ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell will open Ivy League play Saturday, hosting Yale at Schoellkopf Field. The Big Red has won its first two games, including an important win over then-No. 19 Albany last weekend.
 
GAME 3: Cornell Big Red vs. Yale Bulldogs
WHEN: March 5, 2016 — 1 p.m.
WHERE: Schoellkopf Field — Ithaca, N.Y.
2016 RECORDS: Cornell 2-0, Yale 2-2
LIVE STATS: CornellBigRed.com
LIVE VIDEO: Ivy League Digital Network


GAME NOTES (PDF)
Cornell
 
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Eight members of the Big Red have recorded points through the team's first two games, led by junior Amie Dickson with four goals and an assist. Dickson had a four-point effort, including a hat trick, in Cornell's 9-5 win over Albany. The win helped the Big Red earn votes in both the IWLCA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll this week. Senior Olivia Mattyasovszky is second on the team with four points, including a pair of goals and an assist in the season-opening 7-6 win over Villanova. Junior Renee Poullott has been solid in net, allowing just 5.50 goals per game through the first two contests and posting a .560 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD...

• Give Cornell its first 3-0 start since 2013
• Give Cornell a 1-0 Ivy League record
• Even the all-time series at 19-19
• Give Cornell a 2-0 record at Schoellkopf Field this season

ABOUT YALE
Celebrating their 40th anniversary season, the Bulldogs have started the season 2-2. Yale dropped its season-opener at Lehigh, 9-7, before walloping Quinnipiac, 11-4, at home. Massachusetts then served the Bulldogs a 13-3 loss, though senior Nicole Daniggelis finished with six draw controls to break the Ivy League record with 230 career draw controls. This Wednesday, the Bulldogs picked up their second win, beating Marist, 11-8. Junior Tess McEvoy has been a bright spot, earning 13 points through the team's first four games with nine goals and four assists. Classmate Hope Hanley is close behind with six goals and two assists. Sophomore Sydney Marks has been the Bulldogs' starter between the pipes, posting an 8.50 goals-against average and a 46.9 save percentage.
 
THE SERIES VS. YALE
The Bulldogs and the Big Red have met every season since 1980, and Yale has a slim 19-18 advantage in the all-time series, though Cornell has won the last eight meetings. Last season, the Big Red served the Bulldogs a 15-7 loss with Catherine Ellis and Kristy Gilbert combining for seven of Cornell's goals.

MAKING HISTORY
With two assists in the Big Red's win over Albany on Feb. 27, senior co-captain Emily Tripodi has tied the program record for career assists with 91. Adding one more assist would make Tripodi the lone record-holder, overtaking Courtney Farrell '08.
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Junior attacker/midfielder Amie Dickson has been named an honorable mention Preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse. Dickson was named First-Team All-Ivy at the conclusion of the 2015 season after leading the Ivy League with 59 points and 31 assists.
 
KEEP OUT
As of March 1, through the Big Red's first two games, junior goalkeeper Renee Poullott ranks eighth nationally in goals-against average at 5.50 and ninth in save percentage at .560. The Big Red as a whole is ninth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 5.50 goals per game.
 
BACK ON THE ATTACK
The Big Red returns the bulk of its attack from the 2015 season, despite the graduation of Lindsay Toppe. Senior co-captain Emily Tripodi will likely continue to serve the role of feeder after finishing the 2015 season with 30 assists.  Senior Catherine Ellis will once again have her eye on the net. Ellis finished second on the team last season with 38 goals, starting all 16 contests. Senior Olivia Mattyasovszky will use her imposing 6-foot frame to challenge defenders, while Jessica Schwab and Meredith Baker will also serve as returning options on the front line.
 
