ITHACA, N.Y. -- A span of three straight games away from Schoellkopf Field begins this Saturday when Cornell women's lacrosse jumps back into Ivy League play against the Princeton Tigers.

GAME INFO:
SITE: Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium - Princeton, N.J.
DATE and TIME: Saturday, March 23 at noon
RECORDS: Cornell (5-2, 2-0 Ivy League), Princeton (4-3, 0-1 Ivy League)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads, 43-5
BROADCAST: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: goprincetontigers.com
INTERNATIONAL FEED: Stretch Internet

MATCHUP HISTORY
- Saturday's game will be the 49th all-time meeting between the Big Red and the Tigers.
- Princeton has taken the last eight matchups between the conference rivals. Five of those contests have been decided by three goals or less. 
- Despite dropping eight in a row in the series, Cornell has scored ten or more goals in five of those games and has averaged 22.5 shots on goals over the last ten.
- Princeton has also taken the last six contests played in the Garden State by a combined 19 goals. Three of them have been decided by two goals or less, including a 13-12 win for the Tigers in 2022.

A WIN OVER PRINCETON WOULD
- Give Cornell a 6-2 record and start 3-0 in conference action since winning a share of the Ivy League regular season crown in 2017.
- Snap an eight-game skid to the Tigers and be the Big Red's first road victory in the series since a 13-12 win in overtime on March 31, 2012
- Hand Jenny Graap her 254th victory as a head coach and 233rd at the helm of the Big Red.
- Secure the 375th win in program history (374-327-4 in 52 seasons, .533).

LAST TIME OUT: BABCOCK RECORDS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK, BIG RED RUNS OUT OF TIME IN LOSS TO PENN STATE
Senior midfielder Bridget Babcock spearheaded the Cornell offense with three goals in the fourth quarter alone to help mount a comeback that fell short in a 12-11 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon from Schoellkopf Field. Cornell, down 7-2 at halftime, outshot PSU by a 15-3 clip in the final period but could not find the equalizer, extending its losing streak against Penn State to seven consecutive games.

Babcock finished her career day with four goals on eight shots to keep her points streak intact through seven games this season, while Dillyn Patten tallied two more goals to push her season total to ten and her goal streak to four games. Kylie Gelabert and Sophie Ward each had a goal and an assist to round out the top performers in a matchup that saw the Big Red have the edge in total shots (34-26) and draw controls (14-12) at the final whistle. 

Cornell and Penn State traded goals early in a first quarter that saw a combined 17 shots attempted by both squads, as Payton Wainman and Caitlyn Slaminko collected a point each to keep things knotted at one. The Nittany Lions would tally the final score of the quarter, as Wainman secured an opening 15 hat trick that would eventually turn into a 4-0 run over the second quarter to head into the locker room up 7-2. 

The Big Red would keep the deficit at five after the third on goals by Babcock and Josie Vogel before waking up late in the fourth. With 3:28 to go, a goal by Gelabert sparked a 5-0 run alongside a goal from Alexa Donahoe and a three-piece from Babcock. The senior capped off the run with four seconds remaining to put Cornell within a possession. But the clock became the enemy of the Big Red, as the Nittany Lions won the final draw of the afternoon and ran out the final seconds to clinch the win. Cornell's ten shots on goal in the final frame was the most the team has had in a quarter all season.

INSIDE THE OPPONENT: PRINCETON
- Princeton comes into Saturday at 4-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Tigers also sit 19th in the most recent Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association poll. 
- The Tigers are coming off a split during its spring break road trip to Florida, falling to the No. 13 Gators (16-13) before turning around three days later to knock off Jacksonville, 16-11. 
- Princeton found itself behind the eight ball by an 11-6 margin after 30 minutes of action but rallied to get within two with 6:27 to go. Despite forcing Florida into a season-high 25 turnovers, the black and orange could not get any closer to the Gators, who dominated the draw circle by a 26-5 margin. Princeton would rebound against the Dolphins, using an 11-4 run that stretched over the second and third quarters to turn a one-goal deficit into a seven-goal cushion it would never surrender back. 
- Junior McKenzie Blake led the stat sheet for Princeton in its fun in the sun with six goals on 11 shots attempted over the two games. Haven Dora and Samantha DeVito also had four goals each in the week split. 
- Blake rolls into Saturday's battle with team-highs in goals (22) and draw controls (25). The 2023 first team All-Ivy selection has hat tricks in five of Princeton's seven games this season and has logged four goals alongside a .522 shot percentage in two career games against the Big Red. The New Jersey product has paired well with Grace Tauckus (15-10-25) and Jami MacDonald (15-7-22) to lead Princeton's attack.
- Amelia Hughes has started all seven games in net for the Tigers this season, tallying the most overall saves (58) and the second-highest saves per game in the conference (8.29).
- The Tigers' aggressiveness on both ends of the field has led to the team logging 15.57 fouls per game. That metric is 89th out of 120 teams that compete at the highest level of collegiate women's lacrosse.
- Turnovers have come at a premium for Princeton's opposition this season, as the Tigers are 15th in the country in turnovers per game (12.57). For perspective, the Big Red are tied for 13th in that mark with Delaware State at 12.43/contest. \- Princeton has taken advantage of woman-up chances, sitting second in the Ivy with 18 total goals on the extra-player opportunity this season.
- Two areas the Tigers have struggled in this year are ground balls and in the draw circle. Through seven games, Princeton averages 15.29 ground balls and 12.57 draw control wins per contest, both second to last in the conference.
- Jenn Cook is in her second season as head coach and 12th as a member of the Princeton coaching staff after serving as an assistant and associate head coach under Chris Sailer. She has also helped lead Princeton to seven Ivy League titles and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the quarterfinals three times. 

UP NEXT
Cornell faces a quick turnaround, heading up Route 13 to renew its in-state rivalry against the Colgate Raiders on Tuesday, March 26 at 5 p.m. from Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium.