Recent Contributions from Matthew Manacher

Baseball’s Seniors Reﬂect On 2005 Championship Season

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In 2005, the Cornell baseball team accomplished something it had never done before by winning the Ivy League’s Gehrig Division title. Four years have passed and the freshmen from that championship squad have played the final game of their collegiate career, closing the door on Cornell’s sole first-place finish during head coach Tom Ford’s 18-year tenure.

“I think the highlight for a lot of the seniors was our freshman year and playing in the Ivy League championship,” said senior center fielder Ry Kagan. “That was a lot of fun and the highlight of my career.”

Rain Ends Intrasquad Matchup

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The weather gods accomplished what neither defense could do Saturday in the annual Red-White spring football exhibition game. With nearly 60 points put on the board in the first half, the game was halted by a heavy deluge of rain as the Red team was driving with 10:44 remaining in the third quarter and the White team clinging to a 31-28 advantage.

Before the weather intervened, the Red team appeared poised to score after junior incumbent starting quarterback Nathan Ford rifled a 31-yard pass to junior wide receiver Zac Canty on the White team’s 24-yard line. However, Mother Nature ultimately prevailed, but not before Ford turned in an excellent performance, completing 12-of-17 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns.

Siena Edges Past Red To Sweep Both Games

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It was déjà vu all over again, to quote noted Yankee philosopher Yogi Berra, for the baseball squad during yesterday’s twinbill as it suffered back-to-back identical 2-1 losses against Siena at Hoy Field.

In the final inning of Game 1, with two runners in scoring position and only one out, Cornell (11-24, 5-11 Ivy) had an opportunity to earn its second walk-off victory of the season at home. However, the Red was left anticipating what could have been as junior pinch hitter Kyle Groth struck out looking on a full count and sophomore center fielder Nate David was retired on a groundout to second base to end the game.

Ford Has Big Weekend at Plate But Lions Tame Red

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This weekend, the baseball team defeated Columbia, the team sitting atop the Gehrig Division. Unfortunately for the last-place Red (11-22, 5-11 Ivy), this 11-7 victory was sandwiched between a doubleheader sweep on Saturday and a series finale defeat yesterday.

Although junior Nathan Ford was an amazing 12-for-17 on the weekend with two runs scored and four RBIs — increasing his team-high batting average to .432 — the Red lost three of four games to Columbia. The losses eliminated the Red from playoff contention.

Red Opens Homestand With Twinbills Against Columbia

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

“There’s no place like home.”

Although a young girl from Kansas made this phrase famous in 1939, the baseball team hopes it still remains true as it opens up its longest home stand of the season, hosting a pair of doubleheaders against Columbia — one tomorrow and another Sunday.

Cornell (10-19, 4-8 Ivy) will send sophomore lefty Matt Hill (5-2, 3.95 ERA) and freshman Corey Pappel (2-3, 4.35 ERA) to the mound tomorrow in Game 1 and Game 2 to tame the first-place Lions (13-21, 8-4 Ivy).

Dolphins Swim Past Cornell’s Anemic Offense, Take Twin Bill

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It took but a mere 30-mile road trip up I-81 yesterday to snap the baseball team’s longest winning streak of the season at three games as the Le Moyne Dolphins swam past the Red in both games of a doubleheader, winning 4-3 and 2-0 respectively.

In the opener, Le Moyne (16-16) fought back from two early deficits and plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on consecutive RBI singles from senior right fielder Robert Perez and senior pinch hitter Aaron DiFruscio to give the Dolphins a 4-3 victory.

In his first collegiate start, freshman right-handed pitcher Taylor Wood tossed an effective three innings allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out four and walking two.

Baseball Looks For Revenge Against Penn

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When the baseball team travels to the City of Brotherly Love to open up a four-game series against Penn tomorrow afternoon, Cornell pitchers will attempt to conduct a Quaker meeting of their own as they try to silence the sizzling bats of the Penn lineup.

Baseball Resolves to Avenge Weekend Sweep

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Perhaps, the only thing more shocking in Ivy League baseball than Cornell’s final inning letdown in both games of Sunday’s doubleheader against Yale is the fact that Harvard, which has captured five of the last 11 Ivy League Crowns, has garnered only one victory in 20 outings this season. However, the Red can commiserate with the Crimson as both teams are so far winless in Ancient Eight action this season and will tussle today at Hoy Field in an afternoon doubleheader.

