GAME INFORMATION
GAME #16: Cornell vs. Dartmouth
GAME TIME: Saturday, Nov. 6, at Noon
GAME SITE: Marsha Dodson Field (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Dartmouth leads, 20-10-1
LAST MEETING: Cornell won, 1-0 on Nov. 7, 2009 (Hanover, N.H.)
2010 RECORDS: Cornell (10-5, 4-2 Ivy); Dartmouth (10-6, 3-3 Ivy)
LIVE STATS: www.CornellBigRed.com
LIVE VIDEO: None

THE MATCHUP: The Big Red field hockey team will say hello and goodbye on Saturday, Nov. 6, as it welcomes Dartmouth to Marsha Dodson Field at noon and sends off its six seniors – Catie De Stio, Mattie Prodanovic, Sara Sanders, Steph Sanders, Liz Schovee and Kate Thompson. Already the winningest class in field hockey history, the group will look to go out on a high note against the Big Green and secure a spot in the top-three of the Ivy League for the fourth time in their careers. One of the top offenses in the nation, Dartmouth won a pair of games last weekend, defeating Harvard and Vermont to improve to 10-6 overall and 3-3 in the Ivy League, sitting just below the Big Red in the conference standings.


THE SERIES WITH DARTMOUTH: The Big Green holds a commanding lead in the series with Cornell, going 20-10-1 against the Big Red. The teams first met in 1979, a 0-0 tie, and Dartmouth won the next five meetings before Cornell snapped its losing streak in 1985 with a 1-0 victory. From then, the series was fairly even until 1998 when Dartmouth began an eight-game winning-streak against the Big Red. Cornell ended the Big Green's run in 2006 and has extended its own winning streak to four games, its most consecutive wins in the series.

SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN: Dartmouth packs a scoring punch, ranking third in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 3.8 goals per game. Most of the Big Green's offense is generated off penalty corners, as the squad ranks ninth in the country with 9.25 chances per game. The three players that make up their penalty corner unit all rank in the top 20 in points per game, led by striker Kelly Hood, who ranks fifth in the country in points (3.00) and third overall in goals per game (1.38). Virginia Peisch (1.47) and Kelly McHenry (1.13) are second and fifth, respectively in assists per game. Defensively, Dartmouth has struggled, giving up more than three goals per game (3.06). Goalie Meagan Vakiener has started all but one game and has posted a 2.94 goals-against average to go along with a .639 save percentage and a 9-5 record.

LAST TIME VS. DARTMOUTH: Cornell completed its 2009 season with a 1-0 victory over Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. In her final collegiate game, senior Katie Kirnan registered the game-winner early in the second half of play, finding the back of the net at the 36:14 mark. Kirnan's goal was one of the few opportunities Cornell had, as the Big Red was outshot, 15-4. Dartmouth also held the slight 5-3 lead in penalty corners. Goalie Alex Botte kept Cornell in the game with seven saves, while Meagan Vakiener stopped just two shots.

A WIN OVER THE BIG GREEN WOULD:
* improve the Big Red's record to 11-5, matching the program's record for wins in a season, which was originally set in 2008.
* send the senior class out with a career record of 42-22 (.656) and a record of 20-8 (.714) in the Ivy League.
* secure at least a third place finish in the Ivy League for the fifth straight season, the longest stretch of top-half finishes in program history. With a Cornell win and a Yale loss, the Big Red would move into second-place, finishing in the top two for the fourth time in five years.
*make Dartmouth one of three Ivy League teams that the senior class is undefeated against, joining Brown and Columbia.
*be Cornell's fifth straight victory against Dartmouth.

THE HEAD COACH: Cornell head coach Donna Hornibrook is in her seventh season at Cornell (61-51, .545) ... Hornibrook became the sixth coach in Cornell field hockey history in January 2004 ... She has a 231-98-10 (.696) record as a head coach, including a 111-39-4 mark at Houghton and a 60-8-6 record at New Brunswick.

LAST TIME OUT: For the second game in a row, the Big Red fell behind early and then nearly came all the way back, but couldn't find the equalizer, falling to Villanova on Sunday at Marsha Dodson Field, 2-1. Cornell (10-5) carried the play through most of the contest, but the Wildcats made the most of their chances, scoring two goals late in the second half for the victory. The Big Red held the advantage in shots (18-10), shots on goal (10-5) and penalty corners (12-6), but Villanova goalie Megan Goelz kept the visitors in the game with eight saves, while Jordan Lynn posted a defensive save. Catie De Stio and Kate Thompson teamed up for the Big Red's lone goal with De Stio scoring in the 67th minute of action and goalie Alex Botte made three saves.

IN THE RANKINGS: In the latest national rankings, senior Catie De Stio is 33rd in the nation in goals per game (0.73) and 37th overall in points per game (1.8). Junior goalie Alex Botte ranks 29th in goals-against average (1.75) and 33rd in save percentage (.727).

