ITHACA, N.Y. – The women's lacrosse team clawed its way back from a 7-2 halftime deficit to pull within two goals of #6/9 Princeton with 10 minutes to play but the Tigers held off the furious Big Red rally to win the program's third Ivy League Tournament Championship, downing #11/11 Cornell, 12-9, on Sunday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field.

Senior tri-captain Catherine Ellis led Cornell with three points on two goals and one assist while sophomore Tomasina Leska and juniors Taylor Reed and Ida Farinholt each had two goals. Sophomore Hannah O'Reilly, Reed, and senior goalkeeper Renee Poullott each picked up two ground balls while junior Joey Coffy and senior tri-captain Catie Smith caused two turnovers each. Senior Amie Dickson set a career-high with her game-high seven draws while scoring one goal.

Dickson, Reed, Smith, Ellis and sophomore Sarah Phillips were voted to the All-Tournament team.

Princeton opened the scoring just 37 seconds into the game to take the early lead. Cornell controlled the ensuing draw but Ellie DeGarmo made her first save of the game to send the Tigers back the other way, and Princeton took advantage of its second possession to go up 2-0 just three minutes in.

The Big Red finally started to settle in and generate a few chances – both senior Kristy Gilbert and Leska drove through the left side of the crease to get shots off – but DeGarmo put up four saves in the first 10 minutes of the game to keep the lead.

Olivia Hompe made it 3-0 for Princeton after the second media timeout with a no-look, backhanded shot from the top of the crease.

The Big Red looked like it was going to stop the Tiger run, and it did, briefly, when Farinholt took off from the 12-meter fan and drove to goal to fire a low shot past DeGarmo. Smith controlled the next draw and took it into the zone but a turnover soon brought the Tigers back the other way. Hompe found the net on that possession and then again just 28 seconds later to give Princeton a 5-1 lead with 9:40 to play in the first half. After two more Princeotn goals, Ellis backed down the arc with 2:19 remaining in the first half and muscled a shot into the net to send the game into the break, 7-2.

The Big Red came out attacking its largest deficit of the season and got on the board just 1:35 into the second stanza to start a furious comeback.

Reed moved down the left side of the eight-meter arc and then turned and fired a shot past DeGarmo to make it 7-3. Princeton fired right back and erased Reed's goal with two quick scores from Hompe and Anna Doherty, forcing Cornell to call a timeout to regroup with 25:57 to play.

Another Hompe goal again pushed Princeton's lead out to 10-3 but freshman Caroline Allen earned a free-position attempt and fed sophomore Sarah Phillips for a back door finish. Less than a minute later, Dickson fed a cutting Farinholt in the crease and the junior got up high to fire over a defender to make it 10-5.

A save from Poullott on Princeton's next possession sent Cornell back the other way to patiently work the ball around the zone. With the shot clock winding down, Ellis drove from behind the net, turned, jumped a fired a shot past DeGarmo to pull the Big Red within four.

Determined, Cornell kept pushing and pushing for another goal and after seven minutes, got it while a man-down when Reed sprinted through the crease and fired a shot past DeGarmo.

Another Hompe goal ended Cornell's scoring run but two goals from Leska in the span of 16 seconds carried on the Big Red comeback. First, the sophomore converted a free-position and then she corralled a pass from Ellis on the run and fired it into the net. 

As the clocked ticked under 10 minutes to play, each team kept looking for the game's next goal and unfortunately it would be the Tigers that scored it with 6:47 to play. Another goal would not be scored and Princeton claimed the automatic NCAA Tournament bid with its 12-9 win.

Cornell outshot Princeton 23-13 in the second half and outscored the Tigers 7-5 but the first half deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

Poullot finished with six saves while DeGarmo had a tournament, single-game record of 14. Cornell held the final edge in shots (34-24) and draw controls (13-10) while each time picked up 16 ground balls.

Cornell will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent on the selection show at 9 p.m. tonight.
 

Most Outstanding Player
Ellie DeGarmo (Princeton)

All-Tournament Team
Amie Dickson (Cornell)
Taylor Reed (Cornell)
Catie Smith (Cornell)
Sarah Phillips (Cornell)
Catherine Ellis (Cornell)
Julia Glynn (Harvard)
Marisa Romeo (Harvard)
Emily Rogers-Healion (Penn)
Elizabeth George (Princeton)
Olivia Hompe (Princeton)
Amanda Leavell (Princeton)