ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's lacrosse team used an 8-4 run in the second half to knock off the California Golden Bears, 13-7 on Saturday afternoon from Schoellkopf Field in its 2024 season opener. The Big Red improved to 1-0 on the year, while Cal fell to 1-2.

Multiple Big Red athletes earned points on the afternoon in a game that saw a 19-10 shots on goal advantage for the home team. Senior Maggie Pons was the star on the field for Cornell's offense, netting four goals and two assists dished out. Pons was not the only upperclassmen that secured a multi-point afternoon, as senior Bridget Babcock added two goals and an assist, and captain Caitlin Slaminko found the back of the net twice to round out the top scorers to help secure Cornell's sixth-consecutive victory over Cal. Hilary Hoover also recorded her first career assist in the win after missing all last season due to injury. Goalkeeper Ellie Horner also earned the win in goal, making three saves and securing a team-high three ground balls in her junior season debut.

California was led by Isabel King and Addie Fischer, who recorded two goals apiece. Kennedy Goss and Kennedy Mason earned three points on the afternoon with a goal and two assists. Callan Fritsch picked up the loss for the Golden Bears after allowing nine goals and saving six shots to fall to 1-2 on the year.

The Big Red struck first out of the gate with 10:19 to go in the opening 15, as Hoover found a cutting Pons through traffic to score the first goal of the season for the Big Red. Another goal came seconds later, as Mia DiChiara slid past her defender and ripped a shot past the stick of Callan Fritsch to push the Big Red up by two. Cal immediately fired back with consecutive goals after the media time to tie things at two before Pons scored her second goal of the period to put Cornell ahead 3-2 after the first quarter. 

Pons' goal seemed to light a fire under the Big Red offense, as it would strike while the iron was hot with two more goals to open up the second. Kylie Gelabert started with her first goal of the season off a feed from Pons before the senior followed up her handout by clinching her fourth career hat trick after causing a turnover and beating Fritsch to give Cornell a 5-2 cushion. Cal answered Pons's goal a little over a minute later as Addie Fischer found the scorers sheet for the third time to put the Golden Bears behind by three entering halftime.

With the late goal to cap off the first half, it looked like Cal would have the momentum to pull off the comeback. But the Big Red slammed the door shut of any such thing, outscoring the Golden Bears 3-0 in the third stanza as Josie Vogel and Bridget Babcock tallied goals while Pons capped off her day with her fourth slicer into the net to tie her career-high set last year in the Big Red's 2023 season-opening 18-15 victory over UAlbany to put Cornell ahead by five. 

The fourth quarter was the most entertaining portion, as both teams combined for 11 shots on goal on 12 attempts. Cal tried to wrestle its way back into the game late, as consecutive goals by Isabel King and Fischer trimmed its deficit down to 10-7. Once again, the Big Red stayed the course, as Sophie Ward, Babcock, and Caitlin Sliminko combined for three goals over the final 2:17 to send the Golden Bears home with its second-consecutive loss in its east coast road trip. 

With the victory, Cornell has now won all six matchups against Cal and has held its West Coast rivals to single-digit goals in each. The Big Red's 13-7 victory also secured the fourth straight season that the team has won its season opener under Jenny Grapp, the Karin Bain Kukral '82 Head Coach of Women's Lacrosse. 

UP NEXT
Cornell faces a tough turnaround as it heads to Syracuse on Tuesday to battle Central New York foe and returning Division I member Le Moyne College from Ted Grant Field. The first draw begins at 2:30 p.m., with live streaming on NEC Front Row.