UP THE MIDDLE
In the midfield, where Cornell boasts the most depth, a returning corps of speedy sophomores will be the storyline. The likes of Joey Coffy and Taylor Reed will bring athleticism to the midfield and be a differentiator for the Big Red. Coffy and Reed will be joined by upperclassmen leaders, junior Kristy Gilbert and senior Shelby McNeilly. Gilbert will add firepower to the midfield, while McNeilly plays a more defensive style. Juniors Kailey O'Hagan and Christie Powell will bolster the midfield's versatility, while sophomores Anna Baumeister and Paige Craig are likely to operate as swing players.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Cornell lost just one defender to graduation in 2015, meaning the Big Red returns an incredibly experienced defensive corps. Senior co-captain Brittany Marriott will once again bring her leadership and direction to the defensive unit. She will be joined by classmate Maddie Kiep, who will add athleticism and physicality, and junior Catie Smith, who excels at applying pressure. Seniors Abby Hanson and Catherine Moubayed will bring an aggressiveness and knack for earning ground balls and interceptions while sophomores Hilary Lemonick and Cait Callahan will be impactful in marking schemes for the Big Red backline.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES
The Big Red returns an experienced and capable goaltender in junior Renee Poullott, who finished the 2015 season with an 8.77 goals-against average and .437 save percentage. Freshman Samantha Nielsen will serve as the backup to Poullott. 
 
FRESH FACES
Cornell has added eight newcomers to the roster for the 2016 season. Tomasina Leska and Sarah Phillips join the Big Red attack, while Hannah O'Reilly, Shannon Bertscha and Christie Raymond will add to the team's depth at midfield. Natalie Paletta and Sarah Nicholson join the team's defense, and Samantha Nielsen will be an option in goal. The Class of 2019 features three high school All-Americans (Leska, Nielsen, Raymond) and two who were invited to try out for the U.S. Women's U19 National Team (Leska, Raymond).
 
FORMIDABLE FOES
This season, the Big Red will face off against six opponents currently ranked in the national polls: No. 1/1 Maryland, No. 2/2 Syracuse, No. 6/2 Penn State, No. 19 Albany, and Ivy rivals No. 9/9 Princeton and No. 13/16 Penn. The Big Red visits Albany on Feb. 27, heads to reigning National Champion Maryland on April 2, travels to Penn State on April 13, plays at Princeton on April 16, hosts Syracuse on April 19 and closes the regular season with a home matchup against Penn on April 30.
 
FAMILY TIES
Freshmen Natalie Paletta and Sarah Phillips both have ties to the Cornell Athletics Department. Natalie's father, Steve Paletta, was a men's lacrosse Second-Team All-American, captained the Big Red to a national runner-up finish in 1987 and was named First-Team All-Ivy. Natalie's mother, Christine, was a member of the Cornell gymnastics team from 1986-88. Sarah's father, Andy Phillips, and uncle, J.D. Phillips, were teammates of Steve Paletta's. Sarah's grandfather, John Phillips, also played lacrosse at Cornell.
 
MEET THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Emily Tripodi and Brittany Marriott have been chosen to be co-captains for the 2016 season. Marriott will be serving as a captain for the second consecutive season after she was chosen to lead the team as a junior with Lindsay Toppe.
 
RECORDS WATCH
*Senior co-captain Emily Tripodi is tied for the all-time program record in career assists with 91 after recording two assists at Albany on Feb. 27. One more assist will make Tripodi the lone record-holder.
*Junior Amie Dickson is just three assists away from cracking the all-time top 10. Dickson currently has 37 assists, behind Libby Johnson '11 in 10th with 40.
*Tripodi is also seven points away from breaking into the top 10 program list for career points. Tripodi currently has 127 career points. Tina Hennessey '93 is currently in the No. 10 spot with 134.
*With the win over Albany, junior goaltender Renee Poullott is currently tied for fifth with 16 career wins. With three more wins, Poullott will tie for third.
 
UP NEXT
The Big Red will take a weeknight trip to nearby Colgate on Wednesday, March 9 at 5 p.m. before returning to Schoellkopf Field on March 12 for an Ivy League matchup with Columbia.