“I think we’re all just very eager to get back out on the field,” said junior leftfielder Dom Di Ricco. “It’s been a rough last couple of weeks and a rough last couple of games. We want to show everyone that we’re a lot better than our record shows.”

Skid Continues With Four Red Losses

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Is there a worse feeling in baseball than losing a game on a walk-off hit? Perhaps not, but this weekend, the baseball team was forced to deal with this more than once as its losing skid reached seven games with a pair of losses to Brown on Saturday followed by another doubleheader sweep by Yale on Sunday. The Bulldogs prevailed in Game 1, 2-1, on a walk-off homerun and Game 2, 6-5, by pushing two runs across the plate the bottom of the ninth inning.

The weekend got off to an ominous start for the Red on Saturday as Brown (11-13, 4-4 Ivy) jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the home half of the first inning of Game 1.

Disappointing Pitching Dooms Cornell in Sweep

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While the weather outside was frightful, the play on the field was not so delightful for Cornell baseball. Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader against Harvard was postponed due to a post-Easter snowstorm Thursday night. On Sunday, the Red proved to be generous hosts, yielding 29 runs in two games to the visiting Dartmouth lineup — losing 11-1 in game one and dropping an 18-11 slugfest in the nightcap.

“It’s tough when they throw that knock out punch early in both games and you get down,” said head coach Tom Ford. “In the first game, we just didn’t respond.

Baseball Returns Starters at Most Positions

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The good news is that the baseball team improved both its overall and Ivy League record last year. The bad news is the team still finished in the cellar of the Ivy League’s Gehrig Division. However, this season the Red (6-8) welcomes a promising class of newcomers to join a solid core of veterans as the team vies for its second Ancient Eight title in the last four years.

Catchers

Baseball Rides Spring Break Spark Into Ivy Opener at Hoy

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

According to the weather prognosticators, Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks had the second part right when he proclaimed “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame ... Let’s play two!” Following the 11-time all-star’s credo, Cornell baseball will open up its Ivy League schedule tomorrow with a doubleheader against Harvard and another pair of games against Dartmouth on Sunday while temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s and 40s — not exactly what “Mr. Cub” had in mind. After starting with 14 road games, the Red will return to the friendly confines of Hoy Field.

Pappel and Hill: They're Sure to Thrill

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Is it possible that freshman pitcher Corey Pappel and sophomore hurler Matt Hill might one day be mentioned in the same breath as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ famous lefty-righty combo of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale? Well, they would merely need an additional 368 victories to equal the combined number of career wins of the Dodgers’ Hall of Fame duo. However, in terms of effectiveness, Cornell’s lefty-righty twin twirlers have earned five of the Red’s six wins in the early campaign and have limited the opposition to a paltry .204 batting average.

Baseball Bets on Batting Resurgence in Florida

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

As Cornell students embark on Spring Break and flock to sun-drenched beaches and swaying palm trees, the baseball team will do likewise. However, their fun in the sun will occur on the diamond against Penn St. and Pittsburgh in the Papa John’s Palm Beach Classic held in West Palm Beach, Fla. After opening up this week-long tournament Sunday, the Red will also tangle with University of Miami, Long Island University and New Jersey Institute of Technology throughout the week.

On Sunday morning, the Red (2-4, 0-0 Ivy) will battle Penn St. (3-8, 0-0 Big Ten) in the first game of a doubleheader.

Cornell to Compete In Villanova Classic

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend Cornell will travel to the city of brotherly love, cheesesteaks, hot pretzels with mustard and Rocky Balboa to compete against three of Philly’s big five perennial roundball powerhouses. But, fortunately, this weekend, the roundball is baseball, not basketball. So, put away the smelling salts and take a collective sigh of relief, because La Salle, Temple and Villanova are not nearly the same threat on the baseball diamond as they are on the basketball court.

Today, the baseball team will open up on the road with a doubleheader against La Salle in the first round of the Villanova Classic. Aptly named the Explorers, La Salle (0-9, 0-0 Atlantic-10) is still searching for its first victory of the season.

