Cortland Roller Hockey Comes Out Strong
Cortland Roller Hockey started the season firing on all cylinders. After a disappointing 1-3 record in their pre season games, the Dragons figured out their issues. With their official team set, Cortland clicked instantly and kicked off the 2014 campaign with a 4-0 start. Cortland's toughest game of the weekend came against the University of Massachusetts-Amherst but the Dragons came out on top by a score of 6-3. Cortland took their momentum from the first game and carried it into the remaining 3 with wins against Boston (5-1), Binghamton (5-0) and Vermont (11-1). Cortland’s strong defensive play was reinforced by strong performances from the returning senior goalie, Nick Marrone. Marrone played in 3 games and posted his first shutout of the year in the 5-0 win against Binghamton. Freshman goalie Tom Corcoran is also not to be forgotten, as he won the first game of his collegiate career in an 11-1 victory against Vermont. Cortland posted the lowest goals against average of the weekend at 1.25. The Red Dragon’s newfound offense has proved to be stronger than last season by scoring 27 goals in the opening weekend. That number is nearly half of their total last season (68). A majority of the team consists of returning players. These players experienced a successful season last year, which resulted in the team’s second consecutive trip to Nationals. Among them is defenseman Dan Nelson, who led the team in points during the opening weekend. Nelson tallied 4 goals and added 7 assists on the way to an 11-point weekend. Cortland’s newest offensive additions in Evan Schlicht (senior) and Steven Marvin (freshman) have proven that they can contribute to the team’s newfound offense. The team has also added a strong defenseman in Tyler Ballantyne (senior) to their already solid defensive core. Cortland’s play and chemistry demonstrate how well they can move the puck as a team. It is still early in the season, but Cortland has the potential to be a top team in the conference this year. The Red Dragons will be in action again on November 22nd and 23rd in Feasterville, Pennsylvania.