Game Notes (PDF)

GAME #10: Cornell vs. Harvard
FACE OFF: Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m.
SITE: Schoellkopf Field (Ithaca, N.Y.)
2014 Records: Cornell (9-0, 3-0 Ivy); Harvard (5-4, 2-0 Ivy)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 64-23
LAST MEETING: Cornell won, 14-12, April 5, 2013 in Cambridge, Mass.

RADIO: WHCU 870 AM
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/mlax/ 
LIVE VIDEO: http://www.ivyleaguedigitalnetwork.com/cornell 
LIVE AUDIO: http://www.ivyleaguedigitalnetwork.com/cornell
TELEVISION: None
 
THE MATCHUP: The No.2 Big Red men's lacrosse team will play host to Harvard in a battle of undefeated Ivy League teams, as both squads look to solidify their spot atop the conference standings at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday, April 5 at 3 p.m. Cornell will put its nine-game winning streak on the line, while the Crimson is looking to earn its first win over the Big Red since the 1998 season. The game can be seen or heard online through the Ivy League Digital Network and fans in the Ithaca area can hear the game on WHCU 870 AM with Barry Leonard and Tom LaFalce on the call.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. HARVARD: Although official Ivy League play began in 1956, the Cornell and Harvard rivalry dates back nearly as far as both teams' lacrosse programs, as the two squads first squared off in the 1895 season. The Big Red won that first meeting, 2-1, and has dominated the series ever since, holding a 64-23 overall record against the Crimson, and is currently riding a series-best 16-game winning streak.

LOOKING AT THE CRIMSON: Harvard dropped its last outing to No. 3 Duke, 17-11, but has looked impressive on offense this season, registering double-digit goals in six-straight contests. The Crimson is 2-0 in the Ivy League and is tied with the Big Red for first place in the conference standings with victories over Brown (16-10) and Dartmouth (16-7). All four of Harvard's losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams – UMass, Albany, UNC and Duke. The offense is well balanced with Peter Schwartz posting a team best 25 points on 12 goals and 13 assists, while Will Walker (22 goals) and Devin Dwyer (16 assists) lead the team in goals and assists, respectively. In the face-off circle, the Crimson uses a trio of players, with Gabe Mendola leading the pack (62-of-121; .521). Junior netminder Jake Gambitsky has started all nine games and has posted a 10.48 goals-against average and a .508 save percentage.  
 
A WIN OVER HARVARD WOULD:
• make Cornell 10-0 to start a season for the first time since the 2007 campaign.
• extend the Big Red's regular-season Ivy League winning-streak to 10 straight games.
• extend the Big Red's winning streak over the Crimson to a series-best 17 games.
• improve the Big Red to 4-0 in Ivy League play for the 12th time since the 2000 season.
• improve interim head coach Matt Kerwick's career record to 119-101 and to 1-0 vs. Harvard.
• be the 724th win in program history.
 
THE HEAD COACH: Matt Kerwick (9-0) will serve as the Interim Head Coach of Cornell Lacrosse for the 2014 season ... Kerwick comes to Cornell with 15 years of head coaching experience (118-101) with stints at Jacksonville University, Hobart, Alfred and Randolph-Macon. 

WHAT A START!: Coach Kerwick's 9-0 record to start his Cornell career is the second best in Big Red men's lacrosse history, second only to Ned Harkness, who's 1966 and 1967 squads won 22-straight games before falling to Princeton, 7-5, on May 20, 1967. The loss to the Tigers was the lone defeat during Harkness' time with the lacrosse team, going 35-1 over three seasons.  
 
THE 21 RUN:  The Big Red will host the 10th annual 21 Run on Sunday, April 6 at the Cornell Plantations, on Forest Home Drive in Ithaca, N.Y. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., and the 5K run/walk will kick off at 1:21 p.m. Registration costs $15 per runner, $30 per family, or $200 per fraternity/sorority, but runners are encouraged to collect sponsorships and make an additional donation. Families with young children can enjoy the day with story reading and book making stations. There also will be food and numerous raffles and giveaways. The event, which honors the late Mario St. George Boiardi who wore the No. 21 as captain of the Big Red men's lacrosse team, benefits the Family Reading Partnership of Ithaca and raises awareness and money to promote children's literacy in the community. It is open to everyone – competitive runners, children, families, students, and friends who want to remember and further George Boiardi's vision.
 
SEASON STREAKS:
• Cornell has reached double-digit goals in all nine games this season and 20 consecutive contests dating back to March 19, 2013.
• The Big Red has had at least one man-up goal in all nine games.
• Cornell has registered more ground balls than its opponents in all nine games.
• The Big Red has taken at least 40 shots in 8-of-9 games.
• The Big Red has had at least two man-up goals in 7-of-9 games.
• The Big Red has put at least 25 shots on goal in 7-of-9 games.
• Cornell has held its opponents to less than 10 goals in 7-of-9 games.
• The Big Red has had more penalties than its opponents in 6-of-9 games.
• The Big Red has held its opponents to less than 20 shots on goal in 5-of-9 games.
 