Crimson Ends W.Icers' Season With Sweep

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While the Harvard men’s ice hockey team was busy ensuring Cornell would host a first-round ECAC playoff matchup rather than receiving a bye, the nationally-ranked No. 1 Harvard women’s team was busy eliminating Cornell from the first round of the playoffs. After suffering a crushing 3-2 come-from-behind loss Friday night, the Red had its season ended by the Crimson with a 4-2 defeat Saturday evening.

In the series, Harvard enjoyed a shot advantage of 109-51, and such a disparity is usually indicative of a series outcome. This series was no exception.

Baseball Takes On ACC Foe

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The baseball team will escape the harsh, cold Ithaca weather this weekend as the squad enjoys the warmth of the sunny south. Cornell will open up its regular season with two non-conference opponents, Siena and No. 16 nationally-ranked Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. The Red will face Siena this afternoon followed by a contest against Virginia on Saturday. Cornell will square off against the same two teams in a twin bill on Sunday.

“As a team, we’ve been playing inside since Feb. 1,” said junior leftfielder Domenic Di Ricco. “We’re just excited to have an opportunity to play someone else instead of each other. It’s something we’ve been looking forward to and preparing for the whole year.”

Spreading the Love Around Cornell Athletics

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As I watched the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers unseat the previously undefeated No. 1 Memphis Tigers last weekend in college basketball, I spotted Peyton Manning in attendance enjoying the festivities from his luxury box. This inevitably sparked my interest as to whether or not the same type of cross-sports support occurs at Cornell.

Does junior quarterback Nathan Ford attend Cornell basketball games? Does basketball forward Lauren Benson lead the cheers for the equestrian team? If a baseball player was struggling to belt out the last rep on the bench press, would his football comrade provide assistance or let the bar crush the poor sap’s jaw? (Then again, my interest may have also been sparked by the mere fact that my editor told me this is the topic I would be covering this week.)

ECAC Regular Season Comes to a Close for Men; Women Begin Playoffs

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

One weekend of regular-season competition is all that remains to determine the final playoff positions heading into the men’s 2008 ECAC postseason. After a weekend sweep of Yale, 6-1, and Brown, 2-1, Harvard joined Clarkson and Princeton in the national polls as the No. 20 ranked team. The No. 12 Tigers pulled within one point of the No. 9 Golden Knights in the league standings after defeating Colgate 7-2 and Cornell 2-1 this weekend.

Clarkson skated to a 3-3 tie against Union Friday night and bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Rensselaer Saturday evening. Clarkson and Princeton are the only two teams to have secured a first-round bye at this juncture in the season.

Senior Women Icers Reminisce

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On a squad predominantly composed of underclassmen, the women’s ice hockey team is led by a small, diverse group of four seniors — each of whom provides a different style of leadership.

Despite Two Losses Over Weekend, W. Hockey Makes Playoffs

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

For the first time in four seasons, women’s ice hockey will be playing in the ECAC playoffs. Despite a pair of losses at Lynah Rink this weekend, losing 5-1 to Dartmouth Friday night and 4-2 to Harvard Saturday afternoon, the Red will take the ice this postseason.

“We are all very excited to be playing in the playoffs,” said junior defenseman Steph Ulrich. “We’re looking forward to it a lot. We really feel like it’s an honor to be able to play in the playoffs. It’s been a long time since our team has been able to do that. We’re proud to represent Cornell women’s ice hockey.”

Women’s Tennis Jumps Out to 4-0 Start

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Men’s basketball is not the only Cornell team to boast a perfect record, as the women’s tennis squad remains unbeaten early in the season. The Red earned 4-3 victories over Syracuse and UMass this weekend to improve to 4-0.

On Friday afternoon, Cornell and Syracuse split all six decisions in singles play and the Red captured the doubles point to earn its third straight victory.

Cornell’s No. 1 doubles team of junior Elizabeth Googe and junior Tamara John edged sophomore Ashley Spicer and freshman Simone Kalhorn, 8-6, while the Red’s No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Sinziana Chis and Ruxandra Dumitrescu defeated freshman Christina Tan and sophomore Chelsea Jones, 8-3.

