Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – Four goals in the game's first 95 seconds got Cornell off to a lightning fast start, and 15 goals over the rest of the contest didn't hurt, either.

Jessi Steinberg scored four goals – including the 100th of her career – Olivia Knotts and Katie Kirk added three apiece, and the Big Red women's lacrosse team took down visiting Columbia 19-7 in its home opener at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday afternoon.

Cornell (4-0) has now beaten Columbia (1-3) in all 16 of the teams' lifetime meetings. Cornell is 4-0 for the first time since 2009 and moves to 25-14 in home openers. The home-opening victory was Cornell's first since 2009 against Colgate.

Kirk got things started with a goal 22 seconds into the game assisted by Steinberg.

That's when Steinberg got hot, scoring the next three Big Red goals in just a 1:12 span to get an early hat trick. The hat trick kept Cornell's streak alive of having at least one hat trick in each game this season.

Columbia got the game's next two goals, but Cornell again went on a four-goal streak thanks to goals by Knotts, Kirk, Caroline Salisbury and Kelly Lang to make it an 8-2 contest.

By the time Cornell reached halftime, Steinberg had four goals and the Big Red's lead was 13-4.

Scoring in the second half for the Big Red was Kirk, Salisbury, Lauren Halpern, Lindsay Toppe and Shannon Tierney, who notched her first goal of the year.

Getting the start in goal for Cornell was Courtney Gallagher. The sophomore made one save in the first half, and Cornell put in freshman Carly Gniewek after halftime. Gniewek made five saves and allowed three goals in her first college game.

The Big Red stays home this week as it hosts Canisius on Tuesday at Schoellkopf Field. The game is set to begin at 4 p.m