CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women’s ice hockey team netted a pair of late empty-net goals to secure a 4-1 non-conference victory versus Hamilton College Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Arena. The Red Dragons improved to 2-6-1 with the win, while the Continentals fell to 4-3-1 with the setback.
Senior Laura Drew (Andover, MA/Canterbury School) and sophomore Kianna Gutenmann (Clifton Park/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) led Cortland with one goal and two assists each. Senior Madison Fischl (Basking Ridge, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) scored her first goal of the season, and freshman Eva Kristoff (Pleasanton, CA/San Jose Sharks) tallied the first goal of her career. Senior goalie Deanna Meunier (Parsippany, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) registered 34 saves.
Junior Sara Taffe (Maple Grove, MN/Benilde-St. Margaret’s) scored Hamilton’s goal with senior Hannah Bartlett (Marshfield, MA/Massachusetts Spitfires) collecting an assist. Sophomore goalie Sam Walther (Gambrills, MD/Connecticut Polar Bears) allowed two goals in 59:11, making 25 saves.
Gutenmann gave Cortland a 1-0 lead just 40 seconds into the game when she stuffed the puck through Walther’s pads. Taffe tied the game 23 seconds before the end of the period with a slap shot from the left circle through traffic in front.
Fischl scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 7:53 of the second period, scoring from the right side on a loose puck. The Red Dragons kept their 2-1 lead heading into the third period after killing of 1:02 of a two-player advantage for Hamilton just past the midway point of the second.
The score remained 2-1 until late in the contest. The Continentals pulled Walther for an extra skater with 1:40 remaining, but Drew scored an empty-net goal from the red line 12 seconds later to give Cortland a 3-1 lead. After lifting Walther a second time, Kristoff sealed the victory when she forced a turnover at her blue line and fired the puck into the empty net with 11 seconds remaining.
Score by periods:
Hamilton 1-0-0 1
Cortland 1-1-2 4
Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Hamilton: Sara Taffe 1-0, Hannah Bartlett 0-1
Cortland: Laura Drew 1-2, Kianna Gutenmann 1-2, Madison Fischl 1-0, Eva Kristoff 1-0
Saves: Sam Walther (Hamilton) 25 saves (2 GA in 59:11), Empty Net 2 GA in :49; Deanna Meunier (Cortland) 34 saves (1 GA in 60:00)
Shots on goal: Hamilton 35 (8-14-13), Cortland 29 (12-8-9)
Penalties: Cortland 4-8:00, Hamilton 3-6:00
Power Play: Hamilton 0-4, Cortland 0-3
Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 2-6-1; Hamilton (Continentals) 4-3-1
