SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Amy Hoeffner (Bay Shore) scored her third goal of the game one minute, 27 seconds into overtime to lead the nationally 23rd-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team to an 11-10 come-from-behind win at Skidmore College Sunday afternoon in the season opener for both teams. With the win, third-year head coach Kelsey Van Alstyne earned her 100th career victory and her overall record now stands at 100-64.

Hoeffner finished with a game-high seven points, adding four assists to her three goals, as well as four draw controls and two ground balls. Toni Cashman (East Moriches/Westhampton Beach) also netted three goals for the Red Dragons. Nicole Iapoce (Clintondale/Highland) and Ashley Melillo (Massapequa) each scored twice, while Rachel Janis (Laurel/Mattituck) tallied a goal and an assist, Rachel Rempe (Aquebogue/Riverhead) collected two assists and Emma Dempsey (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) chipped in with an assist.

Goalie Margaret Morgan (New Fairfield, CT) turned aside nine shots, including seven in the first half. Isabel Adams (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) finished with game highs of six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Melillo added three caused turnovers and three ground balls, Rempe secured four draws and Morgan, Iapoce and Amanda Squillini (Stony Point/North Rockland) each scooped up two ground balls.

Jillian Lockwood paced the Thoroughbreds with three goals and an assist. Gabriella Modesti recorded two goals and an assist, while Maeve McKinley also scored twice. Lily Schwartzman, Lily Hudner and Grace deBenedictis each netted a goal, and Charlotte Taylor earned an assist.

Goalie Isabella Ianonne registered 11 saves and three ground balls. McKinley also contributed five draws, two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Tessa Snyder won three draws, Ella Harris collected three ground balls and Modesti added three caused turnovers and two ground balls.

The teams combined to score nine goals in the opening quarter with Skidmore holding a 5-4 lead after the opening 15 minutes. Lockwood netted two of her goals in the quarter, while four Red Dragons each picked up a goal. The Thoroughbreds pushed their lead to 7-4 at intermission, getting goals from Schwartzman and Modesti late in the second quarter.

After Cashman made it a 7-5 game with an early third-quarter goal, McKinley tallied back-to-back goals just 28 seconds apart to give the Thoroughbreds their largest lead of the game at 9-5 with 11:12 to play in the quarter. Melillo and Hoeffner answered for Cortland to close within 9-7 after 45 minutes of play. Janis pulled the Red Dragons to within 9-8, 29 seconds into the fourth quarter before Lockwood made it a 10-8 score just over three minutes later. Over the next eight minutes of play, the teams combined for seven turnovers until Iapoce ended the scoring drought at the 3:04 mark. Hoeffner won the ensuing draw control and assisted on Cashman's goal that tied the game at 10-10. Skidmore secured the next draw but turned the ball over. After a Cortland timeout, the Thoroughbreds regained possession and eventually worked the clock for one final shot, but Morgan made a save on McKinley's bid that send the game to extra time.

In overtime, Skidmore won the draw, but Hoeffner forced a turnover, which led to a green card to a Thoroughbred player. As Cortland maintained possession, Rempe fed Hoeffner for the game winner at the 4:33 mark to give Cortland the 11-10 win and Van Alstyne her 100th career victory. 

Cortland 11, Skidmore 10 (OT)

Team             1-2-3-4-OT       Final
Cortland        4-0-3-3-1           11
Skidmore       5-2-2-1-0           10

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Amy Hoeffner 3-4, Toni Cashman 3-0, Nicole Iapoce 2-0, Ashley Melillo 2-0, Rachel Janis 1-1, Rachel Rempe 0-2, Emma Dempsey 0-1
Skidmore: Jillian Lockwood 3-1, Gabriella Modesti 2-1, Maeve McKinley 2-0, Lily Schwartzman 1-0, Lily Hudner 1-0, Grace deBenedictis 1-0, Charlotte Taylor 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Cortland: Margaret Morgan, 9 saves (10 GA in 61:27)
Skidmore: Isabella Ianonne, 11 saves (11 GA in 61:27)

Shots: Cortland 30, Skidmore 23
Ground Balls: Cortland 22, Skidmore 17
Clears: Cortland 19-of-25, Skidmore 17-of-23
Draw Controls: Skidmore 14, Cortland 10
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 10, Skidmore 8
Turnovers: Skidmore 27, Cortland 18

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 1-0 (ranked 23rd nationally in Div. III); Skidmore (Thoroughbreds) 0-1