HAMILTON, N.Y. – Junior Kelley Kantarian registered a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in the 60th minute as the Cornell University field hockey team defeated Colgate in an offensive shootout, 6-4, this evening at Tyler's Field in Hamilton, N.Y. Kantarian also added an assist for seven points on the night, while sophomore Catie De Stio tallied a goal and two assists.

 

The game was a fairly even one, with both teams taking five penalty corners each, while the Big Red held the slight edge in shots, 17-15. Both teams put 11 shots on goal but Cornell had the advantage as junior goalie Melanie Jue made seven saves to pick up the win, while Colgate's Sarah Pedersen managed to stop only five shots.

 

After Colgate tied the game at 4-4 in the 59th minute, the Big Red responded with a goal almost immediately as De Stio came up with the ball and beat her defender to the circle. As Pedersen came out of the cage to make a play, De Stio calmly slotted the ball to Kantarian, who scored on the empty net to put Cornell up for good, 5-4.

 

The Big Red got a late insurance goal with less than five minutes to play when Kantarian collected a loose ball in front of the cage and played it over to De Stio, who popped it over Pedersen to account for the 6-4 final.

 

Colgate (8-5) jumped out to an early lead, converting on its first penalty corner of the game when Lauren Carey ripped a shot past Jue to make it a 1-0 advantage for the home team at the 6:30 mark.

 

The Big Red responded just over three minutes later when Kantarian tallied her first goal of the game to knot the score at 1-1.

 

A turnover near midfield put the visitors up, 2-1, when Mattie Prodanovic came up with the loose ball and played it ahead to De Stio. De Stio carried the ball into the circle and drew Pedersen out of her cage before spinning away and sending a reverse stick pass to Kantarian, who calmly slipped the ball into the goal.

 

In the 22nd minute of action Colgate managed to tie the game again when Laura Flisnik threaded the ball through the Big Red defense to Katelyn Nerbonne, who was all alone on the doorstep of the goal and blasted a shot past Jue from five yards out.

 

It took Cornell just over two minutes to respond, as a shot by Belen Martinez bounced off Pedersen and rolled to Kate Thompson, who beat the Raider goalie to the near post to make it a 3-2 Big Red lead at halftime.

 

The Raiders wasted little time before tying the game at 3-3 at the 36:22 mark when Mika Ella-Tang scored off a scrum in front of the net.

 

Cornell took the lead once again when Abbi Horn converted a penalty corner in the 48th minute, blasting a shot past a diving Pedersen to make it a 4-3 contest.

 

Just as it seemed that the Big Red had captured the momentum of the game, Colgate used another penalty corner goal by Carey to tie the score at 4-4 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the contest.

 

Cornell is back in action this weekend as it plays host to Division I newcomer Bryant University on Saturday, Oct. 11 at Marsha Dodson Field at 1 p.m.