TROY, N.Y. - Senior Vanessa Romero scored her team-best third goal of the year to lead the SUNY Cortland women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Saturday afternoon at East Campus Stadium. With the win, the Red Dragons improve to 3-2-1 overall, while the Engineers drop to 1-4.

After RPI registered five corner kicks in the opening 14 minutes, it was the visitors who turned in the first scoring chance of the match in the 15th minute. A cross from the right was sent to sophomore Sidney Reeves (Groton, NY/Groton) at the back post, but her attempt was cleared off the line by Rensselaer senior left back Maddie Steinmetz (Malvern, PA/West Chester East). 

In the 22nd minute Romero (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) cut by one defender before sending a right-footed shot just wide left of goal.

Romero would not be denied in the 28th minute, however, as her darting run up the left side was finished off inside the left post and past the slide of Engineers junior goalkeeper Joey Lyons (Harwood, MD/Southern).

Rensselaer nearly equalized in the 34th minute, when a Cortland clearance found junior left back Jeanine Moreau (Litchfield, CT/Phillips Academy) outside the penalty area. She settled the ball and sent a shot that whistled inches wide of he upper right corner.

The Red Dragons made it a 2-0 game in the 40th minute on left-footed free kick by junior Gianna DeCarlo (West Islip, NY/Islip). A high shot from 30 yards out made its way just under the crossbar and out of Lyons' reach for DeCarlo's first goal of the year.

RPI, which outshot Cortland 19-1 in the second half, had its best chance to score come by way of a penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Junior Emily Kaplan (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) saw her right-footed try kept out by Red Dragons sophomore goalkeeper Danika Svendsen (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater).

The Engineers finished with a 25-9 shot advantage, including 9-2 on target. RPI also attempted nine corners to Cortland's one. Svendsen (1-1-1) had nine saves for the shutout, while Lyons (1-4) did not record a stop.

Rensselaer returns to action on Tuesday night, when it visits Sage for its first road game of the year (7pm). Cortland travels to Oswego on Saturday (1pm).