ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's soccer team plays the first of two consecutive Ivy League matches on the road when it faces Columbia on Wednesday afternoon with a 4:30 p.m. first touch from Rocco B. Commisso Stadium in New York City.

MATCH NO. 12
Cornell at Columbia
SITE: Rocco B. Commisso Stadium – New York, N.Y. (artifical surface)
RECORDS: Cornell (2-5-4, 1-1-0 Ivy League), Columbia (4-3-3, 2-0-0 Ivy League)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 20-16-1
SERIES STREAK: Tied 1
WEATHER FORECAST: 63°, partly cloudy, 0 percent chance of rain; Winds: WNW 5-10 mph
BROADCAST: ESPN+
Stats: CornellBigRed.com

LAST TIME OUT
ITHACA, N.Y. (SEPT. 28, 2024) — Making her first collegiate start, sophomore forward Sydney Allen took advantage of her opportunity in Cornell's starting lineup, helping the Big Red secure a 1-0 clean sheet against Dartmouth last Saturday at Berman Field.

Allen broke open the scoreless contest in the 53rd minute with her second goal of the season. Both of Allen's goals have come at Berman Field and have served as game-winners for the Big Red.

Junior midfielder Mariana Kessinger logged the lone assist on Allen's goal, which was a give-and-go inside Dartmouth's 18-yard box. Kessinger's assist was the second of her collegiate career and her first in nearly a full calendar year (Oct. 7, 2023, vs. Harvard).

Senior goalkeeper Erica Fox made a pair of saves to register her first clean sheet on the season for the Big Red, snapping its seven-match winless streak.

Cornell employed an up-tempo, pressing attack on defense, which stifled Dartmouth's offense that entered the match averaging over two goals per match (2.20). The Big Red's continual pressure throughout the contest resulted in Dartmouth only managing six shot attempts, with just two on target.

STARTING IVY PLAY STRONG
With a victory on Wednesday afternoon, Cornell will have won two of its first three Ivy League matches for the first time since going 2-0-1 over the first three conference matches during the 1995 campaign.

Cornell has registered at least two wins over its first three Ivy League matches in a season on 10 occasions since the program was elevated to varsity status prior to the 1982 season, all of which occurred between 1986 and 1995.

BEST THREE-MATCH STARTS TO IVY LEAGUE PLAY
Cornell Program History
1991, 1992, 1993 — 3-0-0 (1.000)
1986, 1987, 1995 — 2-0-1 (.833)
1988, 1989, 1990, 1994 — 2-1-0 (.667)

KNACK FOR THE NET
Cornell has scored at least one goal in 40 of its 58 matches played under head coach Rob Ferguson, dating back to the first season played under Ferguson in 2021.

The 69.0 percent of contests with a goal ranks as the highest clip in Cornell program history, surpassing Randy May, the program's first head coach. May saw his teams score in 67.7 percent of the 282 matches he coached (191 matches with a goal) during his 18-year tenure as head coach between 1982 and 1999.

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF MATCHES WITH A GOAL
By Coach — Cornell Program History
1. Rob Ferguson (2020-Present) — 69.0 percent (40-of-58)
2. Randy May (1982-99) — 67.7 percent (191-of-282)
3. Berhane Anderberhan (2000-05) — 66.0 percent (64-of-97)
4. Patrick Farmer (2012-16) — 62.2 percent (51-of-82)
5. Gretchen Zigante (2006) — 58.8 percent (10-of-17)
6. Danielle LaRoche (2007-11) — 48.1 percent (37-of-77)
7. Dwight Hornibrook (2017-19) — 38.6 percent (17-of-44)

As of late, the Big Red has displayed its scoring prowess, scoring a goal in 13 of its last 17 contests, 23 of its previous 28 matches, and 26 of its latest 33 fixtures, dating back to the 2022 season.

