It will be a contest between teams going in opposite directions tonight, as the women’s lacrosse team welcomes No. 12 Dartmouth to Schoellkopf Field for a 7:00 p.m. tilt. The Red (1-7, 0-2 Ivy) enters the game having lost four straight games, including the last two against Ivy foes. Meanwhile, the Green (5-2, 3-0) is riding a hot streak, as it enters the game having won its last three, including a 18-11 drubbing of Brown on April 4.
When the teams last met in Ithaca, Cornell emerged with a convincing 14-6 win on April 6, 2002. The Red used that win to spark an 11-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Georgetown in the national semifinal game. Two years later, things have been very different for Cornell, which currently sits tied for sixth place in the Ivy League, struggling through its worst season since 1998.
Dartmouth will pose a considerable challenge for the Red. The Green boasts Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Lana Smith, who leads the team with 19 goals and 28 points. Devon Willis, an All-America selection at goal from last season, has compiled 7.62 goals against average and a .571 save percentage this season.
The Red is led by senior co-captain Jaime Quinn, who has been on a tear of late. Quinn has netted eight goals and added two assists in her past three games, a span that has included contests against No. 18 Ohio State and No. 1 Princeton.
Sophomore Allison Schindler is second in the Ancient Eight with 15 assists, continuing a trend she began last season, when she set a school record with 28. Schindler also leads the team in points with 19.
Despite Cornell’s struggles of late, the team has performed well, playing the 11th most difficult schedule in the nation. Five of the Red’s eight games this season have been against opponents ranked in the IWLCA national poll.
Despite dropping all five of these games, Cornell has been competitive in each of them, especially in last Saturday’s 16-10 loss to No. 1 Princeton. Cornell remained within a goal of the defending national champion late into the game before the Tigers surged ahead with a 4-0 run early in the second.
Beginning with tonight’s game, the Red will play four of it’s next five contests at home, hoping desperately to get back on track.
Archived article by Owen Bochner
Sun Sports Editor