PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Coming off an Ivy League win at Brown this weekend to stay atop the conference standings, the Big Red has a chance to make history Tuesday afternoon. A win at Binghamton would give Cornell an 8-0 record, which would mark the best start in program history.
 
GAME 8: Cornell Big Red at Binghamton Bearcats
WHEN: March 29, 2016 — 3 p.m.
WHERE: Bearcats Sports Complex
2016 RECORDS: Cornell 7-0 (23-0 Ivy), Binghamton 4-5 (0-0 America East)
LIVE STATS: BUBearcats.com
LIVE VIDEO: AmericaEast.tv

GAME NOTES
Cornell
 
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell tied its best start ever with a 10-2 win over Brown on March 26 to improve to 7-0. The team has continued to roll thanks to a balanced offense and a stingy defense. Fifteen players have recorded points for the Big Red this season, and three players are tie for the team lead with 15 points: senior Olivia Mattyasovszky (14-1), sophomore Taylor Reed (9-6) and senior Emily Tripodi (4-11). Senior Maddie Kiep leads the team with 21 draw controls. In goal, junior Renee Poullott has helped the Big Red become one of the best defenses in the nation, posting a .513 save percentage and a stingy 5.43 goals-against average.
 
A WIN WOULD...

• Mark the best start in program history
• Keep Cornell among just three undefeated Division I teams
• Give Cornell a 4-0 record on the road this season
• Give Cornell a 5-0 all-time record against Binghamton

ABOUT BINGHAMTON
The Bearcats are 4-5 to start the season and rank 29th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 8.33 goals per game. They opened the 2016 campaign with a respectable 9-6 loss to then-No. 3 Syracuse and most recently fell to No. 18 Ohio State, 10-5. Binghamton posted an overtime win over Niagara, dominated Quinnipiac, and snagged close wins over Siena and Sacred Heart. In a trip to Marist, the Red Foxes took a narrow 4-3 victory, the lowest scoring game in Bearcats program history. Freshman Rebecca Golderman is off to an impressive start in her rookie campaign, leading the team with 15 goals and 16 draw controls. Junior Callon Williams is close behind with 15 points on 12 goals and three assists.  Senior Erin McNulty and sophomore Emma Jehle have shared responsibilities in net. McNulty has seen slightly more time, and her .543 save percentage ranks fifth nationally while her 7.45 goals-against average is 17th.

THE SERIES VS. BINGHMATON
The Big Red and the Bearcats have met each of the past four seasons, and Cornell has won all four meetings, outscoring the Bearcats 71-26 in the series. Last season, Cornell put up a dominant 22-3 win over Binghamton at Schoellkopf Field. Twelve different members of the Big Red got on the scoreboard, with Emily Tripodi, Catherine Ellis and Olivia Mattyasovszky each netting four goals.
 
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
Cornell's seventh straight win to start the season tied for the best start in program history and marked the best start under current head coach Jenny Graap. The win ties the mark set by the 1987 Big Red, which held the program's only other 7-0 start.
 
100 CLUB
After setting a new school record for assists in the 9-8 win over Colgate, senior co-captain Emily Tripodi reached another milestone, posting her 100th career helper in a 10-2 win over Brown on March 26.

KEEP OUT
As of March 28, through the Big Red's first seven games, Cornell ranked second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 5.43 goals per game. Junior goalkeeper Renee Poullott also ranked second nationally in goals-against average at 5.43.
 
BALANCED OFFENSE
Fifteen different players have contributed on the scoresheet for the Big Red through the first seven games, with 12 players posting multiple points. Each of Cornell's first seven games have seen at least five different players score for the Big Red, with the team getting goals from eight different scorers on four occasions.
 
ELITE COMPANY
With a 7-0 record to begin the season, Cornell is is one of just three remaining unbeaten Division I teams and is the only undefeated team that is also unranked. No. 1/1 Maryland and No. 8/7 Southern California are the nation's only other teams without a loss.
 
HOT STREAKS
*Senior Emily Tripodi has a point in six straight games (4-11–15).
*Sophomore Taylor Reed has scored at least once in each of her last six games (9-6–14).
*Junior Catherine Ellis is on a five-game point streak (6-4–10).
*Junior Kristy Gilbert has at least a goal in each of her last five games (6-0–6).
*Senior Olivia Mattyasovszky has scored in each of her last four games (11-0–11).
 
MATTYASOVSZKY MAKING HER MARK
Senior attacker Olivia Mattyasovszky has proven to be an offensive force so far this season, scoring 14 goals in the first seven games of the year, including a five-goal outing in a win over Columbia. She has posted multiple goals four times this season. She set new career highs in goals and points just six games in, topping her 10 goals and 11 points last season.

SMITH GETS STINGY
Junior defender Catie Smith has been an integral cog in the Big Red's defensive success thus far this season, with team highs in ground balls (20) and caused turnovers (15). She posted a career-high six ground balls in the win over Yale and set a new career mark of five caused turnovers in the narrow victory over Colgate.
 
REED ALL ABOUT IT
Sophomore Taylor Reed has been a powerhouse on both sides of the ball so far this season. Her 15 points are a career-high, she's already doubled her assist total from last season and her nine goals tie her career mark. In addition to her offensive prowess, she's picked up a career-high 11 draw controls, caused three turnovers and scooped up 15 ground balls.
 
IVY WEEKLY HONORS
*Junior goaltender Renee Poullott was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 29 after helping Cornell hold then-No. 19 Albany to just five goals in a 9-5 victory on Feb. 27. Poullott made eight saves and posted a .615 save percentage in the win, while also tying a career-high with five ground balls and causing a turnover.
*Junior defender Catie Smith was recognized as Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on March 14. Smith caused a career-high five turnovers in a 9-8 win at Colgate and picked up five ground balls. She added four more ground balls and another caused turnover in the 14-7 win over Columbia.
 
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).
 
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.
 
FORMIDABLE FOES
This season, the Big Red will face off against five opponents currently ranked in the national polls: No. 1/1 Maryland, No. 4/6 Syracuse, No. 9/9 Penn State and Ivy rivals No. 13/11 Princeton and No. 16/14 Penn. The Big Red visits 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.
 
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
A team-high 11 players from the Big Red hail from right here in New York State. Cornell has commonly brought in most of its players from the Northeast with a particular focus on New York, which is both the home of Cornell and one of the country's biggest hotbeds of lacrosse.
 
RECORDS WATCH
*Senior co-captain Emily Tripodi is the new program record holder for career assists, recording two in a 9-8 win over Colgate on March 9 to better Courtney Farrell's record of 91 set in 2008.
*Junior Amie Dickson is just three assists away from cracking the all-time top 10. Dickson currently sits in 12th with 37 assists, one assist away from tying for 11th.
*Tripodi is now in sole possession of10th all-time with 140 career points.
*With the win over California, junior goaltender Renee Poullott moved into sole possession of third all-time. Two more victories will tied her for second.
*Poullott also currently ranks 12th for career saves with 206. She needs four to tie for 11th and five to move into the top 10.
 
UP NEXT
The Big Red will close its three-game road stint with a trip to defending National Champion, No. 1/1 Maryland on Saturday. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at College Park.