ROCHESTER, NY – The Nazareth University Women's Hockey team, ranked No. 11 in the country, surrendered a pair of power play goals in the first period and SUNY Cortland, ranked No. 14 in the country used the momentum to score a 4-1 win Tuesday night in the season opener for the Golden Flyers.
Cortland (3-0) struck early with the first goal of the game just 44 seconds into a power play opportunity and held the 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest.
Late in the period, the Red Dragons doubled the lead with another power play goal and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
After Cortland scored 2:29 into the second period for a 3-0 lead, Nazareth freshman Ella Cedrone answered with her first career goal on a Golden Flyers' power play attempt. The extra player situation was the lone opportunity of the night for Nazareth.
Cedrone took a pass from graduate student Makenna Wiljanen at the point and skated in a couple strides before firing a shot to the upper corner of the goal to trim the lead to 3-1. Junior Ivey Lyden was also credited with an assist on the play.
The Red Dragons added another power play goal early in the third period for the final score.
Cortland was 3-for-5 on power play opportunities for the game and Nazareth was 1-for-1.
Senior McKinley Hoff was under pressure the entire game and managed to stop 26 shots including 10 in each of the first two periods.
Nazareth will travel to United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) foe Stevenson for a weekend series beginning with a 7 p.m. Friday matchup in Maryland.
