ITHACA, N.Y. -- Head coach David Eldredge became the first Cornell coach to reach 900 career wins when the Big Red women's polo team opened defense of its 2015 national title in triumphant fashion, topping Skidmore 22-8 on Saturday evening at Oxley Equestrian Center.

Eldredge, who improved his all-time record to 900-304-25 in 31 years of coaching both the men's and women's polo squads (476-129-17 with the women), has been on the sidelines for more combined victories than any coach in school history.

After an 18-4 season a year ago that culminated in a thrilling 17-16 victory over Virginia in the national title game, the Big Red opened the game up with captain Anna Winslow, Elena Wicker and Claire Stieg in the lineup after losing Devin Cox to graduation and Emma Eldredge to a semester of study abroad. The Big Red opened up with the first four goals of the game before Skidmore responded with a run of its own, closing within 4-3. Cornell tacked on another goal to make it 5-3 after one chukker. After the opening run, Cornell bogged down a bit and was looking to recover in the second. Recover they did as they extended the run of one to end the first and added nine more unanswered in the second, shutting out the Thoroughbreds before the half and taking a commanding 14-3 lead into the break. Wicker led the Big Red with eight goals in the first half. Stieg and Winslow sat out the third in favor of Hannah Noyes and Martha Anderson. Cornell added two more beginning the third to extend its run to 12 before Skidmore tallied again to make it 16-4. The teams traded goals the rest of the third, ending the chukker with an 18-6 lead. Wicker ended her night with 11 goals as Winslow would come back in for the fourth. Cornell would continue to lead throughout the chukker and built the final score to 22-8 for the season-opening win. Besides Wicker's game-high 11 goals, Winslow added six goals, Noyes had two, while Stieg, Anderson and the ponies each tallied one.