TOURNAMENT TESTS
Wednesday afternoon's match will be the first of two consecutive matches against opponents who played in last year's NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. The latter contest will pit Cornell against Harvard at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Mass., on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Wednesday's contest is the third of five opponents Cornell will play this season that were participants in last year's NCAA  Division I Women's Soccer Championship. The Big Red previously played then-No. 19-ranked Pepperdine (Sept. 22) and Princeton (Sept. 28), both contests resulting in 3-0 setbacks.

The only other programs that fit the criteria that Cornell has yet to play this season feature a pair of Ivy League rivals in Harvard (this Sunday in Cambridge, Mass.) and Brown (Oct. 26 in Providence, R.I.).

Last year, the quintet combined for a 55-22-16 record (.677). This year, the programs have a cumulative record of 27-13-12 (.635), highlighted by all five programs having four-plus victories, highlighted by Pepperdine (8-2-2) and Princeton's (7-3-0) having at least seven victories.

2023 TOURNAMENT TEAMS
On Cornell's Schedule In 2024
Brown — 12-3-2 in 2023; 4-3-3 in 2024
Columbia — 11-5-3 in 2023; 4-3-3 in 2024
Harvard — 13-4-2 in 2023; 4-2-4 in 2024
Pepperdine — 9-5-5 in 2023; 8-2-2 in 2024; L, 0-3
Princeton — 10-5-4 in 2023; 7-3-0 in 2024; L, 0-3
TOTALS — 55-22-16 in 2023; 27-13-12 in 2024; 0-2-0 record this season

THE MATCH IS ON HER FOOT
Sophomore forward Sydney Allen has recorded both of Cornell's game-winning goals this season, which have come against Syracuse (Sept. 1) and last Saturday against Dartmouth.

Allen is the first Cornell player with multiple game-winning goals since Reagan Pauwels tallied game-winning goals in the final two matches of the 2022 campaign against Princeton and Dartmouth.

Should Allen record another game-winning goal, she would become the first Big Red player with three game-winners in a single season since Maneesha Chitanvis had three such goals in 2010.

MOST GAME-WINNING GOALS
Cornell Program History
1. 5, Laurie Collier (1987)
T2. 4, Meagan McMahan (1983, 1984)
T2. 4, Amy Finkelstein (1990)
T2. 4, Jen Tidsbury (1992)
T2. 4, Amy Duesing (1993)
T7. 3, 12 times by 10 players, Last: Maneesha Chitanvis (2010)

CLEAN SHEET CLUB
With her clean sheet against Lehigh on Sept. 8, junior goalkeeper Natalie Medugno increased her career total for clean sheets to 5.5.

Medugno is one-half of a clean sheet away from tying Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00) and Meghan Kennedy (2015-18) for the 10th-most shutouts in Big Red program history.

Should Medugno record a full clean sheet on Saturday afternoon, it would be her second clean sheet of the season, surpassing Cauzillo and Kennedy and match Katrina Matlin (2003-06) for the ninth-most clean sheets by a Cornell goalkeeper.

CAREER CLEAN SHEETS
Cornell Program History
1. 22, Melissa Gambrell (1986-89)
2. 21.5, Kelsey Tierney (2013-16)
3. 20, Sue DeLong (1990-91, 93-94)
4. 16, Sherrie Chocola (1984-86)
5. 13, Katie Thomas (2001-04)
6. 10, Marybeth Bell (1995-96)
7. 9, Kate Thompson (1983-84)
8. 7, Kate Alexander (1992-93)
9. 6.5, Katrina Matlin (2003-06)
T10. 6, Meghan Cauzillo (1997-00)
T10. 6, Meghan Kennedy (2015-18)
12. 5.5, Natalie Medugno (2022-Present)

NOBODY WINS
Cornell's four draws are tied for the third-most in a single season, matching the outputs by the squads from 2002 and 2015. Its next draw would match the 2022 squad for the second-most in program history. Only last year's team, which concluded the year with a 4-5-6 mark, had more draws in a single season.

Prior to Tuesday's matches, Cornell's four draws were tied with 44 other programs for the 32nd-most ties by a Division I program this season.

