CORTLAND, NY - The Cortland field hockey team saw its comeback bid fall short in a 3-2 defeat to Misericordia on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium Complex. Misericordia improves to 4-1 on the year, while Cortland drops to 2-3 on the year. 
 
Lillian Morse (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) and Adrienne Mayes (Vestal) each scored a goal for the Red Dragons. 
 
Ashleigh Steele had a goal and an assist for the Cougars, while Madison Blauch and Celeste Hoffman each found the back of the cage for Misericordia. Abigail O'Donnell and Madison Lasinski both provided an assist, while Sarah Bogina stopped five shots for the win in goal. 
 
Lasinski had a chance to give Misericordia an early lead just four minutes into the game, but Emma Morgan (Whitney Point) came up with a big save to keep the game scoreless.
 
Cortland struck first late in the first quarter, as Morse stole the ball from a Misericordia defender and ran down the right side, before flipping a shot into the top left corner of the cage to give the Red Dragons a 1-0 lead. 
 
Misericordia responded with two goals in the span of four minutes early in the second quarter to take a 2-1 lead. Hoffman tapped a shot into the cage after a cross from the right side from O'Donnell, before Lasinski found Steele in front of goal minutes later for the go-ahead goal with 6:09 left in the half. 
 
Midway through the third quarter, the Cougars made it 3-1 when Blauch tipped in a shot at the left post that trickled off Morgan and into the goal. 
 
Cortland pulled to within a goal with under two minutes remaining in the period when Mayes scored on a penalty stroke with a shot into the top left of the cage. 
 
In the fourth quarter, Cortland fired five shot attempts in an attempt to find the equalizing goal. Bogina was able to make two saves, and the Misericordia defense blocked two more shots to deny the Red Dragons. 
 
Cortland had one final penalty corner with nine seconds remaining, but was unable to get a shot on target in its last effort to tie the game.