CORTLAND, NY — Junior Amanda Picarelli (Miller Place, NY) scored for SUNY New Paltz in the third minute but SUNY Cortland scored the final two goals of the game to prevail, 2-1 in the opening round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women’s Soccer Tournament this afternoon.
In a game that featured much more offense than the 0-0 double overtime tie between the two teams on Oct. 8 at New Paltz, Picarelli gave the sixth-seeded Hawks the early lead when she took a pass from freshman Lauren Martel (W. Sayville, NY) and fired a shot over Red Dragon goalie Christa Windhorst.
The Red Dragons (8-9-2) got the equalizer late in the first half when Marie Valentino came off the bench stuffed home a rebounded shot off the foot of Kelsey Geary to tie the game at one.
Cortland grabbed the lead in the 52nd minute when Andrea Marino sent a pass to Bonnie McMillan. McMillan, who had not scored a goal all season, worked through the Hawks defense and fired a shot that found the inside corner of the right post to put Cortland in front to stay. From there, the Red Dragons possessed the ball and held the Hawks without a shot the rest of the way.
Senior goalkeeper Maggie Fenton helped keep the Hawks (7-10-3) in the game and made four of her nine saves in the final 30 minutes.
With the victory, the third-seeded Red Dragons advanced to the semifinals where they will face second-seeded Plattsburgh on Friday (Nov. 5) at the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY, at 1:30 p.m.
