BUFFALO, N.Y.—Buffalo State netted two third-period goals less than three minutes apart to rally to a 3-2 victory over Cortland today to clinch the No. 2 seed in the inaugural NEWHL playoffs.
 
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE:  Buffalo State – 3, Cortland - 2
LOCATION: Ice Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (13-8-2/9-4-1), Cortland (7-12-2/2-11-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Caitie Horvatits (Elma, NY/Iroquois), Emma Ruggiero (Amherst, NY/Sacred Heart) and Erin Gehen (W. Seneca, NY/W. Seneca West) all scored for Buffalo State, and Christine Harris (Mountain Top, PA/Wyoming Seminary) tallied three assists.
• Cortland opened the scoring midway through the first period, but Horvatits pulled the Bengals even with her seventh goal of the season just two minutes later.
• The Red Dragons netted their second power-play goal for the only tally of the second period and led 2-1 going into the final frame.
• Ruggiero's seventh of the season on the power play early in the third period finally ignited the Bengals, and Gehen tipped a shot past the Cortland goalie less than three minutes later to finally give Buffalo State the lead.
• Justine Silva (El Monte, CA/Arroyo) finished with 16 saves for the win as the Bengals outshot Cortland, 27-18.
• Cortland finished 2 for 6 on the power play, while Buffalo State was 1 for 6.

 
FOR THE FOES

• Miranda Kolb and Kirsten MacDowell were the Cortland goal scorers.
• Rachael Farmer finished with 24 saves in the loss.

 
NOTEWORTHY

• By earning the No. 2 seed, Buffalo State will host an NEWHL semifinal game on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. against the No. 3 seed which will be either Oswego or Potsdam.

 
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