FREDONIA, NY – The Cortland women's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 13-4 road victory at Fredonia in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Wednesday afternoon. The contest was called early in the fourth quarter due to impending weather, but is considered an official game since the required 45 minutes of game action had elapsed. Cortland is now 11-3 (7-0 SUNYAC), while Fredonia drops to 7-8 (3-4 SUNYAC).
 
Ashley Melillo (Massapequa) led the Red Dragons with five points on four goals and one assist, while Sydney Elizalde (Ronkonkoma/Connetquot) contributed four goals and Emma Dempsey (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) scored three times. Brooke Elizalde (Ronkonkoma/Connetquot) tallied three assists for Cortland. 
 
The Red Dragon defense recorded 13 caused turnovers during the game, led by three caused turnovers each from Melillo, Dempsey, and Emma Pagano (Oceanside). Pagano also scooped up a team-high five ground balls, while Bridie McGuire (Manorville/Eastport-South Manor) had two caused turnovers, three ground balls, and four draw controls and Lexi Caron (Manlius/Fayetteville-Manlius) had five draw controls and three ground balls. 
 
Gabby Lewinski provided a goal and an assist to lead the Blue Devils, while Megan Karalus, Katie O'Brien, and Mieley Baran each netted a goal. Jessica Kowalski made 11 saves in goal for Fredonia. 
 
Cortland wasted little time opening the scoring in the first quarter. McGuire controlled the opening draw and Sydney Elizalde tallied her team-leading 34th goal of the year off of an assist from Brooke Elizalde just 13 seconds into the game. 
 
The Red Dragons continued to build their advantage throughout the rest of the opening quarter, as Chelsey Weber (Holtsville/Sachem East), Melillo, and Sydney Elizalde scored a goal each, and the Cortland defense held Fredonia without a shot on goal in the period, to give Cortland a 4-0 advantage after one frame. 
 
Melillo scored her second goal of the game only 18 seconds into the second period, before Lewinski got Fredonia on the board to make it 5-1 with 13:27 left in the half. Cortland quickly responded with two goals in just 30 seconds of game action, one each by Dempsey and Sydney Elizalde, to stretch its lead to 7-1.
 
Each team scored once over the final 10 minutes of the first half, as Baran tallied a goal for Fredonia with 5:48 remaining and Sydney Elizalde scored for the fourth time in the game with 5:00 left for an 8-2 halftime lead.
 
Fredonia pulled to within four goals early in the third quarter after tallies on back-to-back possessions by Karalus and O'Brien. Cortland called a timeout to regroup, and finished the quarter on a 3-0 run thanks to a pair of goals by Melillo, and one goal by Kristen Javenes (North Rockland). Cortland goalie Trinity Parks (Port Crane/Chenango Forks) also made a clutch save in the final minute of play in the period to keep Cortland's 11-4 lead after three quarters.
 
Dempsey scored her second goal of the game on the opening possession of the fourth quarter to give Cortland a 12-4 lead, and the Red Dragons controlled possession following the ensuing draw. Cortland then fired four straight shots at the Cortland goal, three that were saved by Kowalski and another that struck off the post, before Dempsey found the back of the net on the fifth attempt with under 13 minutes left for a 13-4 edge. 
 
Before the next draw could take place, officials sent the teams to the bench with reports of severe weather in the area. Shortly after, the game was declared final with the Red Dragons taking the 13-4 win.