The Big Red's four ties are tied with Harvard (4-2-4) and Penn (1-6-4) for the most draws by an Ivy League program this season.

MOST DRAWS IN A SINGLE SEASON
Cornell Program History
1. 2023 — 4-5-6 record (.467 win percentage)
2. 2022 — 4-7-5 record (.406 win percentage)
T3. 2002 — 8-5-4 record (.588 win percentage)
T3. 2015 — 9-4-4 record (.647 win percentage)
T3. 2024 — 2-5-4 record (.364 win percentage)

IVY PRESEASON POLL
Cornell was picked to finish eighth in this year's Ivy League women's soccer preseason poll, the conference office announced on Aug. 19.

After claiming last year's inaugural Ivy League Women's Soccer Tournament title, Harvard was tabbed the preseason favorite upon receiving 10 of the 16 first-place votes. The Crimson concluded with a point total of 120, 12 points ahead of Brown (108), which received four first-place votes. Behind Brown was Princeton, which finished with 103 points and the other two first-place votes.

Rounding out the eight-team poll ahead of Cornell's 22 points was Columbia (77 points) in fourth, Dartmouth (57 points) in fifth, Yale (48 points) in sixth, and Penn (41 points) in seventh.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA
Columbia enters Wednesday afternoon's match with a 4-3-3 overall record and is 2-0-0 in Ivy League play, tied with Princeton for the top record in the Ancient Eight.

The Lions are unbeaten at Rocco B. Commisso Stadium this season, posting a 2-0-1 mark. Columbia's lone draw came in its home opener against Fairleigh Dickinson, a scoreless tie on Sept. 5. The two victories have come against Fordham (Sept. 12) and Providence (Sept. 20).

Nata Ramirez (five goals, five assists) enters today tied with Dartmouth's Daisy Granholm (seven goals, one assist) for the most points by an Ivy League player this season (15). Ramirez's five assists are the most in the Ivy League and her five goals are tied with Harvard's Josefine Hasbo for the second-most tallies in the Ancient Eight.

Maia Tabion is right behind Ramirez with four assists, tied with Brown's Karlie Schlosser and Princeton's Heather MacNab for the second-most helpers in the Ivy League.

Lauren Rodriguez has started all 10 matches for Columbia this season, logging a 4-3-3 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and .684 save percentage. Samantha Mahoney has logged 81:47 of action across three relief appearances and Isabel Ackerman played 4:09 in her lone outing against Providence (Sept. 20).

COLUMBIA'S LAST TIME OUT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (OCT. 5, 2024) — Angel Akanyirige's goal in the 88th minute broke a 1-1 tie with Harvard, leading Columbia to its third consecutive victory as it defeated the Crimson, 2-1, at Jordan Field last Saturday afternoon.

Nata Ramirez assisted on both of Columbia's goals, which included a 58th-minute tally by Marcia Ojo that opened the scoring.

Lauren Rodriguez logged all 90 minutes of action between the pipes for the Lions, stopping four  Crimson shots.

37 YEARS, 229 MILES, 37 MEETINGS
Cornell leads the all-time series over its Empire State rival, 20-16-1, despite Columbia being unbeaten in 14 of the last 17 contests against the Big Red (13-3-1).

Wednesday's match will be the third-ever midweek contest between the Ancient Eight rivals, joining a 2-0 Cornell victory at Columbia Soccer Stadium on Sept. 16, 1992, and last year's 1-1 tie on Berman Field on Oct. 4, 2023.

Last season, the programs played to the first-ever tie, 1-1, on Berman Field last Oct. 4, 2023. Laken Gallman scored the lone tally for the Big Red while Shira Cohen scored against Cornell for a second consecutive season.

The Big Red is seeking its first road victory over Columbia since defeating the Lions, 2-1, at Columbia Soccer Stadium on Sept. 25, 2004. Columbia has won the last eight meetings against Cornell on its home pitch, outscoring the Big Red by a 13-3 clip.