ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's lacrosse will hit the West Coast for Spring Break to take on a pair of Pac-12 schools in California and ninth-ranked Stanford in the coming days. The Big Red will begin the trip with the program's third-ever clash with the Golden Bears on Sunday afternoon.
 
Cornell Big Red (6-2) at California Golden Bears (2-7)
Sunday, March 29, 2015 | 3:00 PM EST | Berkeley, Calif. – Memorial Stadium
Live Stats | Live Video (Free)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Cornell
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell rebounded nicely from its second loss of the season against fifth-ranked Syracuse, downing Brown 14-6 at Schoellkopf Field to push its Ivy League record to a perfect 3-0 start. It is the best start to League play that the Big Red has enjoyed since also starting 3-0 in 1993. Cornell dominated from  the opening draw against the Bears scoring six of the first seven goals in the opening 13 minutes of play; riding a 9-3 advantage on the scoreboard at halftime. The Big Red tallied the first four goals in the second stanza to blow the game open. Senior co-captain Lindsay Toppe had a big game on the scoresheet, after being held in check over the previous few games. She finished with a game-high six points, collecting four goals and two assists despite facing constant double-teams throughout the afternoon. Junior Emily Tripodi added two goals and two assists, while senior Sarah Hefner and sophomore Catherine Ellis both added a pair of tallies each.
 
Golden Bear Headlines
California has gotten off to a rocky start to the 2015 campaign, entering the weekend with a 2-7 record overall. The Golden Bears went 1-1 on road trip to the East Coast earlier this week. The squad kicked off the week with a 15-11 victory at George Washington, tallying an impressive 12 goals in the opening 30 minutes of play. Belle Huther pumped in five goals and added an assist, while Gaby Christman chipped in four markers. The Golden Bears could not keep the momentum going against nationally-ranked Princeton on Wednesday, falling by a lopsided 19-7 margin. California held strong in the opening half, trailing by just two at the break; however, Princeton ran away with 11 goals in the second stanza.
 
The Series Against California...
Cornell owns a 2-0 record against the Golden Bears all-time. The last time the two programs faced each other was 2006 with the Big Red winning 14-1 at Schoellkopf Field. The first meeting was a 14-3 victory for the Big Red at California in 2000.
 
Last Matchup...
Cornell downed California 14-1 in the Big Red's home opener of the 2006 season, the last time the two program's have locked up. Cornell tallied three times in the opening 1:26 of the contest and never looked back in the lopsided victory. Alison McKeown and Margaux Viola both scored four times, while McKeown secured a game-high seven ground balls. Cornell held a 36-11 advantage in shots.
 
League Leaders
Cornell ranks among the Ivy League's best in sevaral categories this year. The squad leads the League in scoring and draw controls. The team also ranks among the top 30 program's in NCAA Division I in scoring defense, although it trails three other League teams. The Big Red's possession dominance has been impressive early 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 seven of eight games this year, trailing just Syracuse at the break. The Big Red has outshot opponents 150-76 in the opening 30 minutes - 112-56 in shots on goal - while the team has nearly doubled up opponents 65-37 in first half scoring. Cornell has led at the half in all three of its Ivy League contests this year.
 
Toppe Marks
Lindsay Toppe has gotten off to a nice start this season, despite facing constant double teams from opposing defenses. She currently leads the team in goals with 21 on the season, while she is tied for second in team scoring with 27 points. Her presence has opened up the offensive zone for her teammates, as three other players have collected 20+ points already this season. Toppe continues to lead the Ivy League with 58 shots, while she is still tied for third in goals.
 
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 currently ranks second on the squad with 20 goals, while she is tied with Toppe for second on the team with 27 points.
 
Fine Feeds
Junior attacker Emily Tripodi has established herself as one of the best creators in the history of the program. Her exceptional vision and lacrosse instincts allow her to quickly diagnose defensive systems and how to best exploit them. She tied a season-high with four helpers against Columbia. The junior has collected 10 helpers over her last four games. The outing against Columbia brought her tally to 70 assists for her career, bringing Tripodi into a tie with Allison Schindler (2003-06) for second on the program's all-time list. She is currently 17 assists short of the top mark in program history.
 
Dynamic Dickson
Sophomore Amie Dickson has really flourished in the early part of the 2015 campaign. She has already tripled last season's total point output of 10, pumping in a career high six point performance against Colgate. She had another big game at No. 5 Syracuse, finishing with a team-high five points on one goal and four assists. Dickson now sits at 18 goals and 16 assists on the year, after tallying a goal and a helper against Brown. She also has made significant contributions throughout the stat sheet, proving to be an excellent two-way player in the midfield. Dickson currently leads the Ivy League in points (34), while she is second in assists and seventh in goals. She is also tied for third in the League with 27 draw controls.
 
Up Next
Cornell will continue its West Coast trip when it faces Stanford on Tuesday, March 31. Opening draw will be 10 p.m. EST.