CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior goalie Michelle Zimmer (Skaneateles) came off the bench to make nine saves and allow just one goal and junior Jennifer Willis (Huntington/Walt Whitman) dominated draw controls with 11 wins to lead the nationally fifth-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team to a 14-8 victory over Geneseo in the SUNYAC finals Saturday afternoon at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. With the win, the Red Dragons extended their school-record winning streak to 17, improving to 17-0 on the season, and earned their eighth straight SUNYAC crown and NCAA Division III playoff berth. With the loss, the Knights fell to 12-3.

Junior Ali Bourgal (Sachem) led the Red Dragons offense with four goals and two assists. Senior Jessie Lynch (West Islip) recorded two goals and an assist, while Willis, junior Gina Fazio (Brownville/ General Brown) and sophomore Jill Battaglia (Amherst) connected for two goals each. Junior Andrea Venditti (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) added a goal and two assists and senior Erin Lynn (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) netted one goal. Senior goalie Regina Grosso (Baldwinsville/ C.W. Baker) started both halves and made two saves in 27:31. Zimmer entered late in the first half and just 4:26 into the second half, making eight of her saves in the game's final 25:34 to earn Tournament MVP honors.

Junior Megan Hilts (Niskayuna) single-handedly kept the Knights in the game with five goals. Junior Maggie Benham (Canandaigua) registered one goal and two assists and senior Melody Kuzniar (Rome/ Rome Free Academy) and freshman Maggie Morris (Massapequa) each scored a goal. Senior goalie Jess Pausewang (Patchogue/Patchogue- Medford) registered nine saves.

The Red Dragons opened up a 3-0 lead 4:39 into the game in scores from Bourgal, Willis and Venditti. Benham and Hilts cut the lead to 3-2 and after Willis made it a 4-2 game, Hilts connected twice to tie the score at 4-all. Cortland gained a 7-6 lead with seven minutes left in the opening half and closed out the stanza with four straight goals for an 11-6 advantage.

After Geneseo scored the first two goals of the second half, one each from Kuzniar and Hilts, on Grosso to close to within 11-8, Zimmer re- entered the game and shut down the Knights the rest of the way. Battaglia, Fazio and Lynch added insurance goals for Cortland down the stretch to secure the win.

Bourgal, Willis and seniors Erin Gallagher (Carthage) and Dyan Voorhees (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Red Dragons. Benham, Hilts and sophomore Colleen Byrne (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) were Geneseo's selections. Rounding out the All-Tournament team were junior Leah Bernal (Marilla/Iroquois) and sophomore Ashley Parker (Watertown) of Buffalo St. and junior Erin Maybeck (Huntington) and sophomore Jenna Van Etten (Lake Katrine/ Kingston) of Oneonta.

Score by Period       1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........  6  2 -  8
SUNY Cortland....... 11  3 - 14
 
SUNY Geneseo SCORING:
GOALS: Megan Hilts 5; Maggie Benham 1; Melody Kuzniar 1;
       Maggie Morris 1.
ASSISTS: Maggie Benham 2.
 
SUNY Cortland SCORING:
GOALS: Ali Bourgal 4; Jessie Lynch 2; Jennifer Willis 2;
       Jill Battaglia 2; Gina Fazio 2; Andrea Venditti 1;
       Erin Lynn 1.
ASSISTS: Ali Bourgal 2; Andrea Venditti 2; Jessie Lynch 1.
 
Shots by period       1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........ 15 15 - 30
SUNY Cortland....... 23  9 - 32
 
Ground balls by prd   1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........ 15 20 - 35
SUNY Cortland....... 15 15 - 30
 
Draw controls by prd  1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........  4  1 -  5
SUNY Cortland....... 14  5 - 19
 
Saves by period       1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........  5  4 -  9
SUNY Cortland.......  3  8 - 11
 
Fouls by period       1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........ 13  8 - 21
SUNY Cortland....... 13 13 - 26
 
Turnovers by prd      1  2  Tot
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SUNY Geneseo........  8 12 - 20
SUNY Cortland.......  6 16 - 22

2006-05-06