CORTLAND, NY – The Cortland women's lacrosse team jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, and cruised to a 19-3 victory over Potsdam in its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener on Wednesday evening on Grady Field. Cortland improves to 5-3 (1-0 SUNYAC), while Potsdam falls to 2-5 (0-1 SUNYAC).
 
Ashley Melillo (Massapequa) finished with five points on four goals and an assist, while Kristen Javenes (North Rockland) added a career-high four goals. Sydney Elizalde (Ronkonkoma/Connetquot) chipped in three goals and Emma Dempsey (Brewerton/Paul V. Moore) contributed two goals and an assist.
 
Melillo was one of four Cortland players to cause two turnovers, along with Bella Dembinski (Holbrook/Sachem East), Alyssa Leotta (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills West), and Taylor Mullins (Penn Yan/Penn Yan Academy). Trinity Parks made two saves and allowed one goal over the first 25:23 of action to earn the victory, while Mia Bella Love (Mineola) stopped three shots in the final 34:37.
 
Iohseriio Tabor scored a goal and added an assist for Potsdam, while Megan MacWilliams and Jayla Thompson both chipped in a goal. Jane Olszewski made seven saves in goal for the Bears.
 
Cortland needed just 18 seconds to open the scoring in the first period. Chelsey Weber (Holtsville/Sachem East) collected the draw control below Cortland's defensive restraining line and sprinted 50 yards down the field before feeding Melillo for the opening goal.
 
The Red Dragons tacked on four more goals in just over four minutes, one each by Melillo, Javenes, Kaitlyn Tietjen (Delmar/Bethlehem Central), and Dempsey, to lead 5-0 with 9:33 remaining in the period. Dempsey's goal during the run was a highlight-reel play, spinning around a defender and ducking underneath another, before shooting into the net.
 
Five players scored one goal over a four-minute run from 8:42 to 4:42 of the quarter, with Sydney Elizalde and Javenes both scoring player-up goals, and Dempsey, Melillo and Dembinski each tallying a goal, to give Cortland a 10-0 lead after one period.
 
After nearly eight minutes of scoreless action to begin the second quarter, the Red Dragons added to their lead with a goal by Weber, before Potsdam finally stopped the scoring run with 5:00 remaining on a goal by MacWilliams. Ava Greenhut (Airmont/Suffern) added her third goal of the season with 1:50 left in the half to give Cortland a 12-1 halftime lead.
 
Cortland outscored Potsdam 4-1 in the third quarter, highlighted by two goals from Sydney Elizalde and a goal each from Dembinski and Javenes, to extend its lead to 16-2 after three periods of action.
 
Natalie Bennett (Latham/Shaker) scored her fourth goal of the season for a player-up goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, and Melillo scored her fourth goal of the game for a player-down goal for the Red Dragons with 11:55 remaining. Not to be outdone, Javenes scored a free-position goal with 9:19 left in regulation for her fourth goal of the game.
 
Tabor ended the scoring for the contest with eight minutes remaining, and Love made two saves in the final 4:28 to secure the comfortable 19-3 victory for Cortland.