Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Freshman Katie Kirk's goal with 2:10 remaining in the fourth overtime period capped an amazing comeback as the Cornell women's lacrosse team rallied for an 8-7 victory over Rutgers on a frigid Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. The win lifts the Big Red to 2-0 on the year, while Rutgers falls to 1-1 on the season.

Cornell scored the last four goals of the game, including three goals in the second period to draw even with Rutgers. Jessie Wiegand scored her first goal of the game with 1:40 to play in the second period to knot the score at seven and send the game into overtime.

Freshman Jessi Steinberg scored two goals and had a pair of assists for the Big Red, while Wiegand had a goal and two assists. Shannon McHugh, Kate Dewey, Lindsey Kane and Halsey Diakow each had a goal, while Kirk and Libby Johnson chipped in assists. For Rutgers, Nina Frankoski and Brooke Cantwell had two goals apiece, while Marlena Welsh, Michelle Poole and Kristen Anderson each had a goal. Mary Cryan and Annie McGinley both had an assist for the Scarlet Knights.

In goal for Cornell, Kristen Reese picked up the win, making four saves. For Rutgers, Sandra Abel took the loss despite making 12 saves. Cornell held a 24-17 advantage in shots and an 18-16 lead in ground balls while turning the ball over just 14 times to Rutgers' 22.

Rutgers got out in front early, scoring three times in the first five minutes and four times in the first 15:06 of the game, with Cantwell and Frankoski both tallying a pair. Following a Cornell timeout, the Big Red began to pull back into the game, striking for a pair of goals just 24 seconds apart. Shannon McHugh got the Big Red on the scoreboard with a free position goal, while Halsey Diakow cut the deficit in half after taking a pass from Wiegand and rifiling the ball past Abel.

Rutgers responded with its fifth goal of the game as Kristen Anderson took a Mary Cryan pass and beat Reese high over her left shoulder to give the Scarlet Knights a 5-2 lead heading into the half.

After the break, the two teams traded goals for the first 13 minutes of the half, with both sides putting a pair of tallies on the board. With 14:10 remaining in the period, Steinberg started the Cornell rally with her goal off a Wiegand pass. Six minutes later, it was Dewey finding the back of the net for the first time in the contest to cut the margin to one, 7-6, and setting the stage for Wiegand's game-tying goal with 1:40 to play.

In the first two overtime periods, both teams collected a shot, though both attempts were wide of the cage. Rolling into the first sudden-death period, Cornell won the opening draw and put a pair of shots wide of the goal before a turnover gave possession back to the Scarlet Knights. Following a good clearance, Rutgers' Marlena Welch appeared to have scored the game-winning goal with 50 seconds remaining in the sudden-death period, but the referee waved off the goal for a crease violation and giving the Big Red new life. Cornell did not waste its chance, winning the draw to open the second sudden-death period and controlling the ball in the Rutgers end, where Wiegand found Kirk for the game-winner.

Cornell next takes to the road for the first time this season, heading to Hofstra on Sat., March 7, for a 1 p.m. contest against the Pride in Hempstead, N.Y.