ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell women's lacrosse will look to wrap-up its 2015 non-conference schedule on a high note when it welcomes #12/12 Penn State to Schoellkopf Field on Tuesday evening. The Big Red is 5-2 in non-conference play this season; a record which includes a victory over ranked Stanford in Palo Alto.
 
Cornell Big Red (8-4) vs. #12/12 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-3)
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 | 5:00 PM | Ithaca, N.Y. – Schoellkopf Field
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Cornell | Penn State
 
Big Red Headlines
For the second straight Saturday, Cornell took the game down to the wire, but again ultimately came up achingly short in a 13-11 loss to #14/15 Princeton. The Big Red came out of the gates strong yet-again. The home side used a 9-3 advantage in draw controls and a 16-10 advantage in shots to take a 6-5 lead into the halftime break. Things looked good for Cornell coming out of the break, as Lindsay Toppe and Joey Coffy scored within the first five minutes to stretch the Cornell lead to 8-5 with 25 minutes to play. From that point the Tigers mounted a late charge, stringing together a five-goal run to take a lead they would not relinquish. The draw control was the key, as Princeton dominated the circle with a 10-4 advantage in the second stanza to control possession and stifle Cornell's comeback attempt. Toppe finished with five goals, while Catherine Ellis added a pair for the Big Red in the narrow loss.
 
Nittany Lion Headlines
Penn State has enjoyed a fantastic 2015 campaign, entering Tuesday evening with a 10-3 record and a perfect 3-0 mark in the inaugural season of the Big Ten Conference for lacrosse. The Nittany Lions have been present in the national rankings from wire-to-wire thus far this season. The squad boasts victories over ranked opponents in Loyola (Md.), Stanford and Ohio State; while the squads only losses have been by only one goal to ranked opponents Virginia, James Madison, and Princeton. Penn State boasts one of the most potent offenses in NCAA Division I, scoring double-digit goals in all 13 games this season. Maggie McCormick leads the team with 49 points, while the Nittany Lions boast six players who have passed the 20-point threshold this season. Four have topped the 20 goal plateau on the season.
 
The Series Against Penn State...
Cornell trails the overall series with Penn State with a 2-4 record all-time since Cornell became a varsity program. The Big Red is 2-1 against the Nittany Lions under Head Coach Jenny Graap. The team's first met in Cornell's inaugural varsity season in 1972.
 
Last Season's Matchup...
Cornell squared off with Penn State last season in State College, Pa., with the home side taking a 13-8 victory. The Big Red hung around against the Nittany Lions, but had trouble getting off shots, as Penn State held the advantage 28-16. Cornell held a narrow 4-3 lead deep into the first half, but Penn State would go on to score six of the final eight goals to take a 9-6 lead to the break. Rachel Moody and Emily Tripodi would score back-to-back to start the second half, but the Nittany Lions would tally the final four to put the game out of reach.
 
Signature Win
With the dominating performance against Stanford, Cornell notched a signature win to add to its resume. The Big Red leapt out to an early 5-0 lead and put together a decisive second half to pull away for the win. Cornell now is ranked 14th in the competer rankings by Lax Power, while its RPI is now 25th.
 
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 20 program's in NCAA Division I in scoring defense, although it still trails Penn.
 
Scoring Punch
Cornell leads the Ivy League as the top scoring offense. The squad has averaged over 14 goals per game and checks in with 174 on the year, already eclipsing last season's goal total. Not surprisingly, the Big Red has registered the most shots and most shots on goal with 359 and 278 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 11 of 12 games this year, trailing just Syracuse at the break. The Big Red has outshot opponents 206-122 in the opening 30 minutes - 154-86 in shots on goal - while the team has nearly doubled up opponents 89-52 in first half scoring. Cornell has led at the half in all five of its Ivy League contests this year.
 
Toppe Marks
Lindsay Toppe has been hot as wildfire in recent matchups, recording 24 points over her last five games despite facing constant rotating double-teams from opposing defensive units. She currently leads the team in goals with 38 on the season, while she is second on the team in scoring with 45 points. Her presence has opened up the offensive zone for her teammates, as three other players have collected 30+ points already this season. Toppe continues to lead the Ivy League with 88 shots, while she is tied for first in goals and second in the League in 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 how to best exploit them. She added one assist on Saturday against the Tigers to bring her total to 24 for the season and  83 for her career. She trails the top spot in program history by eight. In addition to being an excellent creator for others in the attacking third, she has put an added onus on creating her own looks this season. She added her second hat-trick of the season against Stanford and already has posted a career-high for goals in a season with 16.
 
Electrifying Ellis
Sophomore Catherine Ellis has been an offensive dynamo during 2015 campaign. With her four goal effort against Stanford, she eclipsed the 23 goals that she scored during her freshman season. She currently ranks second on the squad with 29, while she is fourth with 37 points.
 
Dynamic Dickson
Sophomore Amie Dickson has really enjoyed a breakout during the 2015 campaign. She has already more than quadrupled last season's total point output of 10, pumping in a career high eight points in the big win over California. 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 22 goals and 25 assists on the year, after the one goal and three assist performance against Stanford. She also has made significant contributions throughout the stat sheet, proving to be an excellent two-way player in the midfield. She led the squad with five draw controls and two caused turnovers in the Stanford match. Dickson currently leads the Ivy League in points (47) and assists, while she is tied for 10th in goals. She is also fourth in the League with 39 draw controls.
 
Up Next
Cornell will celebrate Senior Day with its final regular season home-game on Saturday, April 18. The Big Red will honor celebrated seniors Sarah Hefner, Claire MacManus and Lindsay Toppe with a pre-game ceremony, before Cornell takes on Harvard with a spot in the Ivy League Tournament up for grabs. Opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m.