Cortland Sports Information Department
MEDFORD, MA. – The nationally fifth-ranked Tufts women's lacrosse team broke open a close game with nine consecutive goals spanning the first and second quarters in earning a 24-10 victory in the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs Sunday afternoon at Bello Field. The Red Dragons finished the season at 14-5 and tied for 17th nationally. The Jumbos improved to 15-4 and advanced to the third round.
Junior Toni Cashman (East Moriches/Westhampton Beach) led Cortland with three goals. Graduate student Amy Hoeffner (Bay Shore) netted two goals. Graduate student Lauren Hopsicker (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) tallied a team-high five points on a goal an four assists. Sophomore Nicole Iapoce (Highland) recorded a goal and an assist, while senior Rachel Janis (Laurel/Mattituck), sophomore Eva Kloepfer (Syracuse/West Genesee) and freshman Mackenzie Beck (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) each scored a goal.
Freshman goalie Margaret Morgan (New Fairfield, CT) made 11 saves and scooped up two ground balls for the Red Dragons. Graduate student Amanda Squillini (Stony Point/North Rockland) caused three turnovers. Hoeffner and Iapoce each secured five draw controls, and Cashman won four draws. Sophomore Isabel Adams (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) collected three ground balls.
Margie Carden paced Tufts' offense with 10 points on seven goals and three assists. Emma Joyce netted five goals. Allie Zorn tallied three goals and an assist, and Caroline Conaghan and Caroline Cromwell each scored twice. Genna Gibbons and Ella Lesperance recorded a goal and an assist, and Caroline Walter, Madeline Delaney and Alexa Amorosino netted one goal apiece.
Courtney Kaufman started in goal, stopping eight shots in 49:28 before giving way to Pascale de Buren, who registered three saves in 10:32. Kate Wujciak won 11 draws, Joyce secured seven draws and five different players scooped up two ground balls.
The Red Dragons opened up a 4-2 lead just before the midway point of the first quarter as Cashman scored twice and Iapoce and Hopsicker each netted a goal. The Jumbos closed the quarter with three straight goals to take the lead for good, 5-4. Tufts took control of the game with the first six goals of the second quarter from six players to build an 11-4 advantage. Hoeffner ended the run, but Joyce scored back-to-back goals before Janis tallied her goal at the three-second mark to make it a 13-6 score at the break.
The Jumbos then outscored the Red Dragons, 8-1, in the third quarter to carry a commanding 21-7 lead into the final 15 minutes of play. Tufts scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter before Cortland netted three of the last four goals, one each from Beck, Hoeffner and Cashman, for the 24-10 final.
Cashman finished the season as Cortland's top scorer with 60 points on 39 goals and 21 assists. Hoeffner led the team with 40 goals and her 136 draw controls rank second all-time for a single season in program history.
Tufts 24, Cortland 10
Team 1-2-3-4 Final
Cortland 4-2-1-3 10
Tufts 5-8-8-3 24
Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Toni Cashman 3-0, Amy Hoeffner 2-0, Lauren Hopsicker 1-4, Nicole Iapoce 1-1, Eva Kloepfer 1-0, Mackenzie Beck 1-0, Rachel Janis 1-0
Tufts: Margie Carden 7-3, Emma Joyce 5-0, Allie Zorn 3-1, Caroline Conaghan 2-0, Caroline Cromwell 2-0, Genna Gibbons 1-1, Ella Lesperance 1-1, Caroline Walter 1-0, Madeline Delaney 1-0, Alexa Amorosino 1-0
Goalkeepers:
Cortland: Margaret Morgan, 11 saves (24 GA in 60:00)
Tufts: Courtney Kaufman, 8 saves (7 GA in 49:28), Pascale de Buren, 3 saves (3 GA in 10:32)
Shots: Tufts 41, Cortland 29
Ground Balls: Tufts 16, Cortland 15
Clears: Tufts 13-of-14, Cortland 9-of-16
Draw Controls: Tufts 20, Cortland 16
Caused Turnovers: Tufts 7, Cortland 6
Turnovers: Cortland 12, Tufts 7
Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 4-5 (ranked 22nd nationally in Div. III); Tufts (Jumbos) 15-4 (ranked 5th nationally in Div. III)
