ITHACA, N.Y. –  It may have been Senior Day on the field, but it was a trio of freshmen – Sam McILwrick, Krysten Mayers, and Kelly Johnson – that lifted the Big Red field hockey team over Dartmouth, 4-1, this afternoon on Marsha Dodson Field. With the win, Cornell caps its season with an 11-5 record overall and finishes second in the Ivy League with a mark of 5-2 in conference play. The 11 victories tie the school record for wins in a season, set during the 2010 and 2008 campaign.
 
McILwrick had her best offensive day of the season, scoring off three penalty corners for the hat trick, while Mayers added a goal in a 4-0 run that erased and early Dartmouth lead.  
 
"I thought our corner execution was outstanding today," said head coach Donna Hornibrook. "It's always great when you can get a win on Senior Day and cap off a great season with a victory."
 
The game was played at a tremendous pace with ample scoring opportunities for both squads. Cornell held the edge in shots (22-17), while the Big Green had more penalty corners (13-12). Dartmouth goalie Ellen Meyer made 10 saves, while Johnson matched a career-high with five.  The Big Red also earned a defensive save from Luisa Schulte-Bockum.
 
Dartmouth (5-12, 3-4) put tremendous pressure on the Big Red early in the contest, earning four penalty corners in the first 10 minutes of the game, before converting on its fifth attempt with a direct shot by Brooke Van Valkenburg at the 11:49 mark.
 
Less than five minutes later, McILwrick got the equalizer when she tipped a penalty corner shot from Marisa Siergiej.  The duo teamed up again to score on the same exact play just before the half to send the home team into the intermission with the 2-1 lead. Siergiej finished with two assists.
 
Mayers scored the only goal on the day that didn't come off a penalty corner, as she collected a rebound off a Meyer's save and roofed it into the net to make it a 3-1 game at the 54:42 mark.
 
With less than 10 minutes to play, McILwrick struck again with a direct shot off a penalty corner to account for the 4-1 final. Both Taylor Standiford and Ann DiPastina were credited with the assist. With the helpers, Standiford set a new school record for assists in a single season (12), while DiPastina moved into second place (11).