HAMILTON, N.Y. — The women's soccer team faces what is likely its toughest non-league game of the season Monday, when it takes on Patriot League frontrunner Colgate.
 
GAME INFORMATION
GAME #10: Cornell at Colgate
DATE: Monday, Oct. 6, 2014
TIME: 7 p.m.
SITE: Beyer-Small '76 Field – Hamilton, N.Y. (artificial surface)
2014 RECORDS: Cornell 6-3; Colgate 8-1-2
VIDEO (free): www.gocolgateraiders.com/sports/2013/8/16/GEN_0816130905.aspx
LIVE STATS: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=62048

ABOUT THE BIG RED
In search of its first winning season in 12 years, Cornell took a big step forward Friday with its third Ivy League victory over the last five years. The Big Red blitzed Penn for three goals in the opening 32 minutes, then held on for a 3-2 victory and the program's first victory against the Quakers since 1996. Junior forward Caroline Growney set up sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Crowell's goal in the second minute, then scored one of her own 13 minutes later on a diagonal run set up by senior midfielder Claire MacManus' perfect through-ball. Freshman forward Meera Dheer then netted the winner on a 30-yard effort from the right side, taking advantage of a pestering breeze that played a big role in the contest. … Growney has taken the team scoring lead with four goals and five assists for 13 points. She also led the squad in scoring last season (7-1—15). Crowell leads the Big Red in goals with five, adding two assists to rank second with 12 points. MacManus' career-high three assists have her tied for third in scoring with sophomore forward Meera Marhoefer. … The Big Red is in position to continue building off a strong 2013 campaign. Cornell was 7-8-1 last season, which featured more than double the program's win totals from the 2011 and 2012 seasons combined. Cornell had at least five victories in its first six games for the first time since 2005. … Continuity is strong with 17 of 23 letterwinners returning from last season, plus a group of newcomers yielding a few new starters. Despite the strong group of incumbents, the team still has a younger slant. There are just four seniors on the roster — including co-captains Sydney Cetrullo and MacManus. … The top three scorers and 10 of the 12 players who had points last season are back with the Big Red in 2014.
 
ABOUT COLGATE
The Raiders sit atop the Patriot League standings and are riding a 10-game unbeaten streak since their season-opening loss to then-No. 19 ranked Boston College. The team's seven-game winning streak came to an end Saturday in a shaky 1-1 draw with Navy. Sarah Coy scored in the 88th minute to salvage a point for Colgate to salvage a point. … The Raiders have received three rankings points in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. … Coy has three goals and one assist for seven points to move into a three-way tie for the team scoring lead with Catherine Williams (3-1—7) and Eliza Doll (2-3—7). Jenna Raepple (2-2—6) and Emily Crichlow (3-0—6) are just one point behind that pace, and a total of eight Colgate players have at least four points. … Sophomore goalkeeper Brenna Mason has assumed the starting role after appearing in 12 games as a freshman. She boasts a 7-1-2 record, 0.49 goals-against average,.904 save percentage and six clean sheets.
 
THE SERIES WITH COLGATE
The Raiders hold a narrow 17-15-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-0 victory on Sept. 8, 2013 in the Big Red's home debut last season. … The last time the teams met in Hamilton was 2012, when Colgate went on to win the Patriot League title and Cornell was in the midst of a 1-14-1 season. But the Big Red gave the Raiders a battle that night, entering the second half knotted at 1 before Colgate eventually secured a 3-1 victory. … The Central New York rivals have played each other at least once per season since the Big Red program gained varsity status in 1982.
 
HEAD COACH PATRICK FARMER
Now in his 22nd season as a head coach in the NCAA, Patrick Farmer is in his third season as the Cornell women's soccer program's fifth head coach. Farmer came to the Big Red via the University of Wisconsin, where he served as an assistant coach with the Badgers' women's soccer team for three years. Farmer has amassed a 275-122-42 record at Cornell, Ithaca College, Penn State, Tennessee Tech and Syracuse. He also served as a head coach at the professional level for two seasons, heading the New York Power of the Women's United Soccer Association. Megan Ramey returns to Cornell for her fourth season as an assistant coach, and Dwight Hornibrook is in his third season as an assistant coach after serving as the head coach of SUNY Cortland men's soccer for eight years.
 
