After falling to Ivy rival Brown by a single goal, Cornell women’s lacrosse has the chance to redeem itself when it faces off against No. 17 Dartmouth this Saturday.
Both the Red (6-5, 2-2 Ivy) and the Green (7-3, 3-1) will fight for a conference win after the pair lost to conference opponents last weekend. Dartmouth fell to Penn, while Cornell lost a gritty battle to the Bears on the road.
“We definitely want to bounce back from our loss,” said senior captain Ida Farinholt.
In order to do so, the Red plans to focus on the fundamentals this week, as it prepares to square off against the Green.
“We are getting back to the basics and focusing on locking down defense and improving our offensive chemistry,” said senior captain Taylor Reed.
While Dartmouth has won a lopsided 31 of its last 40 games against Cornell, the Red has come out on top in the last two meetings.
“We are preparing mentally and physically to battle in an awesome Ivy game,” said junior captain Sarah Phillips.
With fifth-place Cornell fighting to qualify for one of four sports in the Ivy League Tournament, which takes place in early May, this weekend’s game against Dartmouth holds much significance.
“We have precious few games remaining,” said head coach Jenny Grapp ’86. “Our fate still remains in our own hands to earn a spot where we can battle for our conference automatic qualifier to NCAAs.”
Saturday marks the last regular season home game for the Red, an occasion that will be celebrated with the team’s annual senior day. Seven seniors — including captains Farinholt and Reed — will be honored for their time at Cornell.
“Senior day adds an extra layer of excitement to the game,” said senior midfielder Joey Coffy. “The day fosters a great atmosphere.”
Cornell squares off against the Green at Schoellkopf Field this Saturday at 1 p.m.