ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's polo team returns plenty of key pieces from last season's national runner-up squad and will put those talents on display when it visits Skidmore on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Cornell won its 18th Northeast Regional championship, and ninth consecutive, as part of last season's 15-5 campaign.

Despite the loss of All-American Max Constant, the Big Red returns several players with starting experience, including returners Branden Van Loon and Connor Pardell. After missing last season due to injury, Nick Feldman also returns. Those three will have plenty of competition from returners such as Justin Schick, Tate Lavitt, Eric Dunstan, Conor O'Brien and Emerson Bilodeau, not to mention a group of newcomers hungry to break into the lineup.

Cornell and Skidmore met three times in 2010-11, with the Big Red outscoring the Thoroughbreds 92-10 in those games. Included was a 31-3 triumph in the first round of the USPA Northeast Regional Intercollegiate tournament at Oxley, with Van Loon and Pardell each scoring seven goals.

The Big Red has reached the national championship game six times since 2004, including last season's national runner-up finish. Head coach David Eldredge has amassed an impressive 374-154-8 record in his 26 years on the sidelines, including double figure victories in 25 of 26 seasons.