* Game notes vs. Loyola (Md.)
* Live video
* Live stats
GAME INFORMATION
Game #6: No. 14 Cornell at No. 20 Loyola (Md.)
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 18 at 3 p.m.
Site: Diane Geppi-Aikens Field, Baltimore, Md.
2009 Records: Cornell (5-0, 1-0 Ivy); Loyola (4-1, 0-0 Big East)
Series Record: Cornell leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Cornell won 15-6, April 16, 2008 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Live Stats: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Live Video: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
HEAD COACH JENNY GRAAP '86
Cornell head coach Jenny Graap is in her 12th season at Cornell (114-63, .644) and 16th overall (135-107, .558) as a head coach ... directed the Big Red to the 2002 Final Four, earning IWLCA National Coach of the Year and Inside Lacrosse magazine's North Coach of the Year ... Inside Lacrosse ad IWLCA Northeast regional coach of the Year in 2006 after leading Cornell to share of first Ivy League title ... Graap is the fifth head women's lacrosse coach at Cornell and has posted the second-highest win total and has a school-record winning percentage.
THE STORY LINE VS. LOYOLA (Md.): Cornell begins a brutal schedule of five consecutive games against ranked opponents, including four on the road, when it visits No. 20 Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday, March 18 at 3 p.m. at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field. Live video and live stats will be available through Loyola's web site, or through a link at www.CornellBigRed.com.
The Big Red will bring its perfect record (5-0) into a key stretch of games to start its spring break trip. Cornell has won both previous meetings with the Greyhounds, including a 13-10 victory in Baltimore to close the 2007 season. The game will act as a tuneup prior to its game with reigning national runner-up Penn, which is undefeated in conference play the last two seasons and is ranked No. 3 in the country. Cornell and the Quakers battled throughout in last year's matchup in Ithaca, with Penn rallying for a 7-6 win at Schoellkopf Field.
Loyola is off to an outstanding 4-1 start to jump into the national rankings and are beating teams by more than six scores per game. Included was a 15-12 win over then-No. 18 Towson, as well as three other victories where the Greyhounds scored at least 15 goals. Its only loss was a 19-8 defeat at No. 7 Virginia. Former Maryland All-American Jen Adams is in her first season as head coach after a career that saw her set NCAA records for goals (267), assists (178) and points (445) while helping the Terrapins to four straight national titles. Leadign the way offensively is Grace Gavin with 16 goals and seven assists, both team highs.
ABOUT LOYOLA (Md.): The Greyhounds jumped into the national rankings with its 4-1 start that included a win over previously ranked Towson on the road, and will attempt to earn its biggest win of the year heading into Big East play. First-year head coach Jen Adams, arguably the greatest player in the history of Division I women's lacrosse, has her team hitting on all cylinders early averaging nearly 16 goals per game and causing nearly 18 turnovers per contest with its full-field pressure. Grace Gavin leads four double figure scorers with 16 goals and seven assists to go along with her 13 caused turnovers, 13 ground balls and 11 draw controls, while Abby Rehfuss has 11 goals, four assists and a team-best 14 draw wins. In goal, Kerry Stoothoff (3-1, 8.31 GAA, .455 save percentage) and Meg Steffe (1-0, 9.62 GAA, .458 save percentage) have split time.
THE SERIES: The Big Red has won both previous meetings, a 13-10 triumph to clsoe out the 2007 season and a 15-6 rout last year at Schoellkopf Field. Then-sophomore goalkeeper
Kristen Reese made eight saves in going the distance in the victory a season ago. The difference was at the draw circle, where the Big Red won 15-of-22 to dominate possession.
CLOSE CALLS: The Big Red women's lacrosse team has already shown its ability to win close games despite its relative youth, posting a perfect 4-0 in contests decided by three goals or less. Included was a triple overtime victory over Rutgers and a 13-10 victory over then-No. 20 Hofstra.
