UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's lacrosse team fell by a score of 17-6 at home to the No. 20 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons on Tuesday evening. 
 
Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) recorded a hat trick in the game as her three goals came on three total shots while also bringing her four away from 100 in her career. Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) netted two goals while Katie Crofoot (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) added one on a free position. In goal, Breese Burlingame (Binghamton, NY/Northfield Mount Hermon) made 11 saves in the losing effort. 
 
In all, Utica was outshot by Cortland 28-9 and committed 16 turnovers to the Red Dragon's seven. 
 
Cortland opened the game with a goal on its first shot of the evening just 23 seconds into the contest. Following a missed shot by Stuhlman and a ground ball pickup by Crofoot, DeCondo scored her first goal of the game at the 12:26 mark to even the score 1-1. 
 
However, the Red Dragons went on to score seven in a row until Stuhlman got the Pioneers back on the board with a tally 11 seconds before the first quarter ended. By then, Cortland had control at 8-2 entering the second. 
 
The Red Dragons put up the first three scores of the second while DeCondo broke the streak with her second goal of the game with 9:29 to play in the half. From there, Cortland scored three consecutive again, including its final with one second to play in the second, to go up 14-3 at half. 
 
Utica would outscore its nationally ranked opponent 2-1 in the third with goals by Stuhlman and Crofoot, who converted on her free position shot with under 2:30 remaining in the third, as the Pioneers entered the fourth quarter behind 15-5. 
 
The Pioneers were held to one shot in the final quarter but made the most of it as DeCondo completed the hat trick with 2:55 to play. However, the Red Dragons scored twice in the fourth to come away with the win. 
 
Utica (4-3, 0-0 Empire 8) will host Nazareth College at noon on Saturday in what will be the team's Empire 8 opener.