CORTLAND, N.Y. - The visiting Western Connecticut State University Wolves opened the 2026 season strong, playing the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons to a 3-3 tie at halftime, but were outscored, 12-0, in the second half and suffered a 15-3 setback this evening at Grady Field.  WestConn will be back in action on Saturday when they visit Farmingdale State at noon.  The game was also the season opener for Cortland State.  Junior midfielder Isabella Pota (East Meadow, N.Y.) scored twice for the Wolves.

Trailing, 1-0, in the first minute of the game, WestConn rattled off the game's next three goals. Senior attacker Madison Ratchford (Ridge, N.Y.) scored the first Wolves goal of the season 3:07 into the game off a feed by graduate teammate Victoria Gracy (Bethel, Conn.).  Pota scored 2:02 later to give WestConn a 2-1 lead and then put the Wolves ahead with a woman-up goal at the 11:41 mark of the second frame.  The Red Dragons scored twice more before the break.

In the second half, Sydney Elizalde led the charge for Cortland, scoring twice early in the third quarter and four times after intermission.  WestConn managed just three shots in the second half and committed 11 turnovers after totaling only four in the first two periods.  Ratchford paced WestConn with three ground balls and four draw controls.  Junior goalkeeper Norah Zuidema (Marlboro, N.HY.) had 12 saves for the Wolves.