CORTLAND, N.Y. – Junior Kristen Ohberg (Brewster) tallied a game-high seven points on six goals and one assist to lead the nationally top-ranked Cortland women's lacrosse team to an 18-2 victory versus Catholic University Sunday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Div. III Women's Lacrosse Tournament.
With the win, the Red Dragons improved to 21-0 on the season and extended their home winning streak to 78 consecutive games and overall winning streak to 40 straight games. Cortland advanced to the national semifinals for the sixth season in a row and faces Middlebury College on Saturday at Talen Energy Field in Chester, Pa., in a rematch of last year's semifinals .
Senior Ashley Gentile (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) contributed two goals, one assist and six draws for the Red Dragons. Senior Tara Monaghan (Stony Point/North Rockland) finished with two goals, three ground balls, three draws and three caused turnovers. Seniors Elizabeth LaComb (Syracuse/West Genesee) and Elise Bennett (Webster/Webster Thomas) also netted a pair of goals.
Sophomore Hannah Elmer (Syracuse/West Genesee) totaled six points for Cortland on one goal and five assists. Senior Nicole Bello (Camillus/West Genesee) recorded one goal, one assist and three caused turnovers, while sophomore Katie Wolfe (East Amherst/Williamsville North) and freshman Carly Stone (Syracuse/Jamesville-DeWitt) each netted a goal.
Junior goalie Jaclyn Beshlian (Wantagh) registered nine saves for the Red Dragons, many at point-blank range. Senior Colleen Wright (Huntington Station/Huntington) and junior Laura Messer (Ransomville/Niagara-Wheatfield) each collected three ground balls from their defensive positions.
Juniors Emily Merkel (Dallas, TX/Ursuline Academy) and Alexis Bosilovic (Gibsonia, PA/Sewickley Academy) each notched a goal for the Cardinals (13-8) with junior Clair Schmitzer (Sparta, NJ) recording an assist.
Freshman goalie Christina De Cesaris (Downingtown, PA/Bishop Shanahan) made 11 saves for Catholic, while Schmitzer scooped up a game-high five ground balls.
Cortland jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game as four different players found the back of the net. Ohberg then strung together three straight goals in less than a three-minute span and LaComb scored her first goal of the game to make it an 8-0 score at 9:57 of the first half. Merkel put the Cardinals on the scoreboard at 6:44 off Schmitzer's assist, but LaComb's second goal of the contest put Cortland up, 9-1, at the half.
The second half played out much like the first 30 minutes with the Red Dragons tallying four goals in less than seven minutes to open up a commanding 13-1 lead with 23:26 on the clock. Cortland followed with four more goals from four different scorers to make it a 17-1 game with 8:27 remaining. Bosilovic ended the run with a free-position goal at 5:50 and Bennett completed the scoring with 16 seconds on the clock for the 18-2 final.
Cortland 18, Catholic 2
GAME SUMMARY:
Team 1-2 Final
Catholic 1-1 2
Cortland 9-9 18
Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Catholic: Emily Merkel 1-0, Alexis Bosilovic 1-0, Clair Schmitzer 0-1
Cortland: Kristen Ohberg 6-1, Ashley Gentile 2-1, Tara Monaghan 2-0, Elizabeth LaComb 2-0, Elise Bennett 2-0, Hannah Elmer 1-5, Nicole Bello 1-1, Carly Stone 1-0, Katie Wolfe 1-0
Goalkeepers:
Catholic: Christina De Cesaris, 11 saves (18 GA in 60:00)
Cortland: Jaclyn Beshlian, 9 saves (2 GA in 60:00)
Shots: Cortland 39, Catholic 21
Ground Balls: Cortland 19, Catholic 18
Clears: Cortland 17-of-18, Catholic 11-of-15
Draw Controls: Catholic 11, Cortland 10
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 9, Catholic 7
Turnovers: Catholic 19, Cortland 11
Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 21-0 (ranked 1st nationally in Div. III); Catholic (Cardinals) 13-8
