UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team dropped its second straight game by the score of 2-1 as it fell to visiting SUNY Cortland in non-conference action Sunday afternoon.
 
After a scoreless first half, the Red Dragons got on the board at 44:41 as Anna Branch fired a shot from 10 yards out through the legs of Utica goalie, Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich).  The unassisted tally was Branch's team-leading seventh of the season.
 
Utica responded at 57:23 as senior Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) tipped in a shot from Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota) off a penalty corner for her second of the season.  It was short lived, however as Liz Athing took a centering feed from Branch and slipped the ball past Whitehouse and inside the right post for her fourth of the year to regain the lead. 
 
Whitehouse made seven saves in the loss, while Cortland's Kailynn Reinoehl had nine saves in the win.
 
The Pioneers look to bounce back on Saturday as they travel to Elmira College to wrap up Empire 8 Conference play.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.