Box | Updated stats
CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Host Cortland outdueled Nazareth Wednesday in a non-conference battle of nationally ranked men's lacrosse teams. The Red Dragons got four goals each from Zach Hopps and Matt Rakoczy in a 13-11 victory over the Golden Flyers at Cortland's Stadium Complex.

Nazareth, ranked 14th nationally in Division III, dropped to 10-4 overall, while 12th-ranked Cortland improved to 9-4 after defeating the Golden Flyers for the seventh straight time. Nazareth leads the overall series 18-10. Nazareth resumes its Empire 8 Conference schedule Saturday against Stevens at 12 p.m. in the Flyers' final regular-season home game.

In a rare turn of events Wednesday, Cortland's Pat Baldwin outshined Nazareth's Drew Simoneau at the face-off x. He won 10 of the first 11 draws taken and 15 of 26 overall. That enabled the Red Dragons to gain advantages in shots (39-35) and ground balls (34-28). Luke Wooters had three goals and five assists for Nazareth and Troy Haefele added two goals and two assists and Will Fallo also scored twice.

Cortland led 8-6 at halftime as Mike Cantelli, Rakoczy and Hopps each scored twice. The Red Dragons scored twice in the closing minute of the half to break a 6-6 tie.Nazareth got goals from six different  players. Haefele, Nick Arnold and Fallo scored in the first quarter and Vincent Loscalzo, Matt McDermott and Hunter Burdick scored in the second. Wooters had four assists.

Cortland scored the first goal of the third quarter to regain a three-goal cushion, but Nazareth stayed close with third-quarter tallies from Haefele and Wooters. Fallo scored an extra-man goal for Nazareth early in the fourth quarter, but goals by Rakoczy and Hopps kept Cortland ahead. Wooters also scored twice in the fourth as Nazareth desparately tried to tie the score, but Red Dragons' goalie Scott Tota was responsible for 11 saves.

The Golden Flyers also flipped goalies at the end of the first quarter, opting for junior Scott Brown, who received his most significant playing time since the first game of the season, when he suffered a knee injury. Sophomore Mike Cuciti made three saves while allowing five goals in the opening quarter, Brown had nine saves over the final three quarters while allowing eight goals.