CORTLAND, NY – Visiting WPI went ahead by two goals in the first half, and the Cortland women's soccer was unable to mount a comeback, as the Red Dragons dropped a 3-1 decision on Sunday afternoon on Holloway Field. Cortland falls to 2-1 on the year, while WPI improves to 1-2.
Cassia Schuyler (Cincinnatus) netted her first collegiate goal for the Red Dragons, with
Tyla Vuotto (Lynbrook) providing an assist. Vuotto has now registered at least one point in each of Cortland's first three contests.
Olivia Rouse (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) made six saves in goal for Cortland.
Katie Adiletta, Abigail Johnson, and Tiziri Tizi-Ougdal each tallied a goal for the Engineers, and Maeve Steckly provided a pair of assists. Ayla Verheul made eight saves in goal for WPI to record the victory.
Cortland had the first chance of the contest in the fifth minute, but a shot by
Gianna Cirilla (Pattersonville/Schalmont) from the right side of the six-yard box drifted just right of the right post.
WPI opened the scoring in the 14th after a defensive misplay by the Cortland defense. Steckley was quick to react on a mishit on a back pass, beating Rouse to the loose ball. Steckley's initial shot struck off the left post, but Adiletta was able to tap the rebound into the left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.
Steckley was in on goal and nearly made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute, but Rouse rushed out of her goal to direct a shot over the crossbar.
The Engineers doubled their lead in the 39th minute off a corner kick. Tizi-Ougdal headed the initial cross off of the crossbar, but the ball bounced right back out for a rebound, which Tizi-Ougdal finished off on the second effort.
Cortland nearly pulled back to within a goal late in the first half, but a shot by Cirilla was blocked off the goal line by a WPI defender to keep the score at 2-0 at halftime.
The Red Dragons quickly scored in the second half in the 47th minute, with Schuyler shooting into the bottom left corner of the goal after a pass from the right side of the 18-yard area by Vuotto.
Under two minutes later, the Engineers answered to create a 3-1 margin, as Steckley won a ball down the left sideline and played Johnson through on goal, where Johnson slotted a shot into the center of the goal for WPI.
Cortland nearly scored again in the 69th minute when
Piper Klammer (Mahopac) dribbled through multiple WPI defenders and delivered a perfect pass to the right side, but Verheul sprinted out to smother a shot attempt by
Samantha Ruffles (Danbury, CT).
WPI controlled play for much of the final minutes, with Steckley and Adiletta each forcing Rouse into strong saves to keep the deficit at two for the Red Dragons, but the Cortland offense could not muster any more goals for a comeback bid.
