GAME INFORMATION
GAME #13: Cornell at Yale
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011
TIME: 3:30 p.m.
SITE: New Haven, Conn. — Reese Stadium
2011 RECORDS: Cornell 2-9-1 (0-2-1 Ivy League); Yale 6-4-2 (2-1 Ivy League)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 15-14
LIVE STATS: http://livestats.prestosports.com/yale/

ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell is coming off a 2-2 draw with Ivy League-leading Harvard in which it scored the tying goal with 1 minute, 45 seconds remaining in regulation time. Senior midfielder and co-captain Abigail Apistolas set up junior forward Maneesha Chitanvis for the equalizing strike less than four minutes after Harvard took the lead. Apistolas also scored the Big Red's first goal on an assist from junior forward Xandra Hompe. The tie broke Cornell's seven-game losing streak to Harvard, and it was the first time the Big Red has scored two goals in a game against the Crimson since 1991. Chitanvis, who earned All-Ivy honorable mention as a sophomore, has scored five of Cornell's 10 goals this season.
 
ABOUT YALE
The Bulldogs have won five of their last seven games, having scored at least one goal in each of their last eight tilts. Yale's most recent game was Tuesday, when it cruised to a 3-0 victory at Fairfield behind a goal and an assist from freshman Melissa Gavin. Senior Enma Mullo and junior Mary Kubiuk scored the other goals, and sophomore goalkeeper Elise Wilcox made five saves to earn a shutout in her first collegiate start. Wilcox has assumed the starting role after the only other keeper on the Bulldogs' roster appeared to suffer a season-ending injury Oct. 8. Gavin leads the team in scoring with 13 points on five goals and three assists, followed by Mullo's four goals and four assists for 12 points. Junior Kristen Forster, a member of the All-Ivy second team last season, has added three goals and two assists for eight points.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST YALE
Cornell holds the all-time advantage in the series, 15-14, including last season's 1-0 victory on a first-half goal from Maneesha Chitanvis on Oct. 16, 2010 in Ithaca. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings between the teams in New Haven, Conn.
 
HEAD COACH DANIELLE LAROCHE
Now in her fifth season directing the Big Red women's soccer program, Danielle LaRoche has assembled a team that is on the verge of a breakout. The fourth coach in Cornell history, she holds a career coaching mark of 15-54-4, but the Big Red is coming off its best season since 2005. She picked up her first collegiate head coaching victory on Sept. 7, 2007, when Cornell defeated Hartford, 1-0, in double overtime. LaRoche's career also includes stops as an assistant coach at George Mason, Binghamton and Howard. A 1995 graduate of Maryland, LaRoche played two seasons for the Terrapins under April Heinrichs, who would later go on to serve as the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. LaRoche is assisted by Megan Ramey and Danielle Sambur, both in their first season with the Big Red.
 
IVY HONORS
Senior midfielder Abigail Apistolas was named the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week on Oct. 10 after posting a goal and an assist in the Big Red's 2-2 draw with visiting Harvard two days prior. Apistolas became Cornell player to win the award since Emily Knight on Sept. 15, 2003.
 
SWEET HOME PENNSYLVANIA
Freshman midfielder Claire MacManus scored her first collegiate goal in a familiar setting. A native of Rosemont, Pa., MacManus scored Sept. 30 in the Big Red's visit to Penn — which plays its games roughly 20 miles from MacManus' hometown.
 
WASHED OUT
Cornell lost a game on its schedule after heavy rain and frequent lightning forced the cancellation of a Sept. 28 non-league date at Lafayette. Even with the cancellation, the Big Red played a program-record 11 games in September. The team is scheduled for just four games in October before closing out the regular season Nov. 5 at Dartmouth.
 
WELCOME BACK
Sophomore midfielder Rachel Nichols made quite an impact in her season debut on Sunday, Sept. 25. Nichols re-entered the game against Niagara in the second half with a throw-in deep in the offensive third, leading to Maneesha Chitanvis' game-winning goal in the 60th minute. Nichols was tied for the team lead in assists as a freshman.
 
TOAST OF THE TOURNAMENT
Senior co-captain Sidra Bonner was named to the Red Fox Invitational all-tournament team. The central defender plays an integral role in the center of the Big Red's defense, also coming forward as a threat in the air on set pieces.

ALL-IVY ANCHORS
Not only did Cornell lose just one starter to graduation after a 2010 season that saw the team record its highest win total in five years, but it returns a decorated pair of seniors. Central defender Sidra Bonner and goalkeeper Megan Bartlett, both named second-team All-Ivy League players last season, return to anchor a Big Red back line that surrendered just 17 goals while racking up six shutouts last season.
 
FOLLOW THE LEADER
Seniors Sidra Bonner and Abigail Apistolas serve as co-captains for the Big Red. Both were also captains in 2010 and have played in every one of the team's games in each of the last two seasons.

NATIONAL APPEAL
The Big Red has 13 different states represented on the team roster, with Virginia having six players on the roster. Cornell has five players that hail from California, four from Massachusetts, three from New Jersey and New York, and two apiece from Minnesota, Michigan, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. States with a single representative include Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon.

UP NEXT
Cornell wraps up the home portion of its schedule on Oct. 23 with an Ivy League contest against Brown. The Big Red played the Bears to a scoreless draw last season.