This past weekend, the Red (7-2, 2-0 Ivy) secured a decisive 19-13 victory over Columbia (3-6, 0-2 Ivy), continuing its historical dominance over the rival program. Since the two teams first matched up in 1997, the Red has never lost a game against Columbia, maintaining a perfect record of 28-0.
The game started slow, with the first quarter ending tied 3-3. Yet, by the second quarter, the game turned into an offensive spectacle by the Red, with nine different players finding the back of the net before the final whistle. Head coach Jenny Graap ’86 said the Red offense was a force to be reckoned with.
“Cornell's offensive unit is a challenge for opponents to mark,” Graap said. “We have many capable sticks out there, so if an opponent keys in on [Caitlin] Slaminko or [Ella] Wilmot or [Kylie] Gelabert or [Josie] Vogel, then the others around them step up. A lot of credit goes to our offensive coach, Riley VanHoltz.”
Many players contributed to the Red’s offensive barrage, but senior attacker Kylie Gelabert’s performance was the most notable. Gelabert would finish the game with six points, including a milestone 100th career point for the Red.
“Kylie has been an offensive-minded midfielder her entire career at Cornell, so she has definitely been in the role of an offensive specialist,” Graap said “This year, she's playing with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence.”
The Red attack was not the only part of the team to feature standout players. Sophomore midfielder Ellie Bergin had an impressive 10 draw controls, ensuring the Red’s control of possession. Leading the defense was senior goalkeeper Ellie Horner who locked down the Lions, keeping a season high 10 saves.
Despite the score evening out in the second half, Columbia could never recover from the 8-1 run by the Red in the second quarter.
The Red will now shift focus to Ivy League conference play, with only one matchup against University of New Hampshire on March 31, left outside of the conference.
“The Ivy League for women's lacrosse is very strong, so I think we have a lot ahead of us,” Graap said. “It certainly feels good to start out with wins over Brown and Columbia, but every game is a fight… So it's back to work today, and back to work every day, working with our squad to get stronger and continue to improve.”
The Red will go on a two-game road stretch featuring Dartmouth (6-3, 0-2 Ivy) at 3:30 p.m. on March 29 and the University of New Hampshire at 1:00 p.m. on March 31. Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+.