W. Hockey Defeats In-State Rivals Union, RPI

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Cornell snapped a three-game losing streak and climbed the ECAC standings this weekend with a 3-2 win at Union Friday night, followed by a 4-1 victory at Rensselaer Saturday afternoon. The Red’s two conference victories, coupled with Yale’s winless 0-2 weekend, allowed Cornell to leapfrog the Bulldogs in the standings and secure the No. 7 spot in the ECAC heading into the last weekend of the regular season.

The Red (12-13-1, 9-10-1 ECAC Hockey) captured an early 1-0 advantage against last-place Union (3-25-2, 0-18-2) at 7:47 of the first period. Senior Brianne Schmidt netted the rebound after freshman defenseman Amber Moore’s shot from the blueline bounced off of Dutchwomen junior goaltender Lundy Day.

Women's Hockey Makes Postseason Push

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

“Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs? You kiddin’ me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”

According to former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Mora, you can’t talk about the playoffs until you win a game. For women’s hockey head coach Doug Derraugh ’91, wins are not a problem for Cornell (10-13-1, 7-10-1 ECAC Hockey) as the team is enjoying its first double digit regular season win total since 2000-2001.

“One of the goals early on this season was to try to get to 10 wins,” Derraugh said. “This is something that hasn’t been done here at Cornell in the last seven years. That was a goal that we hoped to reach sometime throughout the season, and we have been able to do that.”

Cornell Men’s, Women’s Basketball Teams Remain Atop Ancient Eight Standings

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The good news for second-place Brown is that it won both Ivy League contests this weekend 77-51 over Dartmouth and 71-51 over Harvard. The bad news is Cornell also won both its Ivy League matchups over the weekend against Princeton and Penn, maintaining its two game lead over the Bears in the standings. Although Brown won both games by double digits, Dartmouth and Harvard are in last place in the Ivy League standings with identical 1-5 conference records.

Yale and Columbia were also perfect this weekend in Ivy League action. The Lions defeated the defending champion Quakers, 74-58, followed by a 58-53 victory over the Tigers. The Bulldogs enjoyed an offensive explosion against the worst of the Ivy League, beating Harvard, 83-70, and Dartmouth, 97-58, on consecutive nights.

W. Icers Drop Two, Fall to Eighth Place

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Although the women’s ice hockey squad was “Pretty in Pink” this weekend on their home ice, their execution was anything but pretty as they suffered a 5-3 loss to Clarkson on Friday night followed by a 6-2 loss to The Big Pink: The women’s hockey team wore pink jerseys over the weekend to raise money for the American Cancer Society.ts (19-6-5, 10-5-3 ECAC) captured the lead for good a little over a minute later when sophomore center Britney Selina netted a power play goal past freshman goaltender Katie Wilson.

Clarkson doubled its lead at 18:21 of the second period on Gaudet’s second goal of the contest to give the Golden Knights a 4-2 advantage.

Women’s Hockey Pregame Meals Have All the Right Ingredients for Success

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Some things never change. Babe Ruth is said to have consumed a hotdog before every game in his heyday. Years later, Popeye the Sailor was noted for squeezing open a can of spinach and swallowing it in one giant gulp before rescuing Olive Oyl. Athletes and cartoon characters are very similar in that they must ingest an energizing and nutritious meal in order to perform their best. The women’s hockey team is no different.

“I like having the pregame meal just because it’s good to have a routine,” said junior defenseman Steph Ulrich. “I like to always do the same thing before games just so I can get myself into game mode. We usually eat pretty similar things.”

That routine has remained constant for every game played at Lynah Rink this season.

Men’s Tennis Triumphs In First Two Matches

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The weather may be cold outside, but the men’s tennis team was hot inside the cozy confines of the Reis Tennis Center as they dominated Niagara, 6-1, and edged Buffalo, 4-3, Saturday afternoon.

Against Niagara, the Red swept all three doubles matches and went 5-1 in singles competition. Three Cornell players won their matches in straight sets.

Freshmen Jon Jaklitsch, Jeremy Feldman and Andy Gauthier, sophomore Jon Fife and junior Peter Kung all won their individual matches.Eyes on the ball: The men’s tennis team rode solid performances from its freshmen to back-to-back season-opening wins Saturday.

