CORTLAND, N.Y. - The nationally seventh-ranked Cortland women's ice hockey team fell at home to 14th-ranked Elmira, 3-1, in the first round of the NCAA women's ice hockey tournament Wednesday night at Alumni Arena.
 
The loss marks the end of Cortland's first trip into the NCAA postseason, following the first league title in program history with its win at Plattsburgh last Saturday in the SUNYAC title game. Cortland closes the season with a 20-6-2 record, tying the school record for wins in a season set last year.
 
Meggan Cramer (Cicero/Northwood School) scored the lone goal for the Red Dragons following a feed from graduate Dany Donegan (Cicero/Syracuse Nationals). Ainsley Delacourt (Stoney Creek, ON/Brampton Canadettes) earned the secondary assist. Junior Molly Goergen (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Prairie H.S.) turned away 34 of the 36 shots on goal she faced, denying several Soaring Eagle scoring opportunities and allowing just one even strength goal.
 
McKenzie Schmidt, Emily Lenzen, and Emma Bradbury tallied one goal apiece for the Soaring Eagles (21-7-1), and senior Lexi Hoffman registered two assists on the night. Graduate student Chloe Beaubien allowed just one goal on 25 Red Dragon shots.
 
Schmidt started the scoring for the Soaring Eagles, finding the back of the net unassisted after a turnover with 7:08 to play in the first. Lenzen converted on Elmira's only power play of the night 15:40 into the second frame to extend the Soaring Eagle's lead to two, assisted by Hoffmann and Erika Goleniak. Cramer, however, found the back of the net 1:04 later to cut the Elmira lead to one.
 
With 1:28 to play the Red Dragons pulled Goergen, but Elmira's Bradbury capitalized on the empty net with 13 seconds left on the clock to finish the scoring.
 
Elmira 3, Cortland 1
 
Score by periods:
Elmira              1-1-1         3
Cortland           0-1-0         1
 
Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists)
Elmira: McKenzie Schmidt 1-0, Emily Lenzen 1-0, Emma Bradbury 1-0, Lexi Hoffmann 0-2, Erika Goleniak 0-1
Cortland: Meggan Cramer 1-0, Dany Donegan 0-1, Ainsley Delacourt 0-1
 
Saves: Chloe Beaubien (Elmira) 24 saves (1 GA in 60:00); Molly Goergen (Cortland) 34 saves (2 GA in 58:45) Empty Net (1 GA in 1:15)
 
Shots on Goal: Elmira 36, Cortland 25
Penalties: Elmira 1-2:00, Cortland 1-2:00
Power Play: Elmira 1-1, Cortland 0-1
 
Records after game: Elmira (Soaring Eagles) 21-7-1 (ranked 14th in Division III), Cortland (Red Dragons) 20-6-2 (ranked 7th in Division III)