1 (ranked 13th nationally in Div. III); Transylvania (Pioneers) 11-5