CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women’s ice hockey team scored the game’s final four goals and skated to a 4-2 victory versus William Smith Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Red Dragons improved to 11-12-1 overall and 7-10-1 in the ECAC West and will face either Buffalo St. or Utica in the first round of the conference playoffs next Saturday. The Herons completed their season at 8-15-2 and 3-13-2.
Seniors Niamh O’Connor (Paramus, NJ/New Jersey Rockets), Corey Temple (Troy, MI/Ohio Flames) and Maggie Corbett (Queensbury/Queensbury H.S.) and junior Sydney Carlucci (Baldwinsville/Rochester Edge) each netted a goal for Cortland. Senior Kaitlyn Ryan (Windsor/Adrian College) collected two assists, and seniors Laura Drew (Andover, MA/Canterbury School), Katie Gili (Brooklyn/New Jersey Rockets) and Deanna Meunier (Parsippany, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) and freshman Charlie Calamari (Barrington, IL/Chicago Fury) contributed one assist apiece. Meunier registered 31 saves.
Sophomore Grace Durham (St. James/Northwood School) recorded a goal and an assist for William Smith. Freshman Egan Sachs-Hecht (Plainview/Lawrenceville) tallied a goal and freshmen Molly Egan (Framingham, MA/Middlesex Islanders) and Lindsay Brown (Medfield, MA/Massachusetts Spitfires) chipped in with one assist each. Sophomore goalie Laurel Brown (Cleveland Heights, OH/Gilmour Academy) made 38 saves.
The Herons jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first perio. Durham scored a short-handed goal at 1:44 and Sachs-Hecht found the top corner with a wrist shot in front at 6:34.
O’Connor started the Cortland comeback 31 seconds into the second period, putting a shot over Brown’s shoulder from the left circle on the power play. Carlucci tied the game at 1:49 of the period with a rebound goal in front, and Temple netted the game winner on a deflection in front at the 6:48 mark.
Corbett finished the scoring at 3:14 of the third period. Meunier poked the puck out to Gili who fed a pass to Corbett on the right side. Corbett skated in and knocked a shot past Brown for her seventh goal of the season. William Smith pulled Brown for an extra skater with 2:42 on the clock but was unable to get a shot past Meunier. A Heron penalty with 19 seconds remaining resulted in Brown being put back in goal effectively ending the game.
Score by periods:
William Smith 2-0-0 2
Cortland 0-3-1 4
Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
William Smith: Grace Durham 1-1, Egan Sachs-Hecht 1-0, Molly Egan 0-1, Lindsay Brown 0-1
Cortland: Niamh O’Connor 1-0, Sydney Carlucci 1-0, Corey Temple 1-0, Maggie Corbett 1-0, Kaitlyn Ryan 0-2, Laura Drew 0-1, Katie Gili 0-1, Deanna Meunier 0-1, Charlie Calamari 0-1
Saves: Laurel Brown (William Smith) 38 saves (4 GA in 57:37), Empty Net 2:23; Deanna Meunier (Cortland) 31 saves (2 GA in 60:00)
Shots on goal: Cortland 42 (21-11-10), William Smith 33 (6-12-15)
Penalties: William Smith 7-22:00, Cortland 5-10:00
Power Play: Cortland 2-5, William Smith 0-5
Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 11-12-1, 7-10-1 ECAC West; William Smith (Herons) 8-15-2, 3-13-2 ECAC West
