After playing No. 3 Princeton and No. 17 Syracuse, the No. 13 women’s lacrosse team will face yet another nationally-ranked squad tomorrow, when it meets No. 7 Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H.
The Red lost, 9-8, against Princeton in three overtimes last Saturday. On Tuesday, Cornell fell to Syracuse, also by a score of 9-8.
Undefeated Dartmouth (8-0, 3-0 Ivy) will present another tough challenge for the Red (4-4, 1-1). So far this year, the Green has earned wins over No. 9 Maryland, No. 18 Yale, and No. 19 James Madison.
“[Dartmouth] has incredible speed and depth on their squad this year,” said Cornell head coach Jenny Graap ’86. “They have a very strong senior class that’s leading the way. They’ve been getting better and better over the last three years, [and] all the pieces are in place.”
Cornell’s loss at Syracuse on Tuesday was a difficult one to take. After falling behind 9-6, Cornell made a late-game comeback effort — scoring two goals in the final minutes. But Syracuse did not allow another goal, and would earn the win.
“I think we need to pick up our intensity, and we need to be fired up and ready to play hard in the first half,” Graap said. “Against Syracuse, we were much better after halftime. It just seems that against better teams, you have to come out firing in the first half.”
Dartmouth last played on Tuesday, when it defeated Massachusetts, 18-6.
The Green’s offense is led by attack Whitney Douthett (16 goals, 17 assists), and senior Katieanne Christian. Christian has scored a league-high 28 goals. Dartmouth leads the conference in goals this year, with 118.
Dartmouth also features a very strong defense, led by junior goalie Devon Wills. The Colorado native is one of the nation’s top goalkeepers, and she was a third-team All-American last year. This year, she has earned a .548 save percentage and a 6.48 goals against average.
“Our shooting, and our ability to get around Devon Wills, is crucial,” Graap said.
Meanwhile, Cornell has seen improved play from junior goalie Maggie Fava. She had 11 saves against Syracuse, and 10 against Princeton.
But Graap noted that the Red will need improved play from its entire team against Dartmouth. She also underlined the importance of competing with energy for the entire game.
“I think it’s very important that we play a hard 60 minutes, and that we are proud of our effort,” Graap said. “Right now, I think we’re trying to rebuild some confidence. The Dartmouth game is important for us to prove to ourselves that we can play with top teams.”
Cornell lost to Dartmouth, 7-6, last year in Ithaca. The Green finished second in the Ivy League last year, and its only conference loss came against Princeton.
Tomorrow’s game at Dartmouth is set for 1 p.m.
Archived article by Ted Nyman
Sun Staff Writer