CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Union College women's lacrosse team put up a good fight for the full 60 minutes, but the Dutchwomen were outscored 5-1 in the second half as IWLCA #15 SUNY Cortland escaped with an 8-4 win in Union's 2019 season opener on Tuesday afternoon at the Cortland Stadium Complex.
 
Sophomore Lindsay Gerrato led Union (0-1) with two goals, followed by seniors Kellie Cronin and Ramsey Walsh with a goal apiece against the nationally ranked Red Dragons.
 
The first half was a low-scoring battle between the two teams, with just six combined goals scored. Cronin opened the scoring 2:20 into the contest, but Cortland (2-1) answered back with two in a row to take a 2-1 lead with 20:37 remaining. But then it was Union's turn to score a pair, with Walsh and Gerrato finding the net less than two minutes apart to put the Dutchwomen back on top.
 
Union held the lead for more than eight minutes before Cortland was able to tie the game with 6:30 left, and the score remained tied until halftime. Senior Emma Lowrey led all players with five ground balls and junior Ellie Taney made eight stops to lead the defensive effort through 30 minutes.
 
The offense was not there for the Dutchwomen in the second half, however, as Cortland scored the first five goals of the stanza before Gerrato's second of the day with 30 seconds left in the contest.
 
Lowrey finished with a team-leading six ground balls, while senior Megan Fitzgerald and sophomore Leah Pezanowski both caused three turnovers apiece. Taney kept the visitors in the game by turning aside 12 shots as well, as the Red Dragons held a slight 25-20 edge in shots.
 
Union will play its first game at home on Friday, as the Dutchmen return home to Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium to host Castleton University beginning at 4 p.m.