ONEONTA, N.Y. – Midfielder Lindsay Abbott (South Onondaga/Onondaga Central) scored a career-high seven goals and became the first freshman in school history to score 50 goals in a season as Cortland defeated Oneonta, 24-11.

Cortland, ranked 15th nationally in Division III, improved to 10-5 overall and 7-0 in the SUNYAC with two league games remaining. The Red Dragons will play at Buffalo State, also 7-0 in the league, on Saturday afternoon, with the winner clinching the top seed and the right to host the four-team SUNYAC tournament May 1-2.

Abbott finished with an assist and a team-high six draw controls in addition to her seven goals. She has scored 53 goals in 15 games. Senior Danielle Torre (Massapequa) finished with five goals and one assist and leads the Red Dragons with 58 goals this spring.

Junior Jess Fritz (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) added four goals and three assists and freshman Jordan Miller (Liverpool) scored three times. Freshman Erin Kollar (East Islip) totaled two goals and one assist and freshman goalie Brianna Straut (Nanuet) made a career-high 14 saves, 12 in the first half.

Rebecca Monteith led Oneonta (8-5, 5-2 SUNYAC) with six goals and one assist. Somer Shuffield scored twice and Annelise Muscietta recorded 11 saves.

The teams played a wild first half that featured a combined 21 goals. Cortland scored three times in the first 1:32 to take a 3-0 lead, but Oneonta eventually closed to within 5-4 on a Shuffield goal with 15:32 left. Cortland answered with six straight goals, three by Abbott, and led 11-4 with 7:03 remaining.

Oneonta, however, scored the next four goals, the last two by Monteith, and trailed 11-8 with 2:49 remaining. Abbott tallied her sixth goal of the half, however, with 2:24 on the clock, followed by a Miller goal at the 1:10 mark, and the Red Dragons led 13-8 at halftime. Cortland put the game away by scoring four of the first five goals in the second half and, following an Oneonta goal, a string of six consecutive goals – three by Fritz.

2009-04-22