Road Teams Triumph in Home-and-Home Series

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On Friday night, the women’s ice hockey squad snapped Colgate’s 10-game consecutive winning streak over the Red with a 3-2 victory at Starr Rink. However, this success against their cross-state rival was short lived as the Raiders responded with a 2-1 victory Saturday afternoon in the second half of their home-and-home series.

Red Is Pink for One Night

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On the road, the Red and the Raiders are travel partners, and In New York, they are neighbors. But on the ice, they will assume the role of bitter rivals in a home-and-home series opening tonight at Colgate and concluding tomorrow afternoon at Lynah Rink as each team makes its late season push for the playoffs.

The two teams not only share the same backyard. They also share a similar style of play, on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ice.

W. Icers Pull Jekyll and Hyde

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend, the women’s ice hockey team split a pair of road conference games, defeating Brown on Friday night, 5-1, and losing to Yale on Saturday afternoon, 5-0.

Cornell (9-10-1, 6-7-1 ECAC Hockey) defeated Brown (3-14-4, 2-9-3) for just its second victory in its last seven games.

“I thought we played one of our best games from goaltending to defense to offense,” said head coach Doug Derraugh ’91. “As far as the team effort goes, it was probably one of our best games so far. We got balanced scoring, all the lines were contributing, the defense was moving the puck well and our goaltender was coming up with saves when we needed them.”

The Brawn Behind the Whole Operation

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

“If you ask people who their favorite coach at Cornell is, a lot of people tend to say ‘Coach Howley’,” remarked senior football co-captain Colin Nash.

“He’s a huge factor in our success.”

After sharing a few minutes with Tom Howley, the strength and conditioning coach at Cornell since July 1995, it is apparent why so many varsity athletes cannot say enough positive things about this gregarious and cordial man.

Do not mistake Howley’s kind demeanor for softness when it comes to athletic training, though.

“He definitely knows his stuff,” said junior field hockey player Stephanie Brownstein. “He keeps it fun, but you do what he says. It’s a hard workout.”

W. Hockey Seeks Halt to Losing Streak

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

“Defense wins championships,” is perhaps the most overused cliché in all of sports. Even the most seasoned coaches have adopted this trite phrase and frequently repeat this mantra as if they were reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. However, the importance of this hackneyed expression cannot be understated for women’s ice hockey, who endured a multitude of defensive miscues en route to a disappointing 2-5 record and three-game losing streak over the winter break.

Red Drops Five of Seven Over Break

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s hockey team was in a giving mood over the holiday break as it surrendered eighteen goals in only five contests, going 2-3 over that stretch. The porous defensive trend continued this weekend as the Red suffered a 6-2 defeat at St. Lawrence and 4-1 loss at Clarkson.

On Friday night, the second place St. Lawrence Saints (16-7, 9-2 ECAC Hockey) skated to an early 3-0 lead on its home ice.

“It was frustrating, but we didn’t come out the way we wanted to initially,” said senior co-captain Caeleigh Beerworth. “We have to start playing our game better and clicking defensively.”

Johnston Excels in International and NCAA W. Hockey

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Imagine having a gold medal in international competition around your neck as you sat down to complete your college applications. Most Cornellians suffered through their senior year in high school attempting to twist their class presidency, editorship of the yearbook or starring role on the soccer team into a memorable and riveting 500 word composition that would catch the jaded eye of admission officers across the Ancient Eight.

W. Hockey Sweeps Weekend Road Contests

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend women’s ice hockey team tussled with two conference foes and were able to scratch their way past the pesky dens of Tigers and Bobcats. Resiliency and determination were the buzz words as both come-from-behind victories were spearheaded by youthful underclassmen.

On Friday night against No. 10 Princeton (4-4-2, 2-4-1 ECAC Hockey), the Red (5-4-1, 2-1-1) overcame a 3-0 deficit midway through the second period, rallying to capture a 7-4 victory over the Tigers.

Cornell sophomore forward Liz Zorn initiated the comeback at the 13:37 mark of the second period with her sixth goal of the season.

Two ECAC Hockey Opponents Await Women’s Hockey

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s hockey team will sport the road sweaters this weekend as it prepares to take on a pair of feline foes in the Princeton Tigers (3-3-2, 1-3-1 ECAC Hockey) and Quinnipiac Bobcats (1-6-1, 0-4-1). This weekend marks the Red’s first road contests in league play.

