The No. 14 women’s lacrosse team will look to continue its winning ways tomorrow, when the Red travels to face No. 20 Yale in New Haven, Conn.
Cornell (6-5, 3-2 Ivy) is coming off two wins over Brown and Columbia. On Friday, the Red defeated the Bears, 11-8, in Ithaca, and then beat Columbia, 15-5, in New York City on Sunday.
Freshman Katherine Simmons had eight goals over the weekend, while sophomore Margaux Viola had five. Nine different Cornell players had a goal or an assist against Columbia. Junior goalie Maggie Fava recorded 12 saves in the two games, and was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
“I think our spirits are uplifted,” said head coach Jenny Graap ’86. “The Columbia win [was] a unified effort, and I think that’s giving us some positive motivation.”
Yale (8-6, 3-3 Ivy) will offer Cornell a tough challenge, as the Bulldogs feature a strong attack and a veteran defense. The team also averages the fewest turnovers per game in the league.
“Yale is a pretty serious Ivy rival,” Graap said. “They have won some big games, and they’re a very talented squad.”
The Bulldogs are led on offense by freshman Lauren Taylor and senior Katherine Sargent. Taylor has recorded 39 goals this year, while Sargent has 35.
“Those two are [the] clear standouts in the attacking end,” Graap said. “We will have to be strategic about its defense, and contain those two attackers.”
Yale goalies Lonnie Sarnell and Ellen Cameron have shared most of the time in net this year. The two have combined to earn just under a .550 goals against average, which ranks among the best in the Ivy League.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 14-6 win over Brown on Wednesday. In the game, Taylor had six goals, while Sargent added five.
Tomorrow will be the final home game of the season for Yale. The Bulldogs have actually played most of their games on the road this year, going 7-3 away from Johnson Field. Yale’s four home games have all come against top opponents, and the Bulldogs have earned a 1-3 record in New Haven. The three home loses came against No. 3 Princeton, No. 4 Dartmouth, and Vanderbilt. Yale’s only home win came against No. 6 Boston University. Last year, Yale defeated Cornell, 11-8, in Ithaca, as the Bulldogs ended the 2004 campaign with a 12-4 record.
However, Cornell has gone 3-2 in its last five meetings with Yale.
Graap noted that the Red is continuing to work on “getting our offense some new looks, and stepping up the defense.”
“As a young team, Cornell is still focusing on evolving and developing,” she said. “We’re going to be very prepared for the nuances of Yale’s team.”
Freshman Courtney Farrell currently leads the Red in points, with 25. She has scored 17 goals and has dished out eight assists. Meanwhile, junior Allison Schindler has earned a team-high 11 assists, while adding 11 goals for Cornell.
Archived article by Ted Nyman
Sun Staff Writer