Dragons catch fire against Bengals

FINAL: Buffalo State 1, Cortland 10

Early goal ignites Cortland’s offense

PICTURED: Buffalo State freshman Dakota Carlson and Cortland senior Ainsley Delacourt hunt down the puck

CORTLAND, NY — Fans were still taking their seats when the scoreboard flashed 1-0.

Just 20 seconds into the game, Cortland sophomore Grace Karakas stuffed the puck past Buffalo State goalie Alexa Todd on a wraparound. The quick score set off an offensive avalanche at Alumni Arena.

The Red Dragons would double their lead midway through the first frame, thanks to a score from senior Kayla Persinger. Later, in the second period, Buffalo State Head Coach Rachel Grampp had seen enough: Grampp pulled Todd from the game, after the freshman allowed four goals on 19 shots.

With the contest out of reach, the physicality ramped up late in the middle frame. Cortland senior Fanny Aneborn and Buffalo State senior Vanessa Willick got tangled up near the Bengals’ bench, and both players were sent to the penalty box.

PICTURED: Cortland freshman Kylie Nolan glides toward the glass

The roughhousing spilled into the third period, when Buffalo State junior Daphne Gray punched Cortland freshman Genevieve Sbrocca. Gray was called for a minor penalty, and the Dragons immediately scored on the power play.

The final nail in the coffin came with 90 seconds remaining: Persinger scored her third goal of the evening, making the score 10-1. No caps were thrown onto the ice, though the home crowd enthusiastically cheered the hat trick.