Tonight, the Red will face off against No. 10 Princeton at Baker Rink. Although Princeton is only two points ahead of the Red (3-4-1, 0-1-1) in the standings, the Tigers catapulted into the top-10 after defeating No. 1, and previously unbeaten, New Hampshire, 2-1, last Sunday.

“We’re really focusing on our team play,” said sophomore forward Liz Zorn. “I think it [the win over New Hampshire] has definitely given them a little confidence, but it is not something that we have been focusing on.”

Women's Hockey Hopes to Ride Early Success With Strong Freshman

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

At 3-3-0, the women’s ice hockey squad needs only one more victory to tie last season’s win total. Thanks to a strong recruiting class and another year’s experience for the returning players, the team is skating under the radar.

Cornell is led this year by senior co-captains Caeleigh Beerworth and Brittany Forgues. However, the Red will look to all four of its seniors to help improve from a disappointing season last year, in which it went 4-23-2 overall and 4-17-1 in the ECAC.

Women’s Hockey Aims for Last Year’s Win Total

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

At Cornell, the number four is usually associated with one thing — G.P.A. However, as the women’s ice hockey team puts on the pads tonight, the importance of the number four takes center ice. A victory tonight would be its fourth of the early season, but more important is the fact that it would also match last year’s total number of wins for the entire season.

Tonight at 7 p.m. Cornell will play host to the first place Yale Bulldogs (2-0-1) in its first of two home games this weekend against Ivy League foes. The action resumes at Lynah Rink tomorrow afternoon as the Red gets set to take on Brown (1-3-0) with face-off scheduled for 4 p.m.

W. Hockey Drops Overtime Affair, Then Wins Blowout

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s hockey team split a road weekend series against the Niagara Purple Eagles this weekend, dropping Friday night’s contest, 4-3, in overtime but rebounding with a 6-2 victory Saturday afternoon.

Cornell (3-3, 0-0 Ivy) lost on a short handed goal with 3:05 left in overtime Friday night when freshman forward Marie Henriksen slipped the game-winner past freshman netminder Kayla Strong.

“Actually, I think [the puck was in] an unfortunate place for us,” said senior captain Caeleigh Beerworth. “And it turned out to be a lucky play for them. It’s the kind of thing that it can happen to any team. It just happened to have an unlucky bounce and unfortunately it ended up that way.”

Field Hockey Takes Program-Best Fifth Ivy Game

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

For the second time in three years, the field hockey team finished second amongst Ivy League competition with a road victory against Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon.

Princeton’s (13-14, 6-1 Ivy), 3-1, victory over Penn (8-9, 4-3) Friday night eliminated any hope the Red (10-7, 5-2) had to move into first place with Tigers, but second place was still in doubt as Cornell took the field on Saturday. If the had Red lost, Columbia (13-8, 5-2) would have retained sole possession of second place as a result of its 2-1 victory over Harvard on Friday night.

Bradshaw, Goldblatt Lead Field Hockey

Matthew Manacher — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

As field hockey enters its final week of play, seniors Katie Bradshaw and Lizzie Goldblatt are attempting to lead the Red to its first Ivy League championship in seventeen years. Perched below the first place Princeton Tigers (11-4, 5-1 Ivy), Cornell (9-7, 4-2 Ivy) currently sits in a three-way tie for second place in the conference, along with Harvard and Penn. Cornell could advance to first place this week with a victory over Dartmouth and a Princeton loss to Penn. The Red hold the head-to-head tie breaker over the Tigers after defeating them 4-3 on Sept. 29th.

W. Ice Hockey Drops Two To Wayne State at Lynah

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After opening the season with a pair of home victories against Vermont, the Red dropped two straight at Lynah this weekend to the Wayne State Warriors. Cornell fell victim to Wayne State’s efficient power play Friday night in a 4-1 defeat and suffered a heartbreaking, 5-4, overtime loss Saturday afternoon.

Cornell sophomore forward Liz Zorn opened the scoring Friday night, giving the Red a 1-0 advantage nearly eight minutes into the first period. However, the lead did not last long. Warriors’ junior forward Lindsay DiPietro knotted the game at 1-1 on a power play goal near the end of the first period after Cornell sophomore goaltender Jenny Niesluchowski was whistled for tripping.