INDIVIDUAL STREAKS
• Matt Donovan's 16-game scoring streak is the sixth-longest in the nation, one game behind Yale's Conrad Oberback and one game ahead of Albany's Lyle Thompson and Hartford's Kevin O'Shea.
• Connor Buczek's 27-game point streak is the 14th-longest in the nation.
• Connor Buczek has registered at least three points in seven straight contests.
• Doug Tesoriero has picked up at least one ground ball in 29 straight contests dating back to April 28, 2012.
• Doug Tesoriero has reached double-digit face-off wins in all nine games this season and in 13 straight contests dating back to May 3, 2013.
• Tom Freshour has caused at least one turnover in seven consecutive games.
• Dan Lintner has registered a hat trick in three straight games and in 7-of-9 games this season.
 
THE UNDEFEATED: Cornell is the only undefeated team remaining in Division I men's lacrosse.
 
OFFENSIVE OUTPOURING: Cornell opened the week ranked second in the nation in points per game (23.11), scoring offense (14.89), assists per game (8.22) and scoring margin (6.33) … The Big Red finished the 2013 season also ranked second in the nation in points per game (22.28), scoring offense (14.56), and assists per game (7.22), while topping the rankings in scoring margin (5.50). 
 
CORNELL DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK:
• Cornell has scored in double-digits in each of its last 20 games, going 17-3 in the process, dating back to a 9-8 loss to Bucknell on March 19, 2013.
• That is the second-longest streak in program history. The Big Red reached double-figures in 51 straight contests from April 26, 1975 to May 20, 1978. During that streak, Cornell posted a 50-1 record.
• In all, the Big Red has scored in double-digits in at least 10 consecutive contests seven times in program history.
     51 -- April 26, 1975 to May 20, 1978
     20 -- March 23, 2013 - - Present           
     17 -- April 10, 1974 to April 12, 1927
     15 -- April 16, 1986 to May 25, 1987
     11 -- March 24, 2007 to May 26, 2007                  
     10 -- March 4, 1995 to April 18, 1995
     10 -- March 5, 1989 to April, 26, 1989 

NATIONAL DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK:
• Cornell's 20-game double-digit scoring streak is the longest in the nation, followed by Albany at 12 and Harvard at six.
 
GREATER SAVES: Earlier this season, the Big Red had a streak of four contests – Canisius (Donville 3; Knight 7), Virginia (Knight 15), Yale (Knight 14), and Colgate (Knight 11) – in which Cornell posted more saves than its opponents. That was the longest streak since 2008 when Jake Myers recorded more saves in a stretch of games vs. Penn, Harvard, Syracuse and Dartmouth. During the 2008 stretch, the Big Red went 3-1 with a loss to the Orange.
 
STARTING 9-0: With its 9-0 record, the Big Red is off to its best start since the 2007 season when it went 15-0 before losing to Duke, 12-11, in the national semifinals.
 
IVY KINGS: Since Ivy League play began in 1956, Cornell has won a conference-high 27 titles, including 17 undefeated crowns. The Big Red also has the best Ivy League record of any team in the conference at 245-97-1 (.716).
 
FACE-OFF FRENZY:
• Doug Tesoriero needs just nine ground balls to become the 21st player in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse history to win 600 career face-offs.
• Doug Tesoriero set the school record for face-off wins in a career vs. Michigan on March 1, passing Addison Sollog (1999-2002). He currently has 591 career face-off wins.
• With 591 career face-off wins, Tesoriero ranks fourth in NCAA Division I among active players.  
• Doug Tesoriero entered the week ranked first in the Ivy League and 24th in the nation in face-off winning percentage (.559).
• Last season, Tesoriero set the single season record with 241 face-off wins, breaking the old mark of 192, which was set by Clayton Weber 1995.
 
GROUND BALL GUY:
• With nine ground balls on March 22 at Penn, Doug Tesoriero became the school's career ground ball record holder, surpassing Paul Schimoler (299; 1986-89).
• With his 312 career ground balls, Doug Tesoriero ranks fifth overall in NCAA Division I among active players.  
• Doug Tesoriero entered the week ranked first in the Ivy League and 11th in the nation with 8.44 ground balls per game.
• With his 133 ground balls in 2013, Doug Tesoriero broke the school record by edging out Craig Jaeger, who had won 127 ground balls in 1978.
 
STEPPING UP: With 10 goals in the first two games of the season, Dan Lintner matched his season total from a year ago. He has registered a hat trick in seven of nine games so far this season and currently leads the Big Red with 32 goals.
 
BALANCED OFFENSE: So far this season, Cornell has received 103 points (74 goals, 29 assists) from its attack (49.5 percent) and 105 points (60 goals, 45 assists) from its midfield and defense. 
 
TEWAARATON TROPHY WATCH: The Tewaaraton Foundation has announced the 2014 Tewaaraton Award men's watch list and a pair of Cornell players – Connor Buczek and Matt Donovan – have made the initial cut. The list includes the top players across all three divisions of NCAA lacrosse and highlights the early contenders for the 2014 Tewaaraton Award.
  
