CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women's lacrosse team pulled away from a tight game at the half in earning a 14-8 victory versus New Paltz in SUNYAC action at Grady Field Wednesday afternoon. The Red Dragons improved to 10-4 overall and 7-0 in the conference and clinched a postseason league playoff berth. The Hawks fell to 12-2 and 5-2 after winning their first 12 games of the season.

Toni Cashman (East Moriches/Westhampton Beach) totaled six points on four goals and two assists to lead Cortland offensively. Amy Hoeffner (Bay Shore) and Ashley Melillo (Massapequa) each netted three goals. Rachel Janis (Laurel/Mattituck) finished with a goal and four assists, Emma Dempsey (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) tallied a goal and an assist, Nicole Iapoce (Clintondale/Highland) and Mackenzie Beck (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) scored a goal and Rachel Rempe (Aquebogue) picked up an assist.

Goalie Margaret Morgan (New Fairfield, CT) stopped eight shots for the Red Dragons. Hoeffner won 12 draw controls, Julie Kadletz (Shoreham/Shorehan-Wading River) scooped up a game-high six ground balls, Rempe added five caused turnovers and three ground balls, Amanda Squillini (Stony Point/North Rockland) contributed four caused turnovers and three ground balls and Cashman also caused four turnovers.

Morgan Atwater led New Paltz with three goals. Lexi Atwater and Mia Baldinger each recorded a goal and two assists. Ava Padilla, Kaitlyn Shaw and Allison Beattie scored one goal apiece.

Goalie Gabriella Tommaso registered seven saves and two ground balls. Shaw and Morgan Woolley each collected three ground balls, Lexi Atwater secured four draws and Morgan Atwater won three draws.

Cortland raced out to a 5-0 lead just 6:45 into the game, but the Hawks responded by scoring five of the next six goals to pull to within 6-5 early in the second quarter. Cashman's third goal of the game 44 seconds before intermission gave the Red Dragons a 7-5 advantage heading into the half.

After Iapoce and Baldinger traded goals to open the third quarter, Cortland netted three straight goals to build an 11-6 lead. Morgan Atwater closed the third quarter to pull the Hawks to within 11-7. Neither team could find the back of the cage in the opening half of the fourth quarter. Hoeffner and Melillo eventually netted back-to-back goals at 7:46 and 6:24, respectively, to give the Red Dragons a comfortable 13-7 lead. Morgan Atwater scored her third goal of the game from the free position at 5:07, but Melillo finished the scoring when her shot hit the pipe and bounced back to Tommaso, who knocked the ball across the goal line for the 14-8 final.

Cortland 14, New Paltz 8

Team                    1-2-3-4       Final
New Paltz             3-2-2-1             8
Cortland               6-1-4-3           14

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
New Paltz: Morgan Atwater 3-0, Lexi Atwater 1-2, Mia Baldinger 1-2, Ava Padilla 1-0, Kaitlyn Shaw 1-0, Allison Beattie 1-0
Cortland: Toni Cashman 4-2, Ashley Melillo 3-0, Amy Hoeffner 3-0, Rachel Janis 1-4, Emma Dempsey 1-1, Nicole Iapoce 1-0, Mackenzie Beck 1-0, Rachel Rempe 0-1

Goalkeepers:
New Paltz: Gabriella Tommaso, 7 saves (14 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Margaret Morgan, 8 saves (8 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 29, New Paltz 23 
Ground Balls: Cortland 25, New Paltz 20
Clears: Cortland 21-of-21, New Paltz 18-of-28 
Draw Controls: Cortland 16, New Paltz 10
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 16, New Paltz 11
Turnovers: Cortland 25, New Paltz 24 

Records after game: New Paltz (Hawks) 12-2, 5-2 SUNYAC, Cortland (Red Dragons) 10-4, 7-0 SUNYAC