CORTLAND, NY - The Cortland women's hockey team scored early and often in a 10-1 rout of Buffalo State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday afternoon in Alumni Arena. The game was also Cortland's sixth annual Make-A-Wish® charity game, with the Red Dragons wearing custom-made jerseys to be auctioned off. Cortland improves to 13-5-4 (7-2-2 SUNYAC), while Buffalo State falls to 11-10-1 (3-8-0 SUNYAC).
 
The 10-goal outburst for the Cortland offense was the largest scoring output since a 12-0 win over Stevenson to open the 2023-24 season.
 
Kayla Persinger (Youngstown/Newark Ironbound) netted her first career hat trick with goals in all three periods, and added an assist as well. Grace Karakas (Duluth, MN/Duluth East) added two goals and an assist, while Kira Cook (Lake Ronkonkoma/Northwood School), Fanny Aneborn (Linkoping, Sweden/Lulea HF Sweden), Carlen Bertrand (Timmins, ON/MCLA), and Katie Mahoney (Toronto, ON/Toronto Leaside Junior) each had a goal and an assist. 
 
Eline Gillodes (La Saulce, France/Kents Hill) stopped 20 shots in goal for her 12th victory of the season. Ella Iwinski (Batavia, IL/New England College) chipped in three assists, and Drew Kopek (Rome/Syracuse Valley Eagles U19) added two assists. 
 
Buffalo State's lone goal was scored by Sydney Radecki, and assisted by Kaylee Cadez. Alexa Todd started in goal for the Bengals and made 15 saves, and Amelia Knott came on in relief and stopped 25 shots. 
 
Karakas opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the first period, sneaking a shot through the legs of the Buffalo State goaltender with a wraparound from below the goal line, with assists from Cook and Kopek. 
 
Cortland doubled its lead past the midway point of the frame, as Persinger netted her first goal of the season with a shot into the right corner of the net, assisted by Karakas and Kopek.
 
The Red Dragons carried the two-goal lead into the intermission, with Gillodes saving all nine shots on target that she faced in the period.
 
Bertrand gave the Red Dragons a 3-0 lead 2:27 into the second period, taking the puck in front of her own goal, skating through multiple Buffalo State defenders, and firing a wrist shot into the top corner of the net for her fifth goal of the season.
 
Just two minutes later, Aneborn tapped home a rebound in front of goal, with assists provided by Iwinski and Katie Diem (Fairport/Niagara University).
 
Persinger netted her second goal of the game to extend the Cortland lead to 5-0 before the midway point of the period, collecting the puck at the left point of the Cortland offensive zone, skating to the right faceoff circle, and firing a shot into the top corner of the net.
 
Radecki got the Bengals on the board in the final four minutes of the period with a power-play goal after a penalty on the Red Dragons for body checking. The game stayed 5-1 into the second intermission.
 
The Red Dragons scored twice in the span of less than a minute early in the third period to extend the lead to 7-1. Mahoney scored on a wrist shot from the slot after stickhandling from the blue line around a defender and firing into the top corner of the net. Persinger and Aneborn provided assists on the goal.
 
Just 53 seconds later, Genevieve Sbrocca (Fort Worth, TX/The Hill School Prep) scored on a breakaway with a shot into the top right corner of the net after a breakout pass from Emma McLean (Burlington, MA/SUNY Plattsburgh).
 
Cortland capped the scoring with three goals in the final four minutes of the game.
 
Cook got on the board for her team-leading 13th goal of the season with a power-play goal after locating a loose puck and depositing the rebound from in front of the net. Ainsley Delacourt (Stoney Creek, ON/Brampton Canadettes U22AA) and Bertrand were credited with the assists on the goal.
 
Forty-nine seconds later, Karakas scored her second goal of the game from the left side of goal after a slick cross-crease feed from Mahoney. Iwinski also earned the secondary assist on the goal.
 
Persinger completed her hat trick with 1:30 left, skating in from the blue line and sending a wrist shot past the Buffalo State goaltender. Iwinski and Morgan Raymond (Kirkwood/Syracuse Valley Eagles 19UAA) both provided an assist on the goal.
 

Cortland players pose for a photo in the custom-made charity jerseys worn in the win over Buffalo State (EDL Photography).