FRESHMAN STOPPER: Christian Knight is the first freshman goalie to start a game for the Big Red since AJ Fiore started 17 contests in 2010. In his first start vs. No. 2 Virginia, Knight stopped 15 shots. Fiore made 15 saves twice during his rookie season, posting 20 in a loss to Syracuse and 15 in a triple overtime win against Loyola in the NCAA tournament.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Matt Donovan earned back-to-back Ivy League Player of the Week honors on March 3 and March 10. His first honor came after registering eight goals, including the overtime game-winner vs. Michigan, in a pair of games vs. Binghamton and the Wolverines. The next week, he posted two goals and one assist in just three quarters vs. Canisius before helping the Big Red upset No. 2 Virginia with two goals and three assists. Of his five points vs. the Cavaliers, four came as Cornell fought back from an early deficit to take a 6-5 halftime lead.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Freshman goalie Christian Knight earned three consecutive Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors earlier this season (March 10, March 17, March 24). He was the first Big Red player to take home back-to-back Rookie of the Week honors since Matt Donovan did so on April 2 and April 9, 2012. Knight's three selections are the most since Donovan won the award an Ivy League record five times in 2012.

TOP 10 NATION: The Big Red opened the week ranked in the top 10 nationally in eight statistical categories, including assists per game (second – 8.44), scoring margin (second – 6.33), ground balls per game (second – 37.56), points per game (second – 23.11), scoring offense (second – 14.89), man-up offense (fifth – .500), shot percentage (ninth –.337), and scoring defense (10th – 8.56).
 
RANKED OPPONENTS: The Big Red's 2014 season features seven opponents currently ranked in the USILA Coaches Poll – Virginia, Syracuse, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Colgate and Hofstra … Cornell is 3-0 so far this season vs. opponents that were ranked during the time of the meeting (UVA, Yale, Penn).
 
ELITE COMPANY: Over the span of the past five seasons (2009-13), Cornell has racked up the third-most wins (62) and the fourth best winning percentage (.747) of any Division I men's lacrosse program.
 
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE: Cornell has enjoyed a true home field advantage since beginning play on Schoellkopf Field in 1972, going 221-71 for a .757 winning percentage. Cornell has been even more impressive since 2000, going 87-20 overall (.813), with perfect slates in 2011 (8-0), 2009 (6-0), 2007 (7-0) and 2005 (6-0) … So far this season, Cornell is 4-0 at home.
 
RECORD SETTER: Dan Lintner scored a pair of goals just four seconds apart at Binghamton on Feb. 25, 2014, setting the school record and matching the NCAA mark for the fastest consecutive goals scored by the same player.
  
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The Big Red will have four captains this season – seniors Tom Freshour and Dan Lintner, as well as juniors Connor Buczek and Matt Donovan.
 
HARD HAT: Connor Buczek was selected to carry the Hard Hat for the 2014 season. The tradition of the Hard Hat began in the fall of 1999. Midway through the fall season, a player is selected to carry the Hard Hat for the year. The recipient is someone that the coaches feel demonstrates a blue-collar approach to the game of lacrosse; he is driven and selfless, not the most talented player on the field, but consistently the hardest worker. He puts the team first, and embodies how the coaches want Cornell players to act and respond on or off the field.
 
FAMILY TIES: Connor Entenmann's father, Ken '85, and Russell Scott's uncle, Sam Happel '82, both played on the Big Red's national semifinal team in 1982, while Mike O'Neil's uncle, Geoff Hall '88 and Cole McCormack's uncle, Brian MCormack '88 both played on the national runner up squads in 1987 and 1988. Chris Cook's father Kevin '84 and his uncle Ed Cook '86 were All-American lacrosse players for the Big Red. 
 
WIN NO. 700: Cornell's 12-6 victory over Syracuse on April 10, 2012 was the 700th win in program history. The Big Red is now 723-445-27 all-time, and its 723 victories rank seventh among the winningest programs in collegiate lacrosse.
 
CLOSE CALLS: Since the beginning of the 2003 season, Cornell is 31-13 in games that have been decided by a single goal, a mark that was raised when the Big Red defeated Michigan, 15-14 in overtime on March 1. Of the 13 losses, 11 have come against ranked opponents, including eight against squads ranked in the top-10, five of which were ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation.
 
OVERTIME NOTES: With its overtime win at Michigan on March 1, Cornell has played at least one overtime game in each of the past eight seasons, dating back to a 12-11 overtime triumph over Albany in the 2007 NCAA quarterfinals. During that span, the Big Red has posted a 7-4 record in overtime games.
 
FRESH FACES: The Big Red added 12 newcomers to the 2013 roster, three of whom are transfer students. The group features four high school All-Americans and is comprised of eight midfielders, two defensemen and two goalkeepers. Additionally, the players represent six states, with seven players hailing from New York and one each from Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia.
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Cornell had three players named to the 2014 Face-Off Magazine Preseason All-American list. Connor Buczek was a first-team selection, while both Matt Donovan and Doug Tesoriero earned honorable mention selections.

NEXT UP: The Big Red has a quick turnaround as it welcomes No. 10 Syracuse to Schoellkopf Field on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m.