IN THE KREESE: Junior goalkeeper
Kristen Reese has had a fantastic start in Cornell's 5-0 start, posting a career-low 6.99 goals against average and a career-high .507 save percentage. She had a career day in the win over No. 20 Hofstra, saving 14 shots in the 13-10 win. Reese is averaging 7.0 saves per game.
BALANCED OFFENSE: Cornell has had 10 different players register goals this year, with eight scoring between three and 10 goals.
Jessi Steinberg has a team-best 15 points (eight goals, seven assists), but six players are averaging at least a point per game.
STEINBERG OPENS CAREER IN STYLE: Freshman
Jessi Steinberg wasted little time getting the Big Red on the scoreboard in 2009, posting the team's first goal of the season en route to a two-goal, two-assist effort in the season-opening win over Colgate. The rookie found the back of the net 6:17 into the contest, giving Cornell a 1-0 lead. She currently ranks first on the team in scoring with eight goals and seven assists in five starts.
DEFENSE DOMINATES THE DAY: The Cornell defense has been exceptional over the first five games of the season, allowing just 37 goals and sporting a 7.17 goals against average. The Big Red has caused more turnovers than its opponents (58-35), with
Deirdre Lafferty (14) and
Tissy O'Connor leading the way. Seniors
Jessica Wiegand (6) and
Kelly Hansen (6), as well as freshman Caroline Helmer (5), also average at least one caused turnover per game. In goal,
Kristen Reese has recorded all five wins and has an impressive .507 save percentage.
REESE NAMED IVY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (MARCH 9): Reese was outstanding in the Big Red's 13-10 win at Hofstra, collecting a career-high 14 saves to stone a Pride offense averaging nearly 14 goals per outing. Reese made saves on Hofstra's first three shots to set the tone and made seven saves in each half to help the Big Red remain unbeaten.
LAFFERTY NAMED IVY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (MARCH 2): Senior co-captain
Deirdre Lafferty spearheaded a defense that surrendered a 6.47 goals against average in opening the season a perfect 2-0, earning her first Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors in the process. Lafferty posted seven caused turnovers and won four ground balls while helping Cornell clear the ball successfully 87 percent of the time in wins over defending Patriot League champion Colgate and unbeaten Rutgers (27-of-31).
McKIE EARNS SPOT ON HAUDENASAUNEE WORLD CUP TEAM: Freshman
Mia McKie has earned a position on the Haudenasaunee Nation's team that will compete in the FIL Women's World Cup in Prague from June 17-27. McKie was a five-year varsity letter winner and three-year captain at Niagara-Wheatfield HS and earned the 2007 Tewaaraton Foundation Award for the Outstanding Native High School Player.
LAFFERTY, WIEGAND NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS: Seniors
Deirdre Lafferty and
Jessica Wiegand have been elected captains of the women's lacrosse team for the 2009 season. The duo will provide senior leadership to a young team that features 13 freshmen and 19 total underclassmen.
ANNUAL DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT HELPS FIGHT AGAINST MS: On December 7, 2008, the Cornell women's lacrosse team hosted the Fourth Annual Dodgeball Tournament to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. The event was held in Cornell's indoor turf facility, the Ramin Room, and was a fun stress-reliever during fall semester study days. The tournament was a great success again this year, with 41 teams participating, representing many of the varsity athletic programs.
IVY LEAGUE TO ADD POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT IN 2010: Ivy League Executive Director Jeff Orleans announced in January that the Ivy League will begin four-team tournaments in spring 2010 to determine the Ivy League's automatic qualifying institutions to the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Lacrosse Championships. The winners of the Ivy League championship will continue to be determined by results of the League's round-robin competitions. Each tournament will include the top four teams in Ivy League regular season round-robin competition and will be hosted by the round-robin winner. The men's tournament will be the season's last weekend (Friday-Sunday, May 7-9, 2010) and the women's tournament will be the preceding weekend (April 30-May 2).
NEXT UP: The Big Red will face reigning national runner-up Penn on Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field. The two teams squared off in an epic defensive struggle a season ago, with the Quakers rallying to escape with a 7-6 triumph.
