ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's lacrosse will kick off Ivy League play on the road this weekend when it travels to New Haven, Conn., to take on Yale.
 
Cornell Big Red (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) at Yale Bulldogs (3-1, 0-0 Ivy League)
Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 11 A.M. | New Haven, Conn. – Reese Stadium
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
Game Notes
Cornell | Yale
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell women's lacrosse rebounded from its first loss of the season with a fairly dominant defensive performance on Wednesday against Colgate. Although the Raiders held their own on the draw control - one of Cornell's major strengths through the young season - the visitors found the Big Red defensive corps practically impregnable. Cornell limited Colgate to just two goals in the opening half and just five overall in the contest, as senior Claire MacManus, junior co-captain Brittany Marriott, junior Maddie Kiep and sophomore Catie Smith played their finest games of the season. On the flip side, the Big Red continued to attack with authority, netting 11 goals. It was the third game in a row that Cornell has put up double-digit goals to begin the season. Sophomore Amie Dickson continued her breakout campaign with a career high six points on three goals and three assists. Senior Lindsay Toppe, junior Emily Tripodi, sophomore Catherine Ellis and classmate Kristy Gilbert each marked two goals for the Big Red in the contest. Sophomore netminder Renee Poullott made a season-high six saves.
 
Bulldog Headlines
Yale was thorougly handled in the team's season opener, falling 13-5 at George Washington. The Bulldogs have rebounded nicely since that season opening defeat, rattling off three comfortable victories over Quinnipiac, Canisius, and Bryant. Yale pasted Connecticut rival Quinnipiac 18-6 in the team's home opener and has a perfect 2-0 record at Reese Stadium this year. The senior duo of Erin Magnuson (8g-5a-13pts) and Kerri Fleishhacker (8g-4a-12pts) pace the Bulldogs in scoring. The team boast four players who have scored eight goals.
 
The Series Against Yale...
Although Cornell trails the overall series with Yale 17-19 heading into this weekend, the Big Red has dominated the series in recent seasons. The Big Red has won seven straight in the series dating back to 2007, outscoring the Bulldogs 79-43 in those games.
 
Last Season's Matchup...
Cornell outlasted the Bulldogs 8-7 in a tight matchup between the two programs at Schoellkopf Field last season. The Bulldogs took a slim 4-3 lead into halftime; however, Cornell was able to battle back with three straight goals to begin the second stanza. After Yale netted two to tie, Cornell scored two more to gain a lead with would narrowily hold onto. Lindsay Toppe, Emily Tripodi and Chelsea Rowe each tallied two goals, while Carly Gniewek made seven saves to lead the Big Red to victory on Senior Day.
 
Toppe Marks
Lindsay Toppe has picked up right where she left off last season. Through three games, she leads the Big Red with 10 goals, while she ranks second on the team with 13 points. She currently is tied for fourth in the league in points, while she is third in goals, one of three players to get in double-digits.
 
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.  The team has used the draw to dominate possession, especially early in games, which has helped Cornell jump out to early leads in the first half of games.
 
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 the Big Red. We have most certainly seen that prediction come true as Taylor Reed, Ida Farinholt and Joey Coffy have all seen significant playing time through the first two contests. Both Reed and Farinholt have scored goals in each of the first two games, while Coffy scored her first collegiate marker this past weekend against Albany.
 
Dynamic Dickson
Sophomore Amie Dickson has really flourished in the first three 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 nine goals and seven assists through three games, while she also has made significant contributions throughout the stat sheet. She leads the Big Red with six ground balls.
 
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 127 for her career after her team-high four draw controls against the Owls. Overall, Cornell went 19-for-27 on the draw. Amie Dickson has been a pleasant surprise for the Big Red, controlling four draws again on Wednesday against Colgate. She leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 12 draw controls on the year.
 
Up Next
Will return home for another mid-week non-conference matchup against local rival Binghamton. Opening draw is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.