IVY LEADERS: Several Big Red players are ranked in the top 10 of the Ivy League in several statistical categories, including:
* Catie De Stio – Points (6th – 27); Points Per Game (7th – 1.8); Goals (4th – 11); Goals per game (5th – 0.73); Assists (10th – 5); Assists Per Game (10th – 0.33); Game-Winning Goals (3rd – 3)
* Alex Botte – Saves (4th – 72); Saves Per Game (6th – 4.80); Goals-Against Average (2nd – 1.75); Save Percentage (3rd – .727)
* Hanna Balleza – Goals (9th – 9); Goals Per Game (9th – 0.60); Game-Winning Goals (3rd – 3)
* Liz Schovee – Defensive Saves (2nd – 2)
* Mattie Prodanovic – Defensive Saves (10th – 1)

CLASS ACT: The senior class of Catie De Stio, Mattie Prodanovic, Sara Sanders, Steph Sanders, Liz Scovee and Kate Thompson are the winningest senior class if field hockey program history. The group boasts a record of 41-22 (19-8 Ivy) over their four-year careers and they have never finished below third in the Ivy League standings.

SENIOR GAME: Catie De Stio has been selected to participate in the upcoming Division I Senior Game, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20 at the University of Maryland. This year's Senior Game participants will face off against the U.S. Women's National Team, as well as against each other, in a series of four 25-minute games. DeStio is one of just three Ivy League players selected to the squad, joining Katherine Hyland (Brown) and Virginia Peisch (Dartmouth).

RECORD WATCH: With just one game to play, senior Catie De Stio needs just one goal to earn two points and become Cornell's school record holder for points in a career, surpassing Cari Hills (93 points; 1994-97). An assist would give De Stio one point, tying her with Hill.

MOVING ON UP: Catie De Stio is steadily making her way up the Cornell career records lists. She is currently ranked in Cornell's top-10 in career game-winning goals (t-1st – 11), career goals (2nd – 35), career points (t-2nd – 92) and career assists (3rd – 22). Meanwhile, senior Kate Thompson needs two more assists to move into the top-10.

ROOKIE RANKINGS: Freshman field hockey player Hannah Balleza is proving to be one of the most productive freshmen in Cornell history. She currently ranks second on the team in goals (9) and points (19). In Big Red history, the rookie ranks third among freshmen for goals and fifth among freshmen for points. Emily Robb leads both categories, scoring 13 goals and amassing 31 points during her rookie season in 1995.

A BALANCED SHEET: So far this season, the Big Red has seen a tremendously balanced scoring offense, averaging 2.33 goals per game, but having only two games in which the same player scored multiple goals (Catie De Stio – 2 vs. Virginia; Catie De Stio – 2 vs. Harvard).

HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS: Freshman Hannah Balleza has proven to be a very selective shooter for the Big Red, scoring nine goals on just 25 shots (.360). Additionally, of her 25 shots this season, 20 have been on goal (.800).

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE (A NEW) HOME: The Big Red is 14-7 all-time on the newly constructed Marsha Dodson Field. Collectively, the team has outscored its opponents by a margin of 48-32 and has taken more than twice as many shots (470-196) as its opponents. The defense has been equally solid in the circle, allowing just 105 penalty corners (5.0 per game).

GET TO THE POINT: Cornell senior Catie De Stio has registered at least one point in 35-of-63 games since arriving on East Hill in 2007. Of those 35 games, Cornell has won 29. The Big Red has won only 12 games during that same span in which De Stio was held without a point.

CIRCLE OF TRUST: So far this season, the Big Red defensive unit has allowed 6.0 penalty corners per season, just up from last season when Cornell allowed just 5.3 penalty corners per game, the best school average since the stat began to be recorded in 1998. Since taking over the program, Coach Hornibrook's teams have allowed just 6.8 penalty corners per game. That is significantly down from the 8.4 average prior to her arrival.

COMING AT YOU FROM ALL SIDES: Since taking over the Cornell program in 2004, Coach Hornibrook has had a dozen or more players register at least one point in four-of-six seasons, with a high of 14 in 2005. With just one game to play, the Big Red has seen just 11 players reach the points' column.

CLOSE CALLS: Cornell's 2-1 loss to Villanova on Oct. 31, 2010 continued the Big Red's trend of playing in one-goal games. Since the start of the 2006 season, the Big Red has lost 31 games, with 20 of those coming by a single goal, including nine in overtime. During that same span, Cornell has won 48 games, with 24 coming in one-goal games, including eight in overtime.

FAST STARTS: Scoring first has been a big part of the Big Red's success in recent years. Since Coach Hornibrook has taken over the program, Cornell has posted an impressive 54-8 record in games in which they have scored first. Conversely, the team has won only seven games in which they have had to come back from an early deficit to win. The first was Coach Hornibrook's very first victory with the team, a 6-3 win over Lehigh in 2004, with the latest coming on Oct. 23, 2010 as Cornell defeated Brown, 2-1, in overtime in Providence, R.I.

KNOCK THREE TIMES: When the Big Red fell to Syracuse during the 2006 season, 4-3, in overtime, it marked the only time in Coach Hornibrook's career with Cornell that the team scored three goals and lost the contest. Under Coach Hornibrook, the Big Red improved to 36-1 in games in which it scores at least three goals after a 3-1 victory against Lehigh on Oct. 10, 2010.

