ONEONTA, NY –
Gianna Cirilla (Pattersonville/Schalmont) scored twice, including the game-winning goal in the 88th minute, to lift the Cortland women's soccer team to a 2-1 road win at Hartwick in non-conference action on Tuesday evening.
Cortland improves to 7-2-1 ahead of a conference clash with Canton on Friday afternoon, while Hartwick drops to 2-6-3 on the year.
Cirilla's two goals give her seven for the season to lead the Red Dragons. It is also the third game so far this year where she's scored multiple goals.
Piper Klammer (Mahopac) provided a pair of assists, and
Leah Rehm (East Syracuse/East Syracuse-Minoa) had one assist.
Sarah Jimmerson scored the lone goal for the Hawks, and goalkeeper Kelsey Bollen made 12 saves for Hartwick.
Cortland finished the game with a 20-5 advantage in shot attempts, including a 14-2 edge in shots on goal. The Red Dragons also had 11 corners, while Hartwick did not have any.
The Red Dragons came out firing early and recorded four shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes of the contest, but Bollen was able to save all of them.
Cirilla gave the Red Dragons a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute with her first goal of the game. Klammer sent a long throw-in from the left sideline into the 18-yard area, where Cirilla collected and rifled a low shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
Neither team recorded a shot attempt for the remainder of the half, with Cortland maintaining its one-goal advantage into the intermission.
The Red Dragons had an early chance in the second half to double their lead when a penalty kick was awarded after a handball in the box, but Bollen came up clutch with a diving save to deny the spot kick in the 53rd minute.
Hartwick equalized in the 58th minute when a lofted ball could not be dealt with by the Red Dragons, and the ball fell to the feet of Jimmerson for a shot into the back of the net on the Hawks' first shot on target of the game.
Cortland increased the pressured to look for a second goal, but the Red Dragons' next six shots on goal were all saved by Bollen to keep the game tied head into the final minutes.
The Red Dragons recorded the winning goal with under three minutes left. A lofted pass was sent behind the Hartwick defense along the left side and Rehm was the first to reach it for Cortland. Rehm then slid a pass towards the middle of the box, where Klammer flicked the ball over the right post to Cirilla for the go-ahead tally with 2:56 remaining.
After conceding, Hartwick registered one more shot on target over the final minutes, which
Olivia Rouse (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) saved to secure the win for Cortland.
