CORTLAND, N.Y. – Eight different players scored goals to lead the nationally 12th-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team to a 17-2 victory over Oneonta in the SUNYAC opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. With the win, the home Red Dragons improved to 6-3 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the visiting Red Dragons fell to 5-5 and 0-1.

Senior Andrea Venditti (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led the Cortland offense with three goals and two assists, all in the opening half. Freshman Jessie Fritz (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) recorded three goals and an assist, and senior Gina Fazio (Brownville/General Brown) scored three goals. Senior Ali Bourgal (Sachem) contributed two goals and an assist, senior Jennifer Willis (Huntington/Walt Whitman) chipped in with a goal and three assists and junior Beth Elmer (Camillus/West Genesee) and sophomore Rachel Cornwell (Fairport) each notched a pair of goals for the Red Dragons. Freshman Deanne Abell (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley) started in goal and made eight saves in 37 minutes, 53 seconds, before giving way to senior Michelle Zimmer (Skaneateles), who stopped one shot over the final 22:07.

For Oneonta, sophomore Brianne Ruzek (Mineola/St. Mary) and freshman Lauren Portnoy (Sea Cliff/North Shore) each connected for a goal, while senior Erin Maybeck (Huntington) recorded an assist. Junior Alyssa Greenbaum (Nanuet) registered four caused turnovers and four ground balls. Sophomore goalie Eileen O'Toole (Long Beach) registered 14 saves.

Willis and Fazio gave Cortland a quick 2-0 lead, but Ruzek won the draw control after Fazio's goal and took the ball downfield and made it a 2-1 game just 13 seconds later. Cortland, however, closed out the half on a 7-0 run, highlighted by three straight scores from Venditti in a three and a half minute span midway through the stanza, for a 9-1 lead. Fritz and Portnoy traded goals to open the second half, but another 7-0 blitz by Cortland closed out the game.

Cortland held a decisive 44-16 advantage in shots and collected 28 ground balls to Oneonta's 21. The teams combined to turn the ball over 45 times with Oneonta losing possession 26 times and Cortland giving the ball away 19 times.

Team (Records)       1   2  Final
Oneonta (5-5, 0-1)   1   1    2
Cortland (6-3, 1-0)  9   8   17

Scoring (Goals-Assists):

Oneonta: Lauren Portnoy 1-0, Brianne Ruzek 1-0, Erin Maybeck 0-1
Cortland: Andrea Venditti 3-2, Jessie Fritz 3-1, Gina Fazio 3-0, Ali Bourgal 2-1, Rachel Cornwell 2-0, Beth Elmer 2-0, Jennifer Willis 1-3, Meghan Gallagher 1-0, Jill Battaglia 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Oneonta: Eileen O'Toole, 14 saves (17 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Deanne Abell, 8 saves (2 GA in 37:53), Michelle Zimmer, 1 save (0 GA in 22:07)

Shots: Cortland 44, Oneonta 16
Ground Balls: Cortland 28, Oneonta 21
Draw Controls: Cortland 12, Oneonta 9
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 13, Oneonta 11
Turnovers: Oneonta 26, Cortland 19
Fouls: Oneonta 30, Cortland 20

2007-04-10