FREE FIELD HOCKEY: With just one game to play during the 2010 season, the Big Red has played in just three overtime games, down significantly from the five overtime games it played in during the 2009 campaign. The five overtime games were the most since the 2001 season, when Cornell played six overtime contests.

PRODANOVIC'S POINTS: Mattie Prodanovic had a hand in both of Cornell's goals in a 2-1 overtime victory against Brown on Oct. 23. It is the only time in the senior defender's career that she has registered both a goal and an assist in the same game.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK, TIMES TWO: For the second time this season, Hannah Balleza has been named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week, earning the honor on Oct. 25 for scoring the game-winning goal in Cornell's 2-1 overtime victory against Brown. Balleza earned the first honor on Sept. 28 after helping the Big Red to a 3-2 overtime victory over Columbia. With that award, she became Cornell's first Rookie of the Week since Mel Jue took the honor on Sept. 9, 2008.

TWINS AND MORE TWINS!: While ardent fans of the Big Red know that seniors Sara and Steph Sanders are twins, many might not know that three other members of the team have twins, all of which play collegiate sports. Sophomore Molly Casey's twin brother, Daniel, is a member of the Brown football team, while Carolyn Horner's twin, Gabrielle, plays lacrosse at Tufts, and Mallory Bannon's twin, Keelin, plays field hockey for American. Additionally, senior Kate Thompson has younger twin sisters, Helen and Becky and sophomore Kat DiPastina has older twin brothers, Christopher and Paul.

STROKE OF GENIUS: Hannah Balleza has converted two penalty strokes for Cornell this season. That is the most made penalty strokes for the Big Red since it converted 2-of-4 during the 2006 season. Balleza's stroke at Columbia was Cornell's first in nearly three years, as its last converted penalty stroke came from Natalie Appleton vs. Syracuse on Oct. 25, 2007. The Big Red did not earn any strokes in 2009 and had one missed in 2008.

BANNON BLITZ: Freshman Mallory Bannon registered her first collegiate goals as the Big Red defeated a pair of Patriot League foes. Bannon scored once each against Colgate and Lehigh, with each of her goals proving to be the game-winner in the contest.

CAREER WEEKEND: With her goals on back-to-back days against Yale and Saint Francis (Pa.), Genevieve Collins surpassed her career scoring total, as the sophomore scored just once all of last season.

BOMBARDING BOTTE: Junior netmider Alex Botte made a career-high 11 saves against No. 3 Virginia, the fourth-ranked offensive team in the nation at the time of the contest.

PUTTING PENN IN PERSPECTIVE: Cornell's 4-0 victory over Penn was one of the best for the Big Red in the series with the Quakers. It was just the second time Cornell shut out Penn, with the first time occurring in 2002.The four goals were the most ever scored by the Big Red against Penn and it was the largest margin of victory for Cornell in the series. The win was also Cornell's third straight, which is the Big Red's longest winning streak in the series.

BUCKNELL BLANKS BIG RED: For the second straight season, Cornell was shutout by the Bison, falling 1-0 last season and 3-0 this season. The Big Red hasn't been blanked by the same team in consecutive seasons since Vermont did so in 2005 (2-0) and 2006 (2-0).

OPENING UP: Big Red is 23-12-4 (.641) all-time in season-openers. This season, the Big Red defeated Lock Haven, 1-0, in its first game, improving Coach Hornibrook to 6-1 in season-openers during her time with Cornell.

HATS OFF: After going three seasons without seeing a Cornell player score three goals in a single game, the Big Red has had four players register hat tricks since the start of the 2008 season – Catie De Stio (Penn, Sept. 18, 2009), Abbi Horn (Georgetown, Sept. 21, 2008), Kelley Kantarian (Colgate, Oct. 9, 2008) and Catie De Stio (Bryant, Oct. 11, 2008). The three hat tricks during the 2008 season was the most by the Big Red since having four during the 1995 season. That year, Cari Hills scored three goals vs. Colgate and four goals against Holy Cross, while Emily Robb tallied three against both Lehigh and Brown. Until the 2008 season, Cornell had never had three different players register hat tricks in the same season.

HALL OF FAME COACH: This summer, Cornell head coach Donna Hornibrook was inducted into the Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame. Hornibrook, a native of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, has an enjoyed an excellent field hockey career, not only as an outstanding player, but as a very successful coach.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Seniors Sara Sanders and Kate Thompson have been named captains for the 2010 season.

EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN: Following the 2009 season, Catie De Stio was named to the NFHCA Division I Mideast Region All-America second-team.

ALL-IVY ACCOLADES: Cornell had three players named to the respective All-Ivy teams in 2009, including two players that return for the 2010 season – senior Catie De Stio (first-team) and senior Kate Thompson (second-team).

SMARTY PANTS: The 2009 Big Red squad earned the NFHCA National Academic Team Award for the second time during head coach Donna Hornibrook's tenure, while Cornell placed at least three players on the NFHCA National Academic Squad for the sixth-straight year as Katie Kirnan, Alex Botte, Lauren Neal, Mattie Prodanovic and Kate Thompson were all honored.