CROWELL ON A ROLL
Sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Crowell has a pair of two-goal games to her credit this season and has already topped her point total from her freshman campaign. Her first two goals this season were both banked off the woodwork and into the net during a 5-0 rout of Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 12. Two days later, Crowell assisted on the Big Red's lone goal in a double-overtime loss to Temple. She was not only named to the Big Red Shootout All-Tournament Team, but she was tied for most votes received. She led the tournament in scoring with five points.
 
TOPS IN THE TOURNEY
After finishing in second place in the Big Red Shootout on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14, the Big Red had three players voted to the event's all-tournament team — junior forward Caroline Growney, sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Crowell and junior defender Charlotte Tate.
 
ON TO THE NEXT CENTURY
In the same year Cornell University is celebrating its sesquicentennial, the women's soccer team has celebrated a slightly bigger number. The Big Red registered the 200th victory of the program's history of 32-plus years last Friday with a 3-2 victory against Buffalo at Berman Field. Opponents for some other milestones include Hamilton in 1982 (first), Yale in 1988 (50th), Colgate in 1994 (100th), Wagner in 2002 (150th) and now Buffalo in 2014 (200th).
 
QUICK STARTERS
Cornell has enjoyed great success in the 33 season openers in the program's history, picking up a 19-10-4 mark in the first game of the season. That trend continued this season with a dramatic 1-0 victory Sept. 4 at Massachusetts on the strength of junior forward Caroline Growney's 110th-minute goal. Sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Crowell assisted on the strike, and sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Tierney made six saves for her third career shutout.
 
A CALL TO ARMBANDS
Senior midfielder Claire MacManus and senior defender Sydney Cetrullo are the Big Red's co-captains this season. It's just the second time in the last eight years that the Big Red has had fewer than three captains, with 2011 (Abigail Apistolas and Sidra Bonner) and 2009 (Katie Hayes and Lena Russomagno) being the other occurrences in that span.
 
ALOHA!
Last season, forward Dempsey Banks and midfielder Elizabeth Crowell gave the Big Red two freshmen with at least 10 points in a season for just the second time in program history and the first time since 1988. Banks' total of 12 points ranked ninth all-time in freshman scoring. She joined the Big Red by way of Honolulu, Hawaii, coming from the same strong Punahou School and Leahi SC programs that produced Jayann Gabrio '13, a key central defender for the Big Red over her collegiate career. Crowell joined the Big Red immediately after her sister, Megan Crowell '13, concluded her playing career at Cornell as a four-time letterwinner.
 
SHE'S HONORED
Senior midfielder Claire MacManus has been recognized for being one of the top defensive midfielders in the Ivy League, as she has been tabbed as an All-Ivy Second Team selection in each of the last two seasons. One of the team's best aerial threats, MacManus scored one goal in each of her first three seasons on East Hill. Her latest strike was the game-winner against Delaware State on Oct. 6, 2013. MacManus is also a midfielder on the women's lacrosse team, being named to the All-Ivy League Second Team in that sport as well.
 
YOUTH IS SERVED
The Big Red is carrying a roster of 27 players this season, but only four are seniors. All four of the fourth-year players — Kelly Abrams, Sydney Cetrullo, Claire MacManus, Kerry Schubert — have started at some point in their careers. There are also six juniors, eight sophomores and nine freshmen on the roster. Of Cornell's 66 points last season, 49 were produced by underclassmen and 54 were produced by returning players to the squad this season.

NATIONAL APPEAL
The Big Red has 13 different states and the District of Columbia represented on the team roster, with its home state of New York claiming eight players. Cornell has three players that hail from Pennsylvania and California, two each from New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois, and single representatives from Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

UP NEXT
Cornell continues its stretch of three straight road games by returning to Ivy League play with a clash against defending champion Harvard on Saturday. After traveling to Saint Bonaventure for a game Monday, Oct. 13, the Big Red resumes its home schedule with an Ivy contest against Yale on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Berman Field in Ithaca.