ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's lacrosse posted a prolific offensive performance on Wednesday against local non-conference opponent Binghamton on Wednesday. Now the Big Red will look to continue its roll when it heads to the Big Apple to face Columbia on Saturday afternoon.
 
Cornell Big Red (4-1, 1-0 Ivy League) at Columbia Lions (0-4, 0-1 Ivy League)
Saturday, March 14, 2015 | 1:00 PM | New York, N.Y. – Robert K. Kraft Field
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Cornell
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell put on an offensive clinic on Wednesday evening against Binghamton. It was an all-time great display for the Big Red, as it equaled its single-game high for goals scored in the 22-3 victory; tying the effort against Jacksonville in 2012 and against Rutgers in 1994. Cornell had 12 different scorers find the back of the net in the contest; headlining the group was the trio of Emily Tripodi, Catherine Ellis and Olivia Mattyasovszky with four goals apiece. Amie Dickson also continued her fine start with a two goal and three assist effort. Sophomore Mandy Powell and freshman Paige Craig both netted their first collegiate goals. Cornell gave the visitors little life - jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes - taking a 13-2 lead into halftime. Although Cornell turned the majority of the second half over to its deep bench, the scoring continued with the Big Red posting a 9-1 goal advantage in the final 30 minutes. Not to be overshadowed by the offensive fireworks, the defense was smothering yet again. Cornell held the Bearcats to just three goals and 10 shots on net, while posting eight caused turnovers.
 
Lion Headlines
Columbia has gotten off to a slow start this season, entering this weekend's matchup still searching for its first win. The Lions rebounded nicely from a lopsided 14-3 loss to Colgate in the squads last matchup, giving Harvard all it could handle in a 13-9 loss in Cambridge, Mass. Columbia took a 6-5 lead into the half, and scored the first goal out of the break, but the Crimson went on a five-goal run to ultimately take back the lead for good. The Lions are paced by Taylor Quinn and Katie Angulo who both have identical 7g-1a lines heading into the weekend.
 
The Series Against Columbia...
Cornell is a perfect 18-0 against Columbia since the Lions added women's lacrosse as a varsity program in 1997. The Big Red is a 9-0 in games played at Columbia; outscoring the Lions 121-60 in those contests. The first three contests between the programs were played at Columbia, with Cornell scoring 17-9, 17-9 and 14-6 victories.
 
Last Season's Matchup...
Cornell handled the Lions fairly easily in a 13-6 victory last season at Schoellkopf Field. After the teams traded initial goals, Cornell strung together a seven-goal run to take an 8-2 lead into halftime. The Big Red added three goals coming out of the break to build a comfortable margin before coasting to the victory. Lindsay Toppe led all scorers with five points, posting a 4g-1a line in the contest.
 
Toppe Marks
Lindsay Toppe has picked up right where she left off last season. Through five games, she is tied for the team lead with 14 goals, while she ranks third on the team with 18 points. She currently is tied for second in the Ivy League in goals, while she ranks fifth in the League in points.  She also leads the league with 40 shots on the year.
 
Historic Offensive Output
Cornell's 22 goal output against Binghamton left an indelible mark as one of the program's all-time best offensive games. The 22 goals tied a single-game high for the Big Red; equaling a March 20, 2013 victory at Jacksonville (22-13) and a May 1, 1994 victory vs. Rutgers (22-11). The 19 goal margin of victory was the second highest in program history, falling just one goal short of equaling the top mark; a 21-1 victory over William Smith in the season finale of the program's inaugural season in 1972.
 
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 four out of the five games. The lone team to top seven against the Big Red was Albany; however, the Danes were held eight goals short of their scoring average for the season. Cornell allowed a season low three goals in its last outing against Binghamton.
 
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 10 goals and 14 points over her last three games - setting a season high with six points (4g-2a) against Binghamton.
 
Scoring Punch
Cornell leads the Ivy League as the top scoring offense. The squad has averaged just over 15 goals per game and checks in with 76 goals through five games this year. Not surprisingly, the Big Red also has registered the most shots and most shots on goal with 163 and 117 respectively. Possession has been the key, as Cornell has dominated the ball over vast stretches 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 five 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 103-39 in the opening 30 minutes - 72-26 in shots on goal - while the team has more than doubled up opponents 45-18 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 66 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 all seven freshman have seen significant playing time through the first five games. Taylor Reed, Ida Farinholt, Joey Coffy and Paige Craig have all scored their first collegiate goals. Farinholt leads the young group with four goals and two assists early on; Reed has added 3g-3a.
 
Between the Pipes
Renee Poullott has been a brickwall in the Cornell net throughout the young season. She has started all four games since coming on in relief in the season opener against Temple. The second year keeper has allowed just 15 goals over her last three starts, making 16 saves. She currently ranks third in the Ivy League with a 6.69 goals against average. Her .475 save percentage is the fifth 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 five 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 13 goals and 11 assists through five games, while she also has made significant contributions throughout the stat sheet. Dickson currently leads the Ivy League in points (24).
 
Strong on the Draw
Cornell has been absolutely relentless on the draw this season. The squad currently ranks first in the Ivy League with 14.60 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 draw control specialist Sarah Hefner, Amie Dickson and Maddie Kiep have been pleasant surprises. Dickson leads the squad with 16 draws, while Kiep has added 14 on the year. Dickson is tied for third in the League, while Kiep is tied for fifth 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 continue its two-game road trip when it travels to nationally ranked Syracuse on Tuesday. Opening draw with the Orange is slated for 6 p.m.