CORTLAND, N.Y. – For the first time in 396 days, the Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team saw action in a game, as the Cardinals opened up their 2021 campaign with a 22-5 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) loss to No. 18 SUNY Cortland on Saturday at Stadium Red.
 
Cortland finished with a 38-16 edge in shots, a 23-8 margin in ground balls and a 15-13 differential in draw controls. The Cardinals fared well against the Red Dragons in transition, going 8-for-13 on clear attempts. Cortland went 18-for-21 on clears.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 0-1 overall (0-1 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY New Paltz on Monday, April 12, at 4 p.m. in its home opener. Cortland rises to 5-1 overall (3-0 SUNYAC) with the win and visits SUNY Oneonta next on Monday, April 12, at 4 p.m.
 
Cortland never trailed, scoring the first five goals of the game in the opening 4:24 of play. Junior attacker Allie Vangas (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y./Cornwall) put the Cardinals on the board with an unassisted score with 25:10 left in the first half, while the Red Dragons netted two more markers before sophomore defender/midfielder Emma McLaughlin (Northport, N.Y./Northport) scored her first collegiate goal midway through the period. After Cortland's first-year attacker Toni Cashman found the back of the net, McLaughlin buried her second goal of the contest just less than a minute later. The Red Dragons received a pair of markers—including a woman-down goal from senior attacker Emily Goebel—before first-year attacker Fiona Fitzgerald potted her first collegiate goal with 4:12 left in the first half. Cortland scored three more times before the end of the half, taking a 13-4 advantage into the intermission.
 
The Red Dragons netted five unanswered goals to open the second half, while sophomore midfielder Lindsay Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) found the back of the net on a feed from Vangas midway through the stanza. Cortland scored four more goals down the stretch to spell the 22-5 final.
 
McLaughlin led the Cardinal attack with two goals, while Vangas posted two points on a goal and an assist. Guzzetta and first-year midfielder Jordan Kowalski (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) each controlled three draws, while Guzzetta and first-year defender/midfielders Janey Adams (Wynantskill, N.Y./Averill Park) and Colleen Edwards (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) picked up two ground balls each.
 
For Cortland, Cashman led the way with six points on five goals and an assist, while senior midfielder Hannah Lorenzen (three goals, two assists) and Hoeffner (four goals, one assist) each tallied five points. Lorenzen controlled seven draws, while senior goalie Paige Potter scooped up four ground balls.
 
First-year goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) made five saves in her first collegiate appearance in goal over 30:00 of play, while junior goalie Alexa Cassidy (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) also stopped five shots, doing so in the final 30:00 of the contest. Potter earned the win for Cortland, making seven saves.