ITHACA, NY –  Ava Passante (Endwell/Maine-Endwell)scored her first goal of the season, and Emma Morgan (Whitney Point) made five saves for the shutout, as the Cortland field hockey team earned a 1-0 upset victory at nationally 18th-ranked Ithaca on Wednesday evening. Cortland improves to 2-2 on the year, while Ithaca falls to 3-2. Wednesday's win was also the sixth consecutive victory for the Red Dragons over the Bombers since 2019. 
 
Passante's goal came on her only shot attempt of the game, while Anna McCarthy (Bay Shore) provided the assist for her first collegiate point. It was also the Red Dragons' first assisted goal of the year. 
 
Morgan recorded her first shutout of the year, and 21st of her career. Lillian Morse (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) had one shot on target for the Red Dragons. 
 
Ithaca held a 13-4 advantage in shot attempts, including a 5-2 edge in shots on target. The Bombers also had nine penalty corners to Cortland's three. Maeve Clark made one save in goal for Ithaca, while Caroline Folan had two shots on target. 
 
The Red Dragons recorded the only two shot attempts of the first quarter, with Morse firing a shot that was saved, and another shot that was off target. Meanwhile, the Cortland defense didn't allow any attempts to the Bombers in the opening stanza. 
 
After an Ithaca shot went off the post in the opening minute of the second quarter, Cortland struck for the only goal of the contest with 8:38 left in the half. McCarthy stole a pass from an Ithaca defender just outside of the circle and dribbled through a defender towards the end line. McCarthy then sent a drop pass to Passante in front of goal, who fired a shot into the bottom right corner of the cage. 
 
Over the remainder of the half, the Bombers fired three shots, and Morgan made one save with two minutes left to give the Red Dragons a 1-0 halftime lead. 
 
The Bombers controlled much of play in the third quarter while pushing for an equalizer. However, the Cortland defense held strong and only allowed one shot on target, which Morgan was able to stop.
 
Ithaca ramped up the pressure early in the fourth quarter, firing three shots on target that required saves from Morgan, including a sliding save to her right with under seven minutes left. 
 
With five minutes left, Cortland was able to win two penalty corners to burn additional time off the clock, and the Red Dragon defense didn't allow a shot attempt over the final minutes despite three Ithaca penalty corners.