BUFFALO, N.Y. – The nationally 13th-ranked Cortland women's hockey team erupted for four third-period goals to break open a tight game in earning a 6-1 victory at Buffalo St. Friday afternoon in SUNYAC action. The Red Dragons improved to 8-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the conference, while the Bengals fell to 1-9-1 and 0-6.

Sophomore Kayla Persinger (Lewiston/Newark Ironbound) led Cortland with a goal and two assists. Seniors Nicole Tulowiecki (Syracuse/Syracuse Nationals) and Kait Bourgeois (Cobden, ON/Ottawa Thunder), junior Meggan Cramer (Cicero/Northwood School), sophomore Morgan Raymond (Windsor/Syracuse Valley Eagles) and freshman Katie Mahoney (Toronto, ON/Toronto Leaside) each netted a goal.

Graduate student Dany Donegan (Cicero/Syracuse Nationals) recorded two assists for the Red Dragons. Graduate students Emily Racco (Minesing, ON/Post University) and Elena Eichmann (Rochester/Syracuse Nationals), juniors Natalie O'Brien (Lockport/Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles) and Gillian Zwolak (Stoney Crek, ON/Ancaster Avalanche), sophomore Hayley Hunter (Pulaski/NAHA) and freshman McKenzie Brown (Peru/Lovell Academy) picked up an assist. Freshman goalie Maggie Dickinson (Bowmanville, ON/Toronto Leaside) made 18 saves.

Liz Flores scored for Buffalo St. with Maddie Braun and Grace Zwolak assisting. Goalie Jessica Auge registered 46 saves.

Persinger gave Cortland a 1-0 lead at 14:27 of the opening period, scoring on a shot inside the left post from between the circles off a loose puck. Flores tied the game at 7:57 of the second period, knocking in a rebound after Dickinson made a save on Braun's one-time shot from the right point. Tulowiecki scored what proved to be the game winner at 12:36 of the period, intercepting a back pass from a Bengal player and putting a shot over Auge's shoulder from the edge of the right circle.

Cramer made it a 3-1 game just 2:07 into the third period with a one-time shot at the right side of the crease off a feed from Persinger. Minutes later, the Bengals had a two-player advantage on the power play for 1:11, but the Red Dragons killed off the attempts to maintain their 3-1 lead.

Cortland then sealed the game with three goals in in just over a three and a half minute stretch. Raymond scored on a rebound in front at 8:17 after Auge made a save on Racco's slap shot from the point. Mahoney put a shot inside the left post from the top of the right circle 29 seconds later after gathering the puck near the left boards, and Bourgeois completed the scoring on the power play with a wrist shot from the left point through traffic at 11:48 for the 6-1 final.

Cortland 6, Buffalo St. 1

Score by periods:
Cortland             1-1-4      6
Buffalo St.          0-1-0      1

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Kayla Persinger 1-2, Nicole Tulowiecki 1-0, Meggan Cramer 1-0, Morgan Raymond 1-0, Katie Mahoney 1-0, Kait Bourgeois 1-0, Dany Donegan 0-2, McKenzie Brown 0-1, Natalie O'Brien 0-1, Emily Racco 0-1, Elena Eichmann 0-1, Gillian Zwolak 0-1, Hayley Hunter 0-1
Buffalo St.: Liz Flores 1-0, Maddie Braun 0-1, Grace Zwolak 0-1

Saves: Maggie Dickinson (Cortland) 18 saves (1 GA in 59:55), Empty Net :05; Jessica Auge (Buffalo St.) 46 saves (6 GA in 60:00)

Shots on goal: Cortland 52 (18-17-17), Buffalo St. 19 (4-8-7)
Penalties: Buffalo St. 6-12:00, Cortland 3-6:00
Power Play: Cortland 1-6, Buffalo St. 1-3

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 8-3-1, 5-2-1 SUNYAC (ranked 13th in Div. III), Buffalo St. (Bengals) 1-9-1, 0-6 SUNYAC)