Red Travels to No. 19 Orange for Upstate Tie

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Tonight, Cornell field hockey will not be the only school on the field with a Crayola influenced mascot. The Red are slated to tangle with the Orange of Syracuse University at J.S. Coyne Stadium. As any fashion designer or interior decorator would readily admit, red and orange simply do not mix.

However, if history is any indicator of tonight’s outcome, Cornell (7-6, 4-2 Ivy) might have been better off refraining from the 40-mile gaunt up I-81 to take on the 19th-ranked team in the nation.

Horn’s Late Goal Propels Field Hockey to Win over Brown

Matthew Manacher — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Thanks to junior attacker Abbi Horn’s goal with 46 seconds left in regulation, Cornell field hockey snapped its slump at Schoellkopf Field with a 2-1 victory over Brown yesterday afternoon.

The Red improve to 4-2 in the Ivy League and 7-6 overall while Brown remains winless this season (0-15, 0-5).

Horn’s game-winning goal was set up by freshman midfielder Mattie Prodanovic, who tallied her first point of her collegiate career with the assist.

Field Hockey Hosts Brown Bears

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Cornell field hockey will look to salvage the final game of its home stand on Sunday afternoon against the Brown Bears at Schoellkopf Field.

After suffering defeats to Harvard, Colgate, Albany and Bucknell, the Red (6-6, 3-2 Ivy) will face-off against a Brown (0-12, 0-4) team that has scored only seven goals on the season. However, assistant coach Mary McCracken refuses to underestimate Brown, even if opponents are outscoring the Bears by an average of 2.42 goals per game.

Field Hockey Drops Decision to Colgate

Matthew Manacher — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell field hockey can no longer boast of an undefeated record against Patriot League opponents this season as the Red was vanquished last night by the Colgate Raiders, 4-2, on a brisk fall evening at Schoellkopf Field.

Colgate (1-1, 7-6) junior midfielder Lauren Carey netted the game-winning shot with 12:52 left in the second half to give the Raiders a 3-2 advantage. Carey, the Raiders points leader with 16, scored an unassisted goal when she recovered the rebound off of Cornell (3-2, 6-4) senior goalkeeper Lizzie Goldblatt’s pads and rocketed it into the bottom right corner of the net from the top of the circle.

Field Hockey Makes Stronger Showing

Matthew Manacher — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Fresh from a 4-3 road upset against defending Ivy League champion Princeton over this past weekend, Cornell field hockey is demonstrating its ability to outlast opponents in closely played games — an ability that was conspicuously lacking in years past.

In all professional and collegiate athletics, the pressure of maintaining a slim lead down the stretch of a nail-biting finish proves to be a daunting and nerve-wracking task for most players on the field. While some players and teams under the intense microscope of Ivy League play might wilt, the Red has flourished

Field Hockey Faces Undefeated Tigers

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Perhaps Princeton should change its mascot from a tiger to a bull prior to tomorrow afternoon’s field hockey showdown against Cornell. When these Tigers see Red, they start charging.

To say that Princeton has an advantage when they play Cornell would be an understatement. As the defending Ivy League champions, Princeton holds a 22-4-3 margin over Cornell in head-to-head matchups. A victory for the Red (5-2, 2-1 Ivy) would not only place it amongst the elite in the Ivy League, but would snap a 14-game losing streak to the Tigers.

Only graduating two seniors from its Ivy champion team, Princeton has not lost to an Ancient Eight opponent all season (4-3, 3-0). However, Cornell head coach Donna Hornibrook ensures her team is not afraid of this annual field hockey powerhouse.

Field Hockey Seeks Revenge

Matthew Manacher — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Revenge is the name of the game this weekend for the field hockey team. After suffering defeats to both Yale and Holy Cross last season, the Red (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) will look for retribution tonight on Yale’s home turf before facing Holy Cross on Sunday afternoon.

Although Yale’s (1-4, 0-1 Ivy) record seems harmless, it is not entirely indicative of its level of play as the Bulldogs have lost three of their four games to nationally ranked teams. Head coach Donna Hornibrook agreed with this assessment, noting Yale’s depth.