ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's lacrosse will get the 2015 season officially underway on Saturday when it travels to North Philadelphia for a clash with Temple. The Big Red will look to score its fourth consecutive win in a season opener.

**GAME TIME UPDATE: Game has been moved to 12 p.m.***
 
Cornell Big Red (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League) at Temple Owls (3-0, 0-0 Big East)
Saturday, February 21, 2015 | 12:00 PM | Philadelphia, Pa. – Geasey Field
Live Stats
 
Game Notes
Cornell | Temple

Big Red Headlines
Cornell women's lacrosse is set to kick off its 44th varsity season on Saturday afternoon when it travels to North Philadelphia to take on Temple. The Big Red have enjoyed an excellent preseason, which included an offense-defenses 7-on-7 scrimmage against Le Moyne last Saturday. Cornell is amped for its first true on-field competition this weekend. Although the squad will lose the production from graduated players Rachel Moody, and co-captains Amanda D'Amico and Chelsea Rowe, the team does return the reigning Ivy League Attacker of the Year in senior captain Lindsay Toppe. The team went 7-9 a season ago, which included a Ivy League Tournament appearance for the fourth consecutive seasons. The 2015 Big Red have experience and depth throughout the roster, while the squad also welcomed an exciting and dynamic freshman class which will challenge the veterans for immediate playing time.
 
Owl Headlines
Temple has gotten off to a flying start to the 2015 campaign, entering the weekend already with a 3-0 record on the season. The squad began the year with a thrilling a 10-9 overtime victory over UMBC in its home opener. The Owls have bested fellow Big 5 schools in its last two outings. Last Saturday, the team again delivered in overtime, knocking off St. Joseph's 12-11. The squad followed that victory with a mid-week 9-7 victory at La Salle. Freshman Nicole Barretta has made an immediate impact in her debut for the Owls, entering the weekend tied for the team lead with five goals and six points overall. Sophomore Carly Demato joins Barretta with five goals, while 10 players overall have tallied multiple goals on the young season.
 
The Series Against Temple...
The Big Red have met the Owls just one other time in the history of the two programs. The matchup occured last season at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca. Cornell dispatched the Owls 17-9 in the Big Red's home opener.
 
Last Season's Matchup...
Cornell came flying out of the shoot in its first game action last year. The Big Red tallied 12 times in the opening half to coast to the 17-9 victory. Rachel Moody led the squad with five goals, while Lindsay Toppe and Catherine Ellis both added four goals apiece. Emily Tripodi paced all players with five assists.
 
Let's Get It Started
Cornell head coach Jenny Graap has done an excellent job of having her team looking in mid-season form right out of the starting gates. Since she took the helm of the program in 1998, the Big Red is 13-4 in season opening games, which includes victories over nationally ranked opponents: #15 Rutgers (2000), #14 Penn State (2001), #7 Notre Dame (2003), and #20 Notre Dame (2005). Cornell has outscored its opponents by a 201-140 margin in those contests. The Big Red is 7-2 in true road openers to begin the season since she took over. Overall, Cornell is 24-19 in season openers.
 
Tournament Streaks
Cornell has been a staple to qualify for the Ivy League Tournament since it was first held at the conclusion of the 2010 regular season. The Big Red have appeared in four of the five Ivy Tournaments, including each of the last three seasons.
 
All-Ivy Returners
Although the Big Red will be without the services of Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection Rachel Moody due to graduation, the squad still returns three players who were selected to All-Ivy teams a season ago. Senior Lindsay Toppe was the team's lone First Team selection after she finished in a three-way tie for first in points (58) and second in goals (47). Fellow seniors Sarah Hefner and Claire MacManus each earned Second Team All-Ivy recognition after posting fine seasons in 2014. Hefner finished in a tie for second in the league with 68 draw controls, while MacManus was lauded for her excellent one-on-one defensive coverage. With the three returners, the Big Red boast and All-Ivy selection in all three zones with one each in the attacking zone, midfield, and defensive zone.
 
