GENESEO, N.Y. – Sophomore Jessie Fritz (Baldwinsville/C.W Baker) scored four goals and five other Cortland players tallied two goals apiece as the Red Dragons clinched the SUNYAC regular-season title with a 14-11 win at Geneseo. Cortland will host the four-team SUNYAC postseason tournament May 2-3.

Sophomore Nicki Mahoney (Canandaigua/Canandaigua Academy) added two goals and two assists for the Red Dragons (11-5, 7-0). Seniors Elizabeth Acee (Syracuse/Henninger) and Beth Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) each finished with two goals and one assist, while senior Rachel Cornwell (Fairport) and junior Danielle Torre (Massapequa) scored two goals apiece. Sophomore Deanne Abell (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley) recorded 16 saves.

Senior Colleen Byrne (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) led Geneseo (11-4, 4-3) with three goals. Junior Maggie Morris (Massapequa) finished with two goals and one assist and junior Hannah McKee (Ithaca) made eight saves.

Geneseo held a 6-3 lead with 9:33 left in the first half after consecutive goals by Tara Murphy (St. James/Smithtown), Byrne and Morris. Cortland responded with a four-goal run, starting with a Mahoney goal at the 9:18 mark and capped by Fritz's goal with 1:29 left, to take a 7-6 lead.

The hosts tied the game with 50 seconds left in the period on a Morris goal and held their final lead at 9-8 with 19:22 remaining after goals by Byrne and Anna Hutchings (Syracuse/Westhill). Fritz tied the game with 16:27 left and Acee gave the Red Dragons the lead for good at 10-9 with 14:45 on the clock. Goals by Mahoney and Cornwell extended the advantage to 12-9 with 8:39 left, and the lead was at least two goals after that.

2008-04-26