March 13, 2009

Columbia Welcomes W. Lax for Ivy Opener

Print More

To kick off Ivy League play, the women’s lacrosse team will travel downstate to “The City that Never Sleeps” to face Columbia University tomorrow for the first game of spring break action. The Red will take the first draw against the Lions at 1 p.m. on Robert K. Kraft Field in New York.
Columbia, the last Ivy to join the D1 lacrosse circuit in 1997, is traditionally at the bottom of the league standings. However, the Lions, led by head coach, Kerri Whitaker, who also serves as an assistant to the U.S. Developmental Team, have shown consistent improvement each year. Hence, the Red will not underestimate their in-state rival. Columbia fought off American University, 9-4, on Tuesday to remain undefeated with an overall record of 5-0 going into tomorrow’s Ivy match-up. The Lions, who have the best opening season record in program history, will be determined to come out with a deafening roar.
Cornell, which is also perfect in the win-loss column, will look to ride the high from recent success to silence Columbia early. Victories over tough opponents Rutgers and Hofstra put the Red in position to do some damage this weekend.
In Wednesday’s game versus LeMoyne, a wide range of Cornell players contributed to the offensive and defensive effort. Fourteen players picked up hustle stats, seven added goals and three dished out assists in the 11-5 triumph. Hopefully, the competition to take place Saturday will be another opportunity for even more Red players to chip in.
The Red is away the rest of the vacation week with two road trips to Loyola in Baltimore, Md., and the Penn in Philadelphia next Wednesday and Saturday. Both No. 20 Loyola and No. 5 Penn will present a challenge to the Cornell team, which will only have two days to rest in between contests.