ITHACA, N.Y. – Fresh off a resounding 15-7 victory in New Haven, Conn., against Yale this past weekend, Cornell women's lacrosse will look to continue its early season roll when it welcomes Binghamton to Schoellkopf Field on Wednesday.
 
Cornell Big Red (3-1, 1-0 Ivy League) vs. Binghamton Bearcats (3-1, 0-0 America East)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | 5:00 PM | Ithaca, N.Y. – Schoellkopf Field
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Cornell
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell women's lacrosse kicked off Ivy League play with an emphatic statement this past Saturday against Yale. The Big Red put up the highest goal total on the previously 3-1 Bulldogs, filling the net 15 times in the lopsided victory. The team continued its balanced offensive attack, as six different players tickled the twine. Three of those six recorded hat-tricks, as senior Lindsay Toppe and sophomore Catherine Ellis both collected five point games (4g-1a), while sophomore Kristy Gilbert plundered the net three times for her first trifecta of the season. Sophomore Amie Dickson also continued her strong all-around play with two goals and an assist. On the defensive end, Cornell limited the Bulldogs to just three goals in the opening half and seven total for the game. Yale became the third opponent in four games this season to be held to seven or less goals in a game. The defense corps of Claire MacManus, Brittany Marriott, Catie Smith and Maddie Kiep has been rock solid this season. Renee Poullott turned in another fine game in net, stopping seven shots to tie a season high.
 
Bearcat Headlines
Binghamton was thorougly handled in the team's season opener, falling 18-5 at #10/12 Ohio State back on February 7. The Bearcats have been rock solid since that point, reeling off three straight wins against Quinnpiac, Lafayette and Sacred Heart heading intoWednesday's clash with the Big Red. Most impressive has been the Bearcats defense, which has held its opponents to just shy of seven goals per game over the stretch. Sophia Racciatti leads the team with nine goals and 10 points on the year. Erin McNulty has posted a .500+ save percentage over the last three games.
 
The Series Against Binghamton...
Cornell is 3-0 all-time against Binghamton in the series between the two program's. The teams first met in 2012, with the Big Red taking a 17-8 victory. Cornell is 1-0 at home against the Bearcats, taking a 17-11 decision in 2013. The Big Red has outscored the Bearcats 49-23 in the three games.
 
Last Season's Matchup...
Cornell ran out to an early lead in last season's matchup down in Binghamton. Cornell tallied 10 times in the opening half, running out to a 10-2 advantage at the break. The Big Red slowed the pace in the second half, still tallying five times to close out the 15-4 victory. Lindsay Toppe led all players with four goals, while Rachel Moody added three goals and one helper. Amanda D'Amico also had a great all-around game with two goals and an assist to go with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
Toppe Marks
Lindsay Toppe has picked up right where she left off last season. Through four games, she leads the Big Red with 14 goals, while she ranks second on the team with 18 points. She currently is tied for second in the league in both points and goals.  She also leads the league with 35 shots on the year.
 
Controlling the Draw
Cornell has been excellent on the draw throughout the early portion of this season. The Big Red has used its combination of speed and physicality to do an excellent job of gaining possession during the 50/50  loose ball situations.  Saturday marked the first time that Cornell was bested on the draw this season, as Yale narrowily edged the Big Red 13-11.
 
Dynamite Defense
The Cornell defense has really been impressive through the first few weeks of the season. The Big Red has limited its opponents to seven or less goals in three out of the four games. Although Albany was able to score 12 to edge Cornell by one goal earlier this season, that result in and of itself was impressive. The Great Danes have averaged nearly 20 goals per game as NCAA Division I's second best scoring offense. The Big Red held Albany eight goals below their season averge.
 
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. Toppe gained more recognition last week when she was named to the Tewaaraton Top 50 watch list, which recognizes the best lacrosse players across all levels of the NCAA. The nomination puts her in contention for lacrosse's Tewaaraton Memorial Award, which recognizes the best male and female players each season.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Sophomore goalkeeper Renee Poullott earned Cornell's first weekly honor of the year when she was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. She posted a pair of excellent outings, backstopping the Big Red to victories over Colgate and Yale. She allowed a total of 12 goals in the two games, while making 13 saves. It is the first time a Cornell player has earned the award in nearly two years. Sarah Hefner was the last Big Red player to be named Defensive Player of the Week on March 18, 2013.
 
Electrifying Ellis
Sophomore Catherine Ellis has gotten off to a strong start to her 2015 campaign. She is well on her way to besting her mark of 23 goals set during her first year last season. She has tallied six goals and eight points over her last two games - including a season high four goals in the victory over Yale.
 
Scoring Punch
Cornell is tied for the top scoring offense in the Ivy League early this season, tallying 54 goals through the first four games this season. The Big Red is the only team in the Ivy League so far this season to boast three double-digit goal scorers in senior Lindsay Toppe (14) and sophomores Amie Dickson (11) and Catherine Ellis (10). Ten players have scored at least one goal this season.
 
Fast Starters
Cornell has made a habit of starting quickly in games this season. The Big Red has held a lead at halftime in each of the four games this year. Possession has been the key, as Cornell has done an excellent job of establishing dominant time with the ball. The Big Red has outshot opponents 81-34 in the opening 30 minutes - 53-23 in shots on goal - while the team has doubled up opponents 32-16 in first half scoring.
 
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 fourth in program history with 64 assists for her career. She began the 2015 campaign with an impressive showing in the opener. She led all players with four assists, while she also netted one goal. In the process she passed Jaimee Reynolds (1999-2002) for fourth on the all-time list.
 
Rookie Contributions
Head coach Jenny Graap hinted that several first year players would make an early impact for Cornell. We have most certainly seen the prediction come true as five freshman have seen significant playing time through the first four games. Taylor Reed, Ida Farinholt and Joey Coffy have all scored their first collegiate goals. Farinholt leads the young group with three goals and an assist early on; Reed has added 2g-2a.
 
Between the Pipes
Renee Poullott has been a brickwall in the Cornell net throughout the young season. She has started all three games since coming on in relief in the season opener against Temple. The second year keeper has allowed just 12 goals over her last two starts, making 13 saves. She currently ranks third in the Ivy League with a 7.70 goals against average. Her .472 save percentage is the fourth best in the league. She had an excellent performance in the Ivy League opener against Yale, shutting down the talented Bulldog attack, allowing only seven goals in the lopsided victory. It tied a season high for saves, as she also marked seven in a valiant effort against offensive power Albany.
 
Dynamic Dickson
Sophomore Amie Dickson has really flourished in the first four games of the fledgling 2015 campaign. She has already eclipsed last season's total point output of 10, thanks to her career high six point performance against Colgate. She now has 11 goals and eight assists through four games, while she also has made significant contributions throughout the stat sheet. Dickson currently leads the Ivy League in points (19).
 
Strong on the Draw
Cornell has been absolutely relentless on the draw this season. The squad currently ranks first in the Ivy League with 14.00 draw controls per game, the 17th best mark in NCAA Division I. While the Big Red expected to be good in this area due to the return of all-time draw control specialist Sarah Hefner, Amie Dickson and Maddie Kiep have been pleasant surprises. Dickson has added 13 draws, while Kiep leads the squad with 14 on the year. Dickson is tied for sixth in the League, while Kiep is tied for fourth among Ivy League players.
 
Milestone Victory
Cornell reached a milestone victory when it bested Temple 17-8 in the opener. The win was number 300 for the program.
 
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
Cornell will return to the road for its second straight road Ivy League matchup to begin the season. The Big Red will face in-state Columbia at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.