VESTAL, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's lacrosse team closed the game on a 16-1 run, shutting out the Bearcats to collect an 18-4 win on Tuesday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Big Red improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the Bearcats slipped to 1-2. 

The Bearcats took a 3-2 lead in the first, answered a 4-0 Big Red run to get back within 6-4, then watched Cornell score the games's final 12 goals in improving to 9-0 all-time against Binghamton. The Big Red defense caused five turnovers, won 18 ground balls and got a great effort in goal after a slow start. Graduate captain Katie McGahan shook off three early goals by stopping nine of the next 10 shots she faced to end the evening with a spectacular .692 save percentage.She became the fourth Cornell goalkeeper to earn 20 career victories with the decision while also surpassing 300 saves, becoming just the sixth Cornellian to reach that milestone. Ellie Horner wrapped up with three saves without allowing a goal over the game's final 19:25.
 
Sophie Ward scored three goals and Maggie Pons had a career-high five points with two goals and three assists. In all, 12 different Cornell players scored goals and a 13th added an assist. The Big Red held a narrow 14-12 edge on the draw with Shannon Brazier and Annie Thomas each collecting three. Genevieve DeWinter won a team-best four ground balls to go along with two goals, a caused turnover and a draw win.
 
Kenna Newman scored twice to lead Binghamton, with Hayley Weltner corralling four draw control wins and three ground balls. Gabrielle Marshall had a game-high five ground balls. The tandem of Emily Manning and Sofia Salgado made 11 saves between the pipes for the Bearcats.
 

FIRST HALF

• After a back-and-forth, high scoring first nine minutes, Cornell took control with four straight scores to end the quarter.
• Binghamton added a goal back to open the second, but the Big Red started to run away with it thanks to four unanswered scores over the last 11 minutes of the half.
• By the time Sophie Ward netted her second goal of the contest to make it 10-4, the Big Red was well on its way to a 2-0 start.  

SECOND HALF

• The defense, which held Binghamton off the scoreboard over the final 42:58, gave the Big Red goalkeepers a chance to save the final 10 shots on goal, including seven from McGahan.
• Annie Thomas scored with 8:40 to play in the third for her first collegiate goal, with Sophie Alois scoring her first of the season in the first half.
• Josie Vogel netted her first two career goals, while Mia DiChiara and Lucy Dwyer also found the back of the net for the first time in a Big Red uniform.
 

NEXT UP

• Cornell will play in front of the home fans for the first time since 2020 when it meets No. 25 Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. on Schoellkopf Field.
• Penn State leads the all-time series 9-3 and has won four straight meetings.
• The Big Red's last win in the series was a 10-7 victory on April 13, 2016 in University Park, Pa.