Women's lacrosse (4-1, 2-0 Ivy) clinched a commanding 13-5 victory against Columbia (2-3, 0-2 Ivy) on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, fueled by a powerful first-quarter outburst.
The match highlighted numerous stand-out athletes who scored multiple goals for their respective teams.
Leading the charge for Cornell, senior attacker Maggie Pons showcased her prowess with two goals and two assists, while senior midfielder and captain Bridget Babcock delivered a stellar performance with two goals, one assist and five ground balls. Junior goalkeeper Ellie Horner stood firm between the pipes, tallying a season-high 14 saves and securing her fourth win of the year for the Red.
The match began with Columbia asserting pressure early, holding Cornell shotless for the first four minutes. However, the Red wouldn’t let that slide, and sophomore midfielder Dillyn Patten netted a goal to give it an early lead.
Columbia then rallied with goals from Sophie Zachara and Cecelia Messner, briefly putting Cornell behind in the race. The Red flipped the script with a clutch save by Horner, followed by a goal from Babcock, which reignited Cornell's offense. The Red capitalized on this momentum, scoring five consecutive goals to end the quarter with a commanding 7-2 lead.
The Lions intensified its offensive efforts in the second quarter, but Horner's stellar goalkeeping thwarted its attempts. The Red maintained its lead, entering halftime with an 8-3 advantage. Babcock notched the lone Cornell goal in the frame.
The third quarter saw Horner continuing her exceptional performance, making three crucial saves. Despite a brief scoring drought, Cornell extended its lead with goals from Pons and senior attacker Sophie Ward.
Columbia managed to narrow the deficit with a goal from Messner, but Cornell responded with junior midfielder Annie Parker’s first career goal for the Red, solidifying an 11-4 lead for Cornell heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter saw a prolonged stalemate before Cornell capitalized on a power play opportunity, extending its lead to 12-4. Despite a late goal from Columbia, Cornell secured the victory with junior midfielder Mia DiChiara's goal, clinching its 13th straight home win over the Lions.
Women’s lacrosse will have its first true away game this Tuesday, March 12, when it hits the road to take on Binghamton at 4 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
