Cornell remains undefeated in Ivy League competition after taking down Dartmouth, 14-12, in Hanover on Saturday, in another close, shot-for-shot game.
The Red (10-2, 5-0 Ivy) was led in scoring by Amie Dickson with five goals and an assist, marking a career high for the tri-captain. Dickson opened up the game within the first minute, giving Cornell a 1-0 lead. Although the Red opened and closed the game in the lead, the intermediate was marked by alternating scoring runs between the Red and the Green (5-7, 0-5 Ivy).
After two more consecutive goals from senior captain Catherine Ellis and sophomore Sarah Phillips, Dartmouth retaliated with two goals of its own. Two more goals — one from Ellis and one from Dickson — were broken up by another Dartmouth goal, bringing the score to 5-3. The Green then stole a five-goal streak, pulling ahead with an 8-5 lead.
Two goals from sophomore Tomasina Leska brought the Red back within a point of the opponent. Leska’s second shot was the first in a rapid series of scoring in the final minute of the first half, with one from Dickson and another from junior Ida Farinholt, to pull the Red back into the lead, 9-8, before the break.
After falling behind early in the second half of play, the Red tossed a three-goal streak right back at the Green, bringing the score to 12-11. Dartmouth found the net once again, but two final goals from Dickson and Ellis, both set up by Phillips, brought the score to 14-12 for a Red victory.
“The game showed that our team has a tremendous amount of mental toughness that was on display,” said Cornell assistant coach Bill Olin. “Coming off a tough loss against Albany, our team did not panic as the momentum shifted back and forth between the two teams on Saturday. We played a great final 15 minutes on both ends of the field and were able to come away with the win in a tough venue.”
The Red will take the field again on Tuesday against Syracuse, on the Orange’s home turf. The Red, ranked 11th in the NCAA, is preparing for a high-octane game against number eight-ranked Syracuse.
The Orange is coming off a major high after upsetting North Carolina, the reigning National Champions, in a 13-11 victory Saturday down south. The win boosted the Orange from 12th to eighth in the national rankings.
The Red will look to rebuild its winning streak, recently broken by Albany, by coming away from the Carrier Dome victorious.
“We will focus on playing our game instead of reacting to what they throw at us,” said senior captain Catie Smith, in regards to the upcoming game.
There will be little room for error for the Red as it faces the Orange on Tuesday. The team will be focused on maintaining a consistently high level of play throughout the game, not allowing the kind of scoring runs Dartmouth was able to steal.
Syracuse’s prodigious freshman attacker, Emily Hawryschuk, led the Orange to its victory against the Tar Heels with four goals. The Red’s defensive line will certainly be on the lookout for the Orange’s rookie.
“It’s been something that we have talked about all season, but we are hoping to see a more consistent 60-minute effort from our team [against Syracuse],” Olin said. “In stretches, we have executed very well, however, we are trying to avoid the lapses in execution that have plagued us in the last few games.”
The Red will face Syracuse at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.