CORTLAND, NY — The field hockey team traveled to Cortland this afternoon and lost to the nationally 11th-ranked Red Dragons 4-0. The Hawks fall to 4-9 overall and finish conference play 3-3.
Erika Salls gave the Red Dragons a 1-0 lead 11:04 into the game when she deflected Kylie Burghardt’s blast from the top of the arc on a penalty corner. Brenda Semit made it a 2-0 game 11 and a half minutes later as she deposited a shot inside the right post from in front off Salls’ assist. Cortland took a 3-0 lead into halftime on Jackie Plunkett’s rebound goal at 31:06 after Jessica Malone’s (Congers/Clarkstown North) initial save of a Christine McCabe shot. Salls finished off the scoring early in the second half when she sent a shot into the open left side of the goal after McCabe touched the ball to her inside the arc.
The best chance to score for New Paltz came in the second half when Stacy Billings denied back-to-back chances by freshman Jess Moore (Walden/Pine Bush) and sophomore Kristen Donnelly (Nichols/Owego Free Academy) after a Hawks penalty corner.
Malone made 10 saves. Sophomore AnnMarie Rudd (Garden City Park/New Hyde Park Memorial) and freshman Kristy Amendola (Brewster) each recorded a defensive save.
Cortland outshot New Paltz, 26-3, and held an 11-3 advantage in penalty corners.
The Hawks return to action next Saturday when they host Wells at 1:00 pm.
