CORTLAND, NY – The Cortland women's lacrosse team earned a dominant 22-1 victory over Plattsburgh in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday afternoon on Grady Field. Cortland improves to 4-4 (2-0 SUNYAC), while Plattsburgh falls to 2-7 (0-3 SUNYAC).
 
Toni Cashman (East Moriches/Westhampton Beach) and Nicole Iapoce (Clintondale/Highland) each had six points for Cortland, with Cashman scoring four times and adding two assist and Iapoce recording three goals and three assists. Brooke Elizalde (Ronkonkoma/Connetquot) netted a career-high five goals for the Red Dragons. Ashley Melillo (Massapequa) scored two goals, added one assist, and had three caused turnovers.
 
Natalie Bennett (Latham/Shaker) scored twice, while Kristen Javenes (North Rockland) and Bella Dembinski (Holbrook/Sachem East) had a goal and an assist apiece.
 
Rachel Rempe (Aquebogue/Riverhead) had nine draw controls for the Red Dragons, also surpassing 100 career draw controls in the first quarter. Lexi Caron (Manlius/Fayetteville-Manlius) recorded three caused turnovers, four ground balls, and one draw control.
 
Maddy Garcia scored the lone Plattsburgh goal, with Cynthia Barnosky providing the assist.
 
The Red Dragons scored nine goals in the first quarter to take control of the contest early. Cashman got the scoring started less than two minutes into the game, curling around from behind the goal and firing a shot past the Plattsburgh goalkeeper.
 
Cortland then scored three times in the span of 1:04 to extend the lead to 4-0. Emma Dempsey (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) netted a free-position goal from the left side, and Cashman set up Elizalde with a great pass to the front of the goal just 12 seconds later. Cashman netted her second goal of the game with 9:57 remaining.
 
Bennett netted two goals, and Iapoce, Melillo, and Cashman each added a goal in the final five minutes of the frame.
 
The Red Dragons extended the lead to 12-0 with three goals early in the second quarter, one each by Melillo, Iapoce, and Elizalde. The Cardinals netted a goal with 5:14 remaining in the contest to break up the shutout.
 
Cashman found the back of the net for the fourth time in the game, and Isabel Adams (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) had a player-up goal off a feed from Iapoce with 1:19 remaining to cap the scoring for the half with a 14-1 advantage at halftime.
 
Cortland added four more goals in the third quarter to extend the lead to 18-1 heading into the fourth quarter. Gemma Guy (Homer/Tully) netted her ninth goal of the season, and Elizalde and Iapoce each netted goals for the Red Dragons.
 
Javenes scored her first collegiate goal in the final minute of the quarter, and Katie Cummings (Smithtown/Smithtown East) provided her first collegiate point with an assist.
 
Javenes set up Dembinski for a goal just over five minutes into the fourth quarter. Three minutes later, Cali Brancato (Liverpool) also netted her first collegiate goal on a free-position goal.
 
Elizalde scored the final two goals of the contest, including a player-down goal for the Red Dragons with 1:10 remaining. Alyssa Leotta (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills West) picked up an assist on Elizalde's fourth goal for her first collegiate point.
 
Cortland 22, Plattsburgh 1

Team                    1-2-3-4  Final
Cortland             9-5-4-4    22
Plattsburgh        0-1-0-0      1

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Toni Cashman 4-2, Nicole Iapoce 3-3, Brooke Elizalde 5-0, Ashley Melillo 2-1, Natalie Bennett 2-0, Bella Dembinski 1-1, Kristen Javenes 1-1, Isabel Adams 1-0, Gemma Guy 1-0, Cali Brancato 1-0, Emma Dempsey 1-0, Katie Cummings 0-1, Alyssa Leotta 0-1
Plattsburgh: Maddy Garcia 1-0, Cynthia Barnosky 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Cortland: Trinity Parks 0 saves (1 GA in 45:00), Aislynn Cobb, 1 save (0 GA in 15:00)
Plattsburgh: Anna Myers 5 saves (9 GA in 15:00), Mae Olshansky 3 saves (13 GA in 45:00)

Shots: Cortland 36, Plattsburgh 4
Ground Balls: Cortland 19, Plattsburgh 10
Turnovers: Plattsburgh 20, Cortland 12
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 14, Plattsburgh 4 
Clears: Cortland 12-of-14, Plattsburgh 7-of-14
Draw Controls: Cortland 18, Plattsburgh 7
Free Position Shots: Cortland 2-2, Plattsburgh 0-0

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 4-4, 2-0 SUNYAC; Plattsburgh (Cardinals) 2-7, 0-3 SUNYAC