CORTLAND, NY – The Buffalo State women's hockey team dropped a SUNYAC contest on Saturday evening to No. 15 Cortland by a final score of 3-1 to wrap up the opening weekend of the 2024 year.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cortland – 3, Buffalo State – 1
LOCATION: Alumni Arena – Cortland, NY
RECORDS: Cortland (10-3-1, 7-2-1 SUNYAC), Buffalo State (1-12-1, 0-8-0 SUNYAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Vanessa Willick (Williamsville, NY/Buffalo Bisons) scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season.
- Hannah Tingley (Stoneboro, PA/Washington Pride) added an assist on the goal.
- Jessica Auge (Laingsburg, MI/Honeybaked Detroit) made 45 saves for the Bengals, including 25 saves of 26 shots in the final two periods.
- Alexa Groh (Elma, NY/Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles) led the Bengals with four shots on goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Early in the opening period, Cortland had an early opportunity to score, but Auge denied an initial shot with her pad, and the rebound went off the inside of the post and stayed out of the goal.
- The Red Dragons broke the deadlock at 13:28 of the period, as Kayla Persinger intercepted a pass in front, and snapped a wrist shot past Auge.
- Cortland doubled the advantage just 37 seconds later on an odd-man rush.
- Early in the second period, the Red Dragons capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play to extend the lead to 3-0.
- Three minutes later, the Bengals got on the board.
- Tingley broke up a pass in the neutral zone and had her initial shot from the right circle parried right into the path of Willick, who tucked in a rebound to the open net.
- Shortly after, Groh was denied on a breakaway opportunity for Buffalo State.
- Auge stopped the final 14 shots of the period as the score remained 3-1 into the second intermission.
- The Bengals killed a 5-on-3 power play for the Red Dragons in the third period, and Auge made ten saves in the final period.
FOR THE FOES
- Mia Hlasnick and Morgan Raymond also scored once for Cortland in addition to Persinger.
UP NEXT
The Bengals are back at home next Friday evening, hosting Canton in SUNYAC action at 7 pm.
