ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's polo team is all set to host the Bill Field Invitational, which will feature Virginia, Kentucky, and Southern Methodist, from Nov. 18-21 at the Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, N.Y.
What's on Tap:
The women's portion of the Bill Field Invitational will get underway on Thursday when Virginia and Kentucky go head-to-head at 5 p.m. Cornell will play its first game of the tournament when it squares off against Southern Methodist on Friday at 5 p.m.
The results of Thursday's and Friday's contests will determine the matchups for the remainder of the tournament, with a consolation game set to take place on Saturday at 2 p.m. and the championship bout scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m.
Last Time Out:
The Cornell women's polo team split its pair of contests last weekend, posting an 18-9 victory over the University of Connecticut on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, N.Y. before falling to Skidmore, 24-2, on Sunday, Nov. 14 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. to bring its record to 4-5 on the season.
Cornell was led in the win over UConn by Lea Jih-Vieira and Rachel Booth, who combined for 15 of the Big Red's 18 goals in the contest and both notched season-bests. Jih-Vieira led all scorers with eight goals, just one shy of UConn's goal total for the entire contest. Booth was right behind with a season-high seven goals. Sophia Neis added a pair of goals in the victory.
Annie Rogers and Valeria Marques Valdivia each scored a goal in the Big Red's contest against Skidmore.
The Field:
Two of the three teams slated to compete in the Bill Field Invitational will be teams that the Big Red has not faced yet this season, including Friday's opponent in Southern Methodist. Friday's meeting will be just the third time that the Big Red and Mustangs have squared off, and the first time since the 2012-13 season, with Cornell winning the prior two matchups. The Big Red beat Southern Methodist, 23-8, on Jan. 28, 2012 and 27-3 on Jan. 26, 2013.
Cornell holds a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series against Kentucky, having won six of the last seven matchups. The Big Red went 2-0 against the Wildcats during the 2019-20 season, including an 18-16 win at the Bill Field Invitational on Nov. 22, 2019, and a 13-7 victory on Feb. 14, 2020, which also came at the Oxley Equestrian Center. Cornell has won each of its last five meetings against Kentucky at home.
Virginia is a familiar opponent for the Big Red this season, as Cornell took on the Cavaliers earlier this fall at the Virginia Polo Fall Tournament. The Cavaliers came away with the 21-2 victory on Oct. 22. Cornell will look to turn the tables should the two teams meet this weekend, because although the Big Red holds a 90-39-2 advantage in the all-time series, Virginia has won 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two teams.
Strength Comes in Numbers:
The Big Red has four student-athletes that have posted double-digit goals so far this season, illustrating that strength comes in numbers. After scoring a season-high eight goals against UConn, Lea Jih-Vieira leads all scores with 27 goals and 28 points on the season. Rachel Booth and Jasmine Umrigar have scored 19 goals apiece, with one of Booth's goals being good for two. Sophia Neis rounds out the double-digit goal scorers with 16 goals on the year.