Toppe of the League
Lindsay Toppe was named the 2014 Ivy League Attacker of the Year after equalling her career-highs for points (58), goals (47), and assists (11). She has been absolute force for the Big Red and is already one of the greatest scorers in program history. She was a Preseason Honorable Mention All-American as selected by InsideLacrosse.
 
Different Faces, Familiar Places
Cornell has done an excellent of establishing its presence at some of the strongest lacrosse high school and prep school programs throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The Big Red has multiple players from Honeoye Falls-Lima and Fox Lane High School in New York, The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, and Harriton High School in Pennsylvania. Not only has these pipelines brough incredible talent to East Hill, but it also has helped players assimilate quickly into the program. The Hotchkiss School is the most represented program on the roster with four players hailing from the Connecticut prep program.
 
Northeast State of Mind
Most of Cornell's roster hails from relatively nearby. 23 of the squads 28 players hail from New York or a neighboring state. New York is unsurpisingly most represented with 9.
 
The Breakdown
Cornell returns substantial amount of experience from last season's squad. The team graduated only five seniors from a season ago. The current squad boasts just four seniors. The junior class is much larger with eight players, while the sophomore class is the team's largest with nine. The team also welcomes seven members in the freshman class, who are set to make their collegiate debut this weekend.
 
Rookie Round-Up
The program has been glowing about the freshman class since it stepped foot on campus this past fall. The freshman class has seven members, with many expected to make significant contributions in their debut seasons. Five players are midfielders, an extremely fast and versatile group. The class also brought in two-defenders who will add size and physicality to the backfield.
 
Fine Feeds
Junior attacker Emily Tripodi has already established herself as one of the best creators in the history of the program. Her vision and lacrosse instincts are off-the-charts, allowing her to quickly diagnose defensive systems and how to best exploit them. The Big Red offense often runs through her stick, as she already ranks fifth in program history with 59 assists through two seasons on East Hill. She finished with 23 helpers a season ago. The coaching staff is looking for her to try to create more goals for herself this season, adding more of a dual-threat component to her game.
 
Height in the Crease
The Big Red boasts one of the strongest and tallest offensive threats in the Ivy League in 6-0 junior attacker Olivia Mattyasovszky. She is poised for a breakout season after a phenomenal off seasons. The Big Red will look to utilize her as a post-up player around the crease, as her strength and length will help her carve out space in front of the opposition net. Cornell hopes that she will be a terror for opponents this seasons.
 
Between the Pipes
The Big Red will be in good shape from an experience standpoint in net this season. The squad returns both of its goal keepers from last season in senior Carly Gniewek and sophomore Renee Poullott. Both players split time in the crease a season ago. Gniewek started six games, while she appeared in 11 overall. She posted a .438 save percentage, while making 60 saves. Poullott was excellented in her debut season, making 12 appearances and 10 starts. She also made 60 stops, while she posted a 9.55 goals against average.
 
Elevated Ellis
Sophomore Catherine Ellis is poised for a big season in 2015, after tallying 23 goals in her debut a season ago. She has one of the best shots on the team, as evidenced by her six goal performance against Dartmouth. She has worked hard this offseason to increase her offensive ability with her off-hand, which she hopes will elevate her scoring to new heights this season.
 
Strong on the Draw
The Big Red will return its top draw control option in senior Sarah Hefner in 2015. She was fantastic in that regard last season, breaking the single-season team record with 68 to finish in a tie for second in the conference. She currently ranks second all-time in program history with 123 for her career and will almost assuredly end the season as the all-time leader in the category. Her efforts will be imperative, as Cornell will look to get on the offense early and often against the Owls.
 
Milestone Victory
Cornell will look to reach a milestone on Saturday, as it will hope to score its 300th all-time program victory against the Owls. Cornell reached 299 wins when it bested Yale by an 8-7 score in the team's annual pink game last season.
 
O' Captain My Captains
The Big Red will field two captains in 2015. Lindsay Toppe will serve as a captain for the second consecutive season, while junior defender Brittany Marriott will hold the honor for the first time this season.
 
Up Next
The Big Red will return home for the team's home opener of the 2015 season against Albany. Opening draw for the game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, at Schoellkopf Field.