ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's soccer team will look for its first victories of the season with a pair of non-league games this weekend, first traveling to Buffalo for a contest at 7 p.m. Friday before returning to Berman Field to take on regional rival Binghamton at noon Sunday.
GAME INFORMATION
Cornell at Buffalo
DATE: Friday, Sept. 8, 2017
TIME: 7 p.m.
SITE: UB Stadium – Buffalo, N.Y. (artificial surface)
RECORDS: Cornell 0-2, Buffalo 1-3
VIDEO:
UBBulls.com
LIVE STATS:
UBBulls.com
Binghamton at Cornell
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017
TIME: Noon
SITE: Berman Field – Ithaca, N.Y. (natural surface)
RECORDS*: Cornell 0-2, Binghamton 4-1-1
VIDEO:
Ivy League Network
LIVE STATS:
CornellBigRed.com
UPDATES:
@CUBigRedGameday
* — does not include Thursday/Friday results
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell was handed losses in its first two games of the season last week. Syracuse used a penalty-kick goal to strike first and eventually expand its advantage into a 3-0 victory on Aug. 31, then the Big Red conceded two goals in the first five minutes of its home opener en route to a 3-1 loss to reigning Big Sky Conference champion Eastern Washington. Relative to the final 2016 Ratings Percentage Index, those were Cornell's two toughest non-league opponents this season. … Senior forward
Paige DeLoach scored the Big Red's lone goal to date, marking her 10th collegiate tally. Freshman midfielder
Shelby Wray got the first touch on freshman defender
Maddie Hoitink's goal kick, then senior midfielder
Katerina Weikert weaved through defenders in the middle third before sending forward a perfect ball for DeLoach to sprint on to through a failed offsides trap. DeLoach then finished with a shot inside the far post.
HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S GAME vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
2016 REWIND
Cornell posted a 5-9-2 record last year against one of the most demanding schedules the program has faced in recent memory. The slate was set up that way with a purpose, attempting to build on a memorable 2015 season in which the Big Red was 9-4-4. Cornell actually had the same Ivy League record in both of those seasons — 2-4-1, a mark the program hasn't exceeded since 1995. … At the forefront of Cornell's struggles last season was a dearth of offense, though all 11 of its goals were scored by players who return to this year's squad. Senior forward
Paige DeLoach led the team in scoring with nine points on four goals and one assist. Sophomore forward
Kennedy Yearby ranked second with two goals and one assist for five points. … Junior
Meghan Kennedy returns after earning All-Ivy League honorable mention by posting a 2-4-2 record, 1.01 goals against average and three shutouts powered by a stellar .852 save percentage. … For a full preview of the Big Red's 2017 season, click here http://cornellbigred.com/news/2017/8/29/womens-soccer-outlook-key-pieces-in-place-under-new-leader.aspx
HEAD COACH DWIGHT HORNIBROOK
After serving as an assistant coach for five seasons,
Dwight Hornibrook was named the head coach in February 2017. While he enters his first season at the helm of the Big Red, he has 17 years of head coaching experience with the men's soccer programs at Houghton and SUNY Cortland. After joining the Cornell women's soccer team, Hornibrook has helped the Big Red win 30 games over the last five years — the program's highest total in such a span since 2002-06. Hornibrook's overall record as a head coach is 182-117-30. After a three-year professional career, two-time Cornell captain goalkeeper
Tori Christ '14 joins the Big Red as an assistant coach.
Megan Giles has been named the team's other assistant coach after serving as the volunteer assistant coach with the Big Red last year.
Dana Daniels '17 now fills the role of volunteer assistant coach after completing a four-year career with Cornell as both a goalkeeper and field player..
CASE IN POINTS
Of Cornell's 36 points last season, 32 were notched by players who return to the squad this year. Also, eight of the team's 16 goals from its memorable 2015 season were scored by players on its current squad — four from senior
Paige DeLoach, two from junior
Jessica Ritchie and one each from seniors
Carolyn Ruoff and
Tess Pullano.
A CALL TO ARMBANDS
Seniors
Kaylee Fitzgerald and
Whitney Farber will serve as the Big Red's co-captains this season. Both players figure to be among the leading contributors on the back line this season, with Fitzgerald shifting back to central defense after playing much of her first three years on East Hill as a holding midfielder. Cornell carries eight seniors on its roster of 28 heading into the season.
NATIONAL APPEAL
The Big Red has 14 different states, the District of Columbia and the province of Alberta represented on the team roster. The most represented state on the Big Red is California, which is called home by six players. Five hail from New York, four from New Jersey, two each from Illinois, Maryland and Ohio, and one each from Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia and Alberta. Head coach
Dwight Hornibrook also hails from Canada, native to the New Brunswick capital of Fredericton.
ABOUT BUFFALO
After starting the season with three losses in August, the Bulls won their home opener on Sunday via 5-0 rout of Youngstown State. Freshman midfielder Kara Daly notched a goal and an assist, and senior Laura Dougall made six saves for her first shutout of the year. Junior forward Carissima Cutrona leads the team in scoring with five points on two goals and an assist. Senior midfielder Julia Benati and junior forward Rachel Villata have Buffalo's other goals, both in the win over Youngstown State. … The Bulls were 7-8-5 last season and ousted in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament. Buffalo started with three straight on the road, falling to Cincinnati (1-0 on Aug. 18), Ohio State (3-0 on Aug. 26) and crosstown rival Canisius (2-1, in OT, on Aug. 29).
THE SERIES WITH BUFFALO
The Bulls lead the all-time series, 3-2-2, though Cornell won the last meeting, 3-2, behind three second-half goals on Sept. 19, 2014.
Elizabeth Crowell '17 scored the final two goals for the Big Red, handing the Bulls their final loss before they went on a 14-game unbeaten streak to win the Mid-American Conference tournament and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. … In its last trip to the turf at UB Stadium, Cornell scratched out a scoreless draw on Sept. 10, 2013. Current assistant coach
Tori Christ '14 started the game in goal for the Big Red.
ABOUT BINGHAMTON
After a four-game unbeaten streak to start the year, the Bearcats suffered their first loss last Friday, 2-1, when Fairfield scored in a second overtime period. Binghamton rebounded with a 2-0 road victory on Sunday at Iona. … Junior forward Kayla Saager leads the team in scoring with 12 points on four goals and four assists through just six games. Freshman forward Essie Bonney and sophomore forward Ryan Reilly also have two goals apiece. … Senior Katie Hatziyianis has started all six games in goal, sporting a 4-1-1 record, 1.18 goals against average and .794 save percentage.
THE SERIES WITH BINGHAMTON
The Big Red expanded its all-time series lead against Binghamton to 6-2-2 last season with a 1-0 victory at Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal. Sophomore forward
Kennedy Yearby scored her first collegiate goal in the 76th, swooping in to convert a rebound of a shot from senior
Whitney Farber that bounced off the post. … Cornell has won the last four meetings between the teams, including the last three by a 1-0 margin. The Bearcats' last victory over Cornell was on Sept. 12, 2012, 2-1.
UP NEXT
Cornell will play its final non-league game before the start of Ivy League play at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, when it hosts Maine at Berman Field.
