CORTLAND, NY – Tyla Vuotto (Lynbrook) scored a hat trick, and the Red Dragons netted four goals in the first six minutes of the second half to pull away in a 6-0 win for the Cortland women's soccer team over Canton in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Holloway Field on Wednesday evening. The Red Dragons are now 10-2-4 (6-0-1 SUNYAC), while the Roos are 0-16-0 (0-8-0 SUNYAC).
 
With the win, Cortland clinched a berth into the semifinals of the upcoming SUNYAC playoffs. A win or tie for the Red Dragons in either of their final two conference games on Saturday at Potsdam or next Tuesday at Oneonta would clinch the SUNYAC regular-season title for Cortland.
 
Vuotto's three goals give her six on the season, second on the Red Dragons. Leah Rehm (East Syracuse/East Syracuse-Minoa) chipped in a goal and an assist, and Cassia Schuyler (Cincinnatus) added two assists.
 
Ashlynn McGrorty (Bethpage) and Devyn Kelly (Wappingers Falls/Beacon) both scored a goal for the Red Dragons, and Piper Klammer (Mahopac) and Gianna Cirilla (Pattersonville/Schalmont) added an assist apiece.
 
The Cortland defense held Canton without a shot on target in extending its school-record consecutive shutouts streak to 11 games and 1,014:11 of action without giving up a goal.
 
Mackenzie Ryan recorded 19 saves in goal for Canton, and Shannon Platt had two shot attempts for the Roos.
 
The Red Dragons nearly broke through for the first goal of the game in the second minute, but Ryan came up with a tremendous save to deny Klammer at close range after a cross from the left side from Rehm. Just a minute later, Vuotto was also stopped by another strong save by Ryan.
 
The Roos registered two of their three shot attempts in the first six minutes, with Kate Whitley firing a shot that Cortland goalkeeper Olivia Rouse (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) came outside the frame of the goal to collect and keep in play. A minute later, Platt fired to the right of the post for a goal kick.
 
Vuotto gave Cortland the 1-0 lead in the 10th minute with her fourth goal of the season. Under pressure from the Cortland forwards, a Canton defender attempted to clear the ball out of the 18-yard area. The ball fell to Vuotto just inside the penalty area, and the junior fired a shot into the top right corner of the net.
 
The Red Dragons looked to add on in the next minutes, but Ryan came up with multiple saves over the rest of the half, totaling 10 saves over the first 45 minutes, to keep the Canton deficit at one into halftime.
 
The floodgates opened early in the second half, as Cortland was able to tack on four goals in the first six minutes of the half. Just 20 seconds into the half, Schuyler sent a through ball that rolled behind the Canton defense. Rehm was first to react, collecting the pass, dribbling around the Canton goalkeeper, and depositing a shot into the empty goal.
 
Just over two minutes later, Cortland made it 3-0. Katie Diem (Fairport) fired a free kick towards goal that Ryan was able to parry. The ball bounced inside the 18-yard area, where Cirilla was able to head a short pass out to Vuotto, who scored her second goal of the game into the right side of the goal.
 
Vuotto completed her hat trick only 1:14 later on her final action before being substituted. Klammer sent a deep throw in down the right side to Rehm, who crossed the ball back to the middle to Vuotto, before the junior slotted a shot into the corner of the goal.
 
Under two minutes later, Cortland took a five-goal lead when Kelly intercepted a pass off of a goal kick, dribbled around a defender, and rocketed a shot from outside the 18-yard area into the top center of the goal over the outstretched arms of Ryan.
 
McGrorty netted the first goal of her career in the 58th minute to complete the scoring for Cortland. After Canton cleared Schuyler's initial cross from a corner kick out to the edge of the 18-yard area, the freshman fired a second cross towards the left post, where McGrorty headed a shot into the top left corner of the net.
 
Nicole Blazo (Massapequa/St. Anthony's) entered the game for the final 10+ minutes in goal, and the Red Dragon defense did not allow Canton to record a shot attempt the